McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
Data for F-4C & E variants
Photo from USAF Museum
To say the F-4 is classic is an understatement. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is the most famous fighter ever to serve in the West. The F-4's airframe is as distintive as anything. The Phantom encorporates a downturned nose, anhedral tailplane, and upturned wingtips. The F-4 draws its name from an earlier McDonnell jet called the Phantom which was tested at the end of WWII. The Phantom II first flew as the F4H-1 in 1958. It was later renamed F-4 when the Navy converted its designation system (another example is the Vought F8U now known as the F-8 is was, by the way, the forerunner to the F-4). The US Navy took delivery of the first F-4's in December 1960. Now, because of inter-service rivalries it was not like the US Air Force to turn a Navy jet into its front line fighter. However, in the 1960's the Phantom was the best available fighter in the West. Before the introduction of the Phantom the USAF had considered the F-106 Delta Dart its most valuable interceptor. Needless to say the Phantom proved a success and by Vietnam was the frontline fighter of all three services. Just to clear up any confusion about Phatom variants here's a little chart:
Designation--Production--Service
F-4A -- 24 -- USN
F-4B -- 637 -- USN
RF-4B -- 46 -- USMC
F-4C -- 583 -- USAF
RF-4C -- 505 -- USAF
F-4D -- 793 -- USAF
F-4E -- 949 -- USAF
F-4G -- 116 -- USAF
F-4J -- 522 -- USN
F-4S -- 302 improved from J
F-4N -- 228 improved from B
Okay, now that any confusion has been cleared up here's some additional notes on the Phantom. Variants of the F-4 prior to the E did not include a cannon. This was not unusual for USAF fighters of the day. The philosophy was that any future war would involve shooting down bombers. However, the North Vietnamese had no bombers, they had only fast and nimble soviet MiG's. The F-4 could not easily engage the MiG's without the help of expensive and complex missilery. A gun pod was added to some versions prior to the undernose cannon of the E variant. The F-4G entered service in 1978, it had no cannon. It was the new USAF Advanced Wild Weasel replacing the F-105 Thunderchief which performed that role in Vietnam. Most the 5 173 F-4's produced have now been withdrawn from front line service. In America the F-4 has now been replaced in the USAF by the F-15 and F-16, and in the USN by the F-14 Tomcat. The F-4's legacy will undoubtedly live on for a long time.
Specifications
(Data for F-4C)
Origin: McDonell Douglas Corporation
Type: All-weather multirole fighter
Crew: Pilot & RIO (Radar Intercept Officer)
Powerplant: Two General Electric J79-15 afterburning turbojets each delivering 7 711 kg (17 000 lbs) of thrust
Dimensions
Span: 11.7 m (38' 5")
Height: 5.03 m (16' 6")
Length: 17.76 m (58' 3")
Maximum Loaded Weight: 26 300 kg (58 000 lbs)
Performance
Maximum Speed: 2 415 kph (1 500 mph)
Cruising Speed: 945 kph (587 mph)
Climb Rate: 14 721 m (48 000 feet)/min
Range: 3 700 km (2 300 miles)
Service Ceiling: 18 290 m (60 000 feet)
Armament
Upto 7 257 kg (16 000 lbs) of stores including 4 AIM-7 Sparrow and 4 AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs
First Flight: May 27, 1963
User(s): United States
Production: 583
Unit Cost:
Specifications
(Data for F-4E)
Origin: McDonell Douglas Corporation
Type: All-weather multirole fighter
Crew: Pilot & RIO (Radar Intercept Officer)
Powerplant: Two General Electric J79-17 afterburning turbojets each delivering 8 120 kg (17 900 lbs) of thrust
Dimensions
Span: 11.7 m (38' 5")
Height: 5.03 m (16' 6")
Length: 19.2 m (63')
Maximum Loaded Weight: 27 374 kg (60 360 lbs)
Performance
Maximum Speed: 2 415 kph (1 500 mph)
Cruising Speed: 945 kph (587 mph)
Climb Rate: 18 714 m (61 400 feet)/min
Range: 4 281 km (2 660 miles)
Service Ceiling: 18 973 m (62 250 feet)
Armament
One M61A1 20mm multi-barrel canon & upto 7 257 kg (16 000 lbs) of stores including 4 AIM-7 Sparrow and 4 AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs
First Flight:
User(s): United States
Production: 949
Unit Cost:
Go to next aircraft
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page
Return to Homepage