FREE Shipping. The final USAF F-4 was retired in 1996, however several are still in use as target drones. They went up again the Soviet Union's best. With the US entry in the Vietnam War, the F-4 became one of the most identifiable aircraft of the conflict. The designer of the Demon, McDonnell began revising the aircraft in 1953, with the goal of improving performance and capabilities. For more about Rick's bio including his F-4 bio see his resume on his law website. Key point: Just like Korea, this war was a way to each global bloc to test each others technologies. Rick Keyt has practiced law in Arizona since 1980. US Navy F-4s flew their first combat sortie as part of Operation Pierce Arrow on August 5, 1964. High quality F 4 Phantom gifts and merchandise. During the protracted air war in the skies over Vietnam, two fighter interceptor and air superiority planes emerged as the most prominent aircraft of their type. During Vietnam, USAF F-4s fulfilled both air superiority and ground support roles. Book 11 of 16: North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series. In 1952, McDonnell Aircraft began internal studies to determine which service branch was most in need of a new aircraft. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Its combat service included engagements from the Vietnam era through Operation Desert Storm and beyond. The F-4 Phantom interceptor is a large jet, with a carrying capacity of 18,000 pounds of weapons such as air-to-surface missiles, air-to-air missiles, and other bombs, on nine external hardpoints. Though the latest adopter of the F-4, the USAF became its largest user. Evaluating the aircraft, the USAF developed requirements for its own version with an emphasis on the fighter-bomber role. In its air-to-ground role, the F-4 Phantom II could carry twice the normal load of a World War II-era B-17 bomber. During this time, the F-4 was retained in its Wild Weasel and reconnaissance role. The performance of each aircraft demonstrated relative strengths and weaknesses. The plane could carry over 12,000 pounds of ordnance. The F-105 held his own against the Migs but all things considered remained a bomber. In laying out the XF4H-1, McDonnell placed the engines low in the fuselage similar to its earlier F-101 Voodoo and employed variable geometry ramps in the intakes to regulate airflow at supersonic speeds. A Vietnam War era F-4 Phantom with a “show” quality paint restoration, on its way back to Holloman AFB after being painted at the Air National Guard military aircraft paint facility at Sioux City, Iowa. Petry was one of the chosen. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the USAF transitioned to the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Lacking a cannon, these fighters were often at a disadvantage in dogfights with the MiG-21 and other Soviet- and Chinese-manufactured fighter aircraft. Vietnam. F-4 phantom colors SEA Posted by urich on Sunday, August 5, 2012 10:11 AM I may have asked this question before if so sorry I"m getting old and I'm having to write things down any more to remember During the Vietnam War, the USAF lost a total of 528 F-4s (of all types) to enemy action with the majority being down by anti-aircraft fire or surface-to-air missiles. An F-4 Phantom loaded with fuel tanks and four Sparrow missiles patrols the skies above Vietnam. Several of this jets were destroyed in Viet Cong mortar and rocket attacks at Da Nang AB, Bin Hoa AB or Tan Son Nhut. US Navy F-4s flew their first combat sortie as part of Operation Pierce Arrow on August 5, 1964. The F-4's first air-to-air victory occurred the following April when Lieutenant (j.g.) The MiG-21 with a much smaller profile and more nimble appearance stretched just under 48 feet in length, and its wingspan was just under 24 feet. As the F-4 was initially intended as an interceptor, it was not equipped with a gun as planners believed that air-to-air combat at supersonic speeds would be fought exclusively with missiles. While many have since retired the F-4, the aircraft has been modernized and is still use (as of 2008) by Japan, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Iran, and South Korea. This smoke trail made the aircraft easy to spot. The MiG-21 was typically armed with air-to-air missiles such as the AA-2 Atoll and a 23mm internal cannon. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat, twin-engined supersonic long-range all-weather fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series HA19020 McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ Phantom 17-8301, JASDF "first Japan Phantom" Starting in 1973 the Japan Air Self-Defense Force received 154 F-4EJ Phantoms that were based on the USAF F-4E. Source are several like Joe Baugher, 366th TFW base data, Ejection History, 8th TFW base data, etc, etc. An evolution of the F-8 Crusader, the Vought entry was defeated by the XF4H-1 as the US Navy preferred the latter's performance and that the workload was split between two crew members. As the US Navy transitioned to the aircraft in the early 1960s, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara pushed to create a single fighter for all branches of the military. Flying ground support missions, USMC F-4s claimed three kills while losing 75 aircraft, mostly to ground fire. An iconic U.S. fighter of the Vietnam War era, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom … Early in production, the aircraft's radar was upgraded to the more powerful Westinghouse AN/APQ-72. This issue was addressed with the Block 53 group of the F-4E which included smokeless J79-GE-17C (or -17E) engines. AL CISNEROS is embraces by crew members after making his last flight for the airline, a short hop from San Antonio to Houston, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006. In 1967, USAF pilots began mounting external gun pods on their aircraft, however, the lack of a leading gunsight in the cockpit made them highly inaccurate. The plane may have been ugly, but it broke many records and is still in service in some countries today. One of the most widely distributed export fighter aircraft in history, the MiG-21 remains active with many countries. This article by Michael Haskew originally appeared on Warfare History Network. FREE Shipping. Airmen load 20mm cannon rounds into an F-4C Phantom II gun pod at a base in South Vietnam in May 1967. These two latter types, the F-4G Wild Weasel V and RF-4C, deployed to the Middle East in 1990, as part of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. And the preferred chase airplane was the McDonnell F-4 Phantom. The F-4 saw extensive action during the Vietnam War. By 1986, all F-4s had been retired from frontline units. the Navy kept using the F-8 because its Essex class carriers couldn't take the F-4. The Phantom Vietnam War: An F-4 Pilot's Combat over Laos (Volume 12) (North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series) Hardcover – October 1, 2018 by David R. "Buff" Honodel (Author) 4.6 out of 5 stars 19 ratings. Adopted by the USAF in 1963, their initial variant was dubbed the F-4C. Also flown by the US Marine Corps, the F-4 saw service from both carriers and land bases during the conflict. Vietnam History Vietnam War Photos Fighter Pilot Fighter Jets Phantom Pilots Robin Olds F4 Phantom North Vietnam Air Vietnam Spies Helped the USAF Shoot Down a Third of North Vietnam’s MiG-21s On Jan. 2, 1967, around 30 U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom fighter jets flying from Ubon in Thailand shot down a full third of North Vietnam’s MiG-21s—for a loss of just one of their own. These were the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom and the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21. Terence M. Murphy and his radar intercept officer, Ensign Ronald Fegan, downed a Chinese MiG-17. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read The Phantom Vietnam War: An F … Many pilots found ways to avoid producing the smoke by running one engine on afterburner and the other at reduced power. Here is the McDonnell Douglas F-4C/D/E/G Phantom II Southeast Asia Color Profile and Paint Guide. Instead, it relied entirely on newly-introduced air-to-air missiles — the radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow, the heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder and the older AIM-4 Falcon. On May 27, 1958, the type made its maiden flight with Robert C. Little at the controls. When these supersonic fighters met in combat, the skills of the individual pilots and sometimes sheer luck were often the deciding factors, and more than 40 years after the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War debate continues as to the accuracy of kill ratios and claims made by both the sides. The Phantom was 63 feet long with a wingspan of more than 38 feet. The big, burly Phantom weighed nearly 19 tons, while the MiG-21 weighed slightly less than 10 tons. One of each type was lost during the conflict, one to damage from ground fire and the other to an accident. It first entered service in 1961 with the Navy. Not enough wing or thrust, recalls Jack Petry, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel. According to Globalsecurity.org, the F-4 could carry four AIM-7 Sparrows, four AIM-9 Sidewinders, and the F-4E had an internal cannon. Following an F-4B's victory over the F-106 Delta Dart in Operation Highspeed, the US Air Force requested two of the aircraft, dubbing them the F-110A Spectre. Microscale 48-0270 - CVW-11 F-4 VF-213 & A-6 VA-196 Price Mandatory Credi Jan 31, 2006; Houston, TX, USA; Southwest Airlines Capt. As F-105 Thunderchief losses grew, the F-4 carried more and more of the ground support burden and by the end of the war was the USAF's primary all-around aircraft. https://www.military.com/.../f-4-phantom-in-the-vietnam-war/2534546230001 Both aircraft were capable of speeds of at least Mach 2. More than 5,000 of these heavy supersonic fighters were built, and hundreds continue to serve and even see combat in several air forces today. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. Inspired designs on t-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. This provided an equivalent amount of thrust, without the telltale smoke trail. Both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force fielded the Phantom as its principal air superiority fighter. Nations that have flown the aircraft include Israel, Great Britain, Australia, and Spain. These were the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom and the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21. The Phantom remained in production from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, and was used by the U.S. military from 1960 to 1996, serving with the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and the US Navy. Col. Robin Olds painting a victory star on the McDonnell F-4 "Phantom II" he was flying on May 4, 1967, when he shot down a MiG-21. Aircraft: F-4 Phantom II Group Description Games featuring the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in a prominent role.-- from Air Conflicts: Vietnam - Ultimate Edition (2014) Limitations. Early Phantoms deployed to Vietnam were armed only with missiles. F-102 and F-104 did not fare well over North Vietnam. Additionally, a "dogtooth" indentation was inserted in the wings to enhance control at higher angles of attack. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. In addition, a photo-reconnaissance variant, the RF-4C, was used by four squadrons. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. USAF F-4 Phantom Vietnam losses This list correct some mistakes in names, squadrons-units, registrations and dates. The second-most produced Western jet fighter in history with 5,195 units, the F-4 was extensively exported. This issue was addressed with the addition of an integrated 20 mm M61 Vulcan gun to the F-4E model in the late 1960s. And indeed at first the Crusader had better results against Migs than the Phantom. Developed during the 1950s, it entered service in 1960, and nearly 5,200 were produced during a 30-year run from 1958 to 1981. by SEBASTIEN ROBLIN The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a legendary aircraft — an icon of the Vietnam War and the archetype of the third-generation jet fighter designs that entered service in the 1960s. A Vietnam War veteran, Cisneros piloted F-4 Phantom jets off of the USS Saratoga on combat missions before joining the Blue Angels flight demonstration team. It is equipped with heat seeking missiles and napalm bombs. AeroMaster 48-339 Phantom Collection, Part 1 Price ... McDonnell F-4 Phantom, Air National Guard Price Canadian Dollars: $24.95 . of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and most types of bombs. Altering the design to make the new aircraft an all-weather fighter-bomber featuring 11 external hardpoints, McDonnell received a letter of intent for two prototypes, designated YAH-1, on October 18, 1954. Led by Preliminary Design Manager Dave Lewis, the team found that the US Navy would soon require a new attack aircraft to replace the F3H Demon. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. The F4H-1 Phantom II was originally designed for the U.S. Navy, and when it first emerged from McDonnell’s St. Louis factory—a big, heavy two-seater with its wingtips bent upward and its elevators splayed downward—it seemed to fly in the face of every lesson learned about fighters. The U.S. military retired the Phantom from combat use in 1996. The MiG-21, identified as the Fishbed in NATO nomenclature, was a continuation of the MiG fighter series that originated in the late 1940s. Aug 16, 2020 - Explore James Lee's board "F-4 Phantom", followed by 150 people on Pinterest. But the Phantom’s record in air-to-air combat over Vietnam — especially when compared to its successor, the F-15 Eagle, which has never been shot down … Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. The five aviators (2 US Navy, 3 USAF) credited with ace status during the Vietnam War all flew the F-4. Dubbed the Phantom II, the US Navy ordered two XF4H-1 test aircraft and five YF4H-1 pre-production fighters in July 1955. The MiG-21 was generally considered more maneuverable, while the Phantom was well-armed with missiles and more lethal with the addition of the cannon. In exchange, USAF F-4s downed 107.5 enemy aircraft. The Phantom Vietnam War: An F-4 Pilot's Combat over Laos - Ebook written by David R. Honodel. Only 1 left in stock - order soon. The Phantom Retires, but the MiG Still Soars the Skies. Powered by two J79-GE-8 engines, the new aircraft saw the addition of a second crewman to serve as a radar operator. After additional testing, the F-4 entered production and commenced carrier suitability trials in early 1960. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Vietnam War: North American F-100 Super Sabre, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University, Up to 18,650 lbs. See more ideas about phantom, fighter jets, military aircraft. The US Navy was intrigued by this concept and requested a full-scale mock-up of the design. Each was capable of carrying a bomb load as well. The heavy F-4 was known for jet engines that produced a great deal of smoke, adding to the ease of identification at a distance due to its large size. $27.98 $ 27. $26.09 $ 26. If the aircraft only appears in a game but you can't fly it, the game should not be included in this group. Vietnam Veteran Patch USMC F-4 Phantom Commemorative Patch Sticker. In the years that followed the Vietnam War, the Phantom was upgraded several times. Setting to work, McDonnell developed the XF4H-1 design. (U.S. Air Force photo) USN_VF-142_NK The Phantom was often armed with the AIM-7 Sparrow or AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Later that year, the XF4H-1 entered into competition with the single-seat Vought XF8U-3. Flying primarily in the fighter/interceptor role, US Navy F-4s downed 40 enemy aircraft to a loss of five of their own. USAF McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. Following extensive wind tunnel testing, the outer sections of the wings were given 12° dihedral (upward angle) and the tailplane 23° anhedral (downward angle). During operations, the F-4G played a key role in suppressing Iraqi air defenses, while the RF-4C collected valuable intelligence. The MiG-21 was designed as a short-range interceptor, and the Phantom was a long-range aircraft. 138 of these aircraft were manufactured under license by Mitsubishi who produced the last F-4 Phantom II several changes were made to the F-4E to make it an F-4EJ. As the new aircraft was intended as an interceptor rather than a fighter, early models possessed nine external hardpoints for missiles and bombs, but no gun. by Peter Davies, Osprey Publishing, 2013. Creating the "Superdemon," which could achieve Mach 1.97 and was powered by twin General Electric J79 engines, McDonnell also created an aircraft that was modular in that different cockpits and nose cones could be affixed to the fuselage depending on the desired mission. The Phantom held the edge with multiple missiles, often up to eight, while the MiG-21 carried only two. https://www.military.com/video/usmc-f-4-phantom-fighter-aces-vietnam-war To support this change in mission, specially equipped and trained F-4 Wild Weasel squadrons were formed with the first deploying in late 1972. Interestingly, though they were common adversaries, the appearances of the Phantom and the MiG-21 could scarcely have been more different. Following Vietnam, the F-4 remained the principal aircraft for both the US Navy and USAF. Weapons and/or external tanks can be carried on nine external store stations. The F-4 Phantom is the main fighter aircraft of the United States and South Vietnam and it's counterpart is the North Vietnamese MiG-21. The fighting over Vietnam soon showed that engagements quickly became subsonic, turning battles that often precluded the use of air-to-air missiles. Adopted by the USAF in 1963, their initial variant was dubbed the F-4C. Setting several aviation records just prior to and in the years after introduction, the F-4 became operational on December 30, 1960, with VF-121. First, they tried an F-104. During the protracted air war in the skies over Vietnam, two fighter interceptor and air superiority planes emerged as the most prominent aircraft … The MiG-21 entered service in 1959, and more than 11,000 in various configurations were completed when production ended in 1985. The aircraft remained in service with the USMC until 1992 when the last airframe was replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet. 98. F-4Cs and F-4Ds did not have an internal gun, while some were equipped with an external gun pod. Photo: Wikimedia. Home What's New Features & Reviews Model Kit Top Gun Subject & Color Refs Search About Us ... Return to the F-4 Phantom … Here is what happened. Later models were equipped with an internal 20mm M61 Vulcan internal rotary cannon. The multipurpose fighter saw extensive combat duty during the Vietnam War, including serving as Major Gary L. Retterbush, the pilot of Finch 3, an F-4E Phantom II. A typical configuration for an F-4 in 1967 consisted of four AIM-7E and four AIM-9B air-to-air missiles, and eight 750-pound Mk 117 bombs. AeroMaster 48-333 - Air War Over Vietnam, Part IV Korat Phantoms 2 Price Canadian Dollars: $49.95 . In the 1970s, F-4Es began to be modified to the F-4G standard in order to make them suitable for the Air Force’s Wild Weasel mission. This first appeared earlier in October 2019. An additional 66 were lost to missiles and ground fire. The F-4’s primary problem was that it had no built-in cannon. The earliest versions of the Phantom came without internal cannons, which was common among the interceptors of … The Phantom has been operated by the air forces of at least a dozen nations, and many remain in service. With the US entry in the Vietnam War, the F-4 became one of the most identifiable aircraft of the conflict. It is distinguished as the last fighter to achieve ace status in the 20th century. Introduced in late 1960 with the U.S. Navy, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II has been an incredibly versatile and effective aircraft for numerous national militaries around the world. Celebrating 21 years of hobby news and reviews. He flew the F-4 Phantom for five years in the United States Air Force, including combat missions over South Vietnam, North Vietnam and Laos in 1972. When these supersonic fighters met in combat, the skills of the individual pilots and sometimes sheer luck were often the deciding factors, and more than 40 years after the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War debate continues as to the accuracy of kill ratios and claims made by both the sides. Assessing the design, it ultimately passed as it was satisfied with the supersonic fighters already in development such as the Grumman F-11 Tiger and Vought F-8 Crusader. Cybermodeler Online. In Vietnam, the ratio was closer to two to one (including other aircraft types besides the Phantom). Through the 1970s, the US Navy began replacing the F-4 with the new F-14 Tomcat. The results of these alterations gave the XF4H-1 a distinctive look. Like the F-4, the MiG-23 was widely exported — and not just to Warsaw Pact militaries. When NASA engineers were launching rockets at Floridas Cape Canaveral in the 1960s, they needed pilots to fly close enough to film the missiles as they accelerated through Mach 1 at 35,000 feet. 09. Another problem that frequently arose with the aircraft was the production of black smoke when the engines were run at military power. © Copyright 2020 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. Meeting with the US Navy the following May, McDonnell was handed a new set of requirements calling for an all-weather fleet interceptor as the service had aircraft to fulfill the fighter and strike roles. The agile MiG-21 was deadly in a turn, and its silhouette was difficult to acquire visually at any great distance. Embroidered Patch - Patches for Women Man - Mcdonnell F-4 F-4G Phantom 1500 Flight Hours USAF Fighter Squadron Jacket. The Phantom was produced in multiple variants and became a primary component of the air superiority, fighter bomber, reconnaissance, and radar jamming air complements of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.