McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

F-4 Phantom II
File:Usaf.phantom.f4.686pix.jpg USAF F-4 Phantom II
Description
Role	All-weather fighter-bomber
Crew	2
First Flight	May 27, 1958
Entered Service	1961
Manufacturer	McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Dimensions
Length	62 ft 11 in	19.2 m
Wingspan	38 ft 11 in	11.8 m
Height	16 ft 5 in	5.02 m
Wing Area	530 ft²	49.24 m²
Weights
Empty	28,500 lb	12,930 kg
Loaded	51,440 lb	23,340 kg
Maximum Takeoff	58,000 lb	26,300 kg
Capacity
Powerplant
Engines	Two General Electric J79 turbojet engines
Thrust	2 x 17,900 lb	2x 80 kN
Performance
Maximum Speed	1,430 mph	2,305 km/h
Combat Range	540 miles	865 km
Ferry Range	1,925 miles	3,100 km
Service Ceiling	60,000 ft	18,000 m
Rate of Climb	ft/min	m/min
Wing Loading	40,550 lb/ft²	12,360 kg/m²
Thrust/Weight		6.9 N/kg
Avionics
Avionics
Armament
Guns	GAU-4 20 mm Vulcan, six barreled gatling gun (6,000 rounds/min)
Bombs	Four pylon bomb racks (12,500 lb/5,670 kg) 15 CBU-52, 15 CBU-58, 15 CBR-71, 15 CBU-87, 15 CBU-89, 12 MK-20, 6 BL-755
Missiles
Rockets
Other

The F-4 Phantom II (simply "F-4 Phantom" after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. It was operated by the US Navy, the USMC and later the USAF, from 1961 until 1995. It is still in service with other nations. In service, it earned it nicknames like "Rhino" (a reference to both its prodigious nose and its rhinoceros-like toughness) and "Double-Ugly"/"DUFF" (Double Ugly Fat F*cker, a reference to the B-52 Stratofortress).

Its primary mission capabilities are: long range, high-altitude intercepts utilizing air-to-air missiles as primary armament; a 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon as secondary armament; long-range attack missions utilizing conventional or nuclear weapons as a primary armament; and close air support missions utilizing a choice of bombs, rockets and missiles as primary armament. It was one of the few aircraft types that have served in the US Navy, USMC and USAF. It was one of the longest serving military aircraft post-war.

First flown in May 1958, the Phantom II originally was developed for U.S. Navy fleet defense and entered service in 1961. The USAF evaluated it (as the F-110A Spectre) for close air support, interdiction, and counter-air operations and, in 1962, approved a USAF version. The USAF's Phantom II, designated F-4C, made its first flight on May 27, 1963. Production deliveries began in November 1963.

In its air-to-ground role the F-4 can carry twice the normal bomb load of a WW II B-17 Flying Fortress. USAF F-4s also flew reconnaissance and "Wild Weasel" air-defence suppression missions. Phantom II production ended in 1979 after over 5,000 had been built--more than 2,800 for the USAF, about 1,200 for the Navy and Marine Corps, and the rest for friendly foreign nations.

In 1965 the first USAF Phantom IIs were sent to Vietnam. Early versions (F-4A to F-4D) lacked any gun armament. Coupled with the unreliability of the air-to-air missiles AIM-7 Sparrow AIM-9 Sidewinder at the time, this major drawback resulted in the aircraft loss after they ran out of missiles. During the course of the Vietnam War, its contemporaries, the MiG-19 and MiG-21, inflicted heavy losses on the F-4s when the American aircraft were ambushed after returning from bombing assignments. This prompted the USAF to introduce the F-4E variant, which added a M61 Vulcan cannon in the nose of the aircraft, below the radome. This later version was the mainstay of the USAF Phantom II forces.

Phantom in non-US service

The F-4E served with the air forces of many countries including Australia, Greece, Israel, Iran, Japan, Spain, South Korea, Turkey and West Germany. F-4E did not serve in USN or USMC, but an improved variant of F-4B, the F-4J replaced earlier Phantom II variants in these services. F-4J lacked gun armament either.

The German Version (F-4F) will be used until the Eurofighter_Typhoon is produced in sufficient numbers. The newer AN/APG-65 radar (same as in the F/A-18) was installed in order to use AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, though this upgrade has only been implemented into German and Greek F-4Es. Other F-4E operators improved their Phantom IIs according to their needs, with the most significant being the Israel Aircraft Industries "Kurnass-2000" upgrade, which enabled the Phantom II to carry and deliver next generation laser and TV-guided munitions (including AGM-142 Have Lite missiles) with increased precision. A similar upgrade has also been implemented by IAI on Turkish Air Force Phantoms, including an advanced ELTA SPS-100 fire control system/radar, adopted from the abortive IAI LAVI Technology-demonstrator or early 1990s.

The United Kingdom bought the aircraft for use with the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm; British versions were fitted with the larger but more powerful Rolls-Royce Spey engine and were designated F-4K. The larger size of the Spey introduced aerodynamic inefficiencies that offset any benefit from increased power. Fleet Air Arm Phantoms were fitted with a telescoping front undercarriage leg allowing the nose to be raised up high, the increased angle of attack being necessary for catapult launches from the small British carriers.

The last of the F-4s were retired from duty with the US military in 1995; however the aircraft still sees use in a training role, as a drone, and in service to other nations. The UK retired its last Phantoms in 1993 as a result of the Options for Change spending cuts.

See also the FH-1 Phantom.

General Characteristics:

Phantom in museum

• Primary Function: All-weather fighter-bomber.
• Contractor: McDonnell Aircraft Co., McDonnell Corporation.
• Power Plant: Two General Electric J79 turbojet engines with afterburners.
• Thrust: 17,900 lbf (80 kN).
• Length: 62 ft, 11 in (19.1 m).
• Height: 16 ft, 5 in (5 m).
• Wingspan: 38 ft, 11 in (11.8 m).
• Speed: More than 1,600 mph, 2,600 km/h (Mach 2.5).
• Ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m).
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 62,000 lb (27,900 kg).
• Range: 1,300 miles (1,130 nautical miles, 2100 km).
• Armament: Four AIM-7 Sparrow or AIM-120 (F-4F only) and four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, AGM-65 Maverick missiles, AGM-88 HARM missile capability, and one fuselage centerline bomb rack and four pylon bomb racks capable of carrying 12,500 pounds (5,625 kg) of general purpose bombs.
• Cost: US$18.4 million
• Crew: F-4E -- Two (pilot and electronic warfare officer).
• Date Deployed: May 1963

Variants

• F4H-1F (F-4A)
• TF-4A
• F4H-1 (F-4B)
• QF-4B
• F4H-1P (RF-4B)
• F-110 (F-4C)
• EF-4C
• RF-4C
• F-4D
• EF-4D
• F-4E
• RF-4R
• YF-4E
• F-4F
• TF-4F
• F-4G "Wild Weasel IV" SEAD.
• F-4J
• RF-4J
• YF-4J
• F-4K (Fleet Air Arm McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1)
• F-4M (RAF McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2)
• F-4N
• F-4S

Units Using the F-4

Royal Air Force

• No. 2 Squadron
• No. 6 Squadron
• No. 14 Squadron
• No. 17 Squadron
• No. 19 Squadron
• No. 23 Squadron
• No. 29 Squadron
• No. 31 Squadron
• No. 41 Squadron
• No. 43 Squadron
• No. 54 Squadron
• No. 56 Squadron
• No. 74 Squadron
• No. 92 Squadron
• No. 111 Squadron

Fleet Air Arm

• No. 892 NAS

Royal Australian Air Force

• No. 1 Squadron
• No. 6 Squadron

Luftwaffe

• Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen"
• Jagdgeschwader 72 "Westfalen" (former Jagdbombergeschwader 36) - (decommissioned)
• Jagdgeschwader 73 "Steinhoff" (former Jagdbombergeschwader 35)
• Jagdgeschwader 74 "Mölders"
• Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" - (decommissioned)
• Aufklärungsgeschwader 52 - (decommissioned)
• Fliegerisches Ausbildungszentrum der Luftwaffe (German Air Force Flying Training Center)

Israeli Air Force

The Heyl Ha'Avir obtained the F-4 Phantom starting in 1969. They eventually acquired 42 new-build F-4Es, 12 new-build RF-4Es, and 162 ex-USAF F-4Es. In Israeli service, the combat-capable Phantom was known as "Kurnass" (Sledgehammer). The RF was called "Oref" (Raven). The F-4 saw combat service in the War of Attrition between Israel and Egypt, with the Israeli F-4Es scoring their first kills over Egyptian MiG-21s on 30 July 1970. It subsequently served in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, approximately 33 Phantoms falling in combat, and in Lebanon in 1982. Although the F-4 by that time was relegated to the ground-attack role (the air superiority mission taken up by Israeli F-15 and F-16 aircraft) it scored its final aerial kill in that conflict.

Israeli F-4Es were equipped to carry a wide variety of weapons, including the AGM-84 Harpoon and Rafael Gabriel anti-ship missiles and later the Rafael Popeye air-to-surface missile. They were also used extensively in the SEAD role.

In the mid-1980s Israel upgraded its Phantoms to Phantom 2000 configuration, with new avionics, structural refit, and radar, a revised nav/attack ssytem, and HOTAS. A total of 55 aircraft were refitted to that standard. A planned Super Phantom 2000 upgrade, with new Pratt & Whitney PW120 turbofan engines replacing the older J79, was not implemented for cost reasons.

The RF-4E also underwent several upgrades, with several modified to reach higher speeds (up to Mach 2.4) and altitude (23,800 m/78,000 ft). Three more were fitted with a HIAC (high-altitude camera system) in a rotary assembly in the nose under the Peace Jack program, redesignated RF-4E(S).

The last Israeli F-4s were retired in May 2004.

Iranian Air Force

brave and quick!!

External link

• USAF Museum: F-4 as F-110 Spectre

Related content
Similar Aircraft
Designation Series (USN Pre-1962)	FH - F2H - F3H - F4H
Designation Series (USAF Pre-1962)	F-106 - YF-107 - XF-108 - F-110 - F-111 - F-117
Designation Series (Post-1962)	F-1 - F-2 - F-3 - F-4 - F-5 - F-6 - F-7
Related Lists	List of military aircraft of the United States - List of fighter aircraft