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McDonald Douglas / Boeing  F-4 Phantom II

 

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James S. McDonnell, Founder and Chairman of the Board, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, with the 5,000th Phantom

Some aircraft are remembered for the number produced. Some are remarkable for their long service life. Some are memorable for their effectiveness in combat. When one aircraft becomes renowned world-wide for all three, it is unique indeed.

Such an aircraft is the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.

Produced by the McDonnell Aircraft Company division of McDonnell Douglas Corporation, the F-4 Phantom II exemplifies a tradition of more than three decades of eminent jet fighter design, and represents the most sustained program of development and production of any modern military jet aircraft, with more than 5000 produced since its first flight.

The Phantom has written remarkable chapters in the history of fighter aircraft. There are few missions that it has not successfully undertaken in peacetime or combat. Our nation’s first line interceptor, fighter bomber, escort, and reconnaissance aircraft, the Phantom has performed every classical fighter mission ever conceived.

The Phantom was the first jet fighter to fly simultaneously with the U. S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, the first international fighter bomber to fly with the air arms of ten other free world nations, and the only fighter ever to fly concurrently with both U. S. aerobatic flight demonstration teams.

The most versatile, most popular jet fighter ever built, the F-4 Phantom II has truly become a legend in its own time. . .

 

 

The Phantoms Fabulous 40th

 

It's been 40 years since the "Phabulous Phantom" first took to the air on May 27, 1958. The F-4 Phantom II aircraft, which still flies in defense of 8 nations, was retired in 1996 from U.S. military forces, ending a record-studded 38-year career.

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The prototype F4H-1, U.S. Navy Bureau Number 142259, making its first flight over the St. Louis area, 27 May 1958.

The Phantom was first used by the U.S. Navy as an interceptor but also was capable of flying as a ground-support bomber for the U.S. Marine Corps. The aircraft flew every traditional military mission: air superiority, close air support, interception, air defense suppression, long-range strike, fleet defense, attack and reconnaissance.

It could fly short training missions or 4.5-hour sorties as a Wild Weasel in search of anti-aircraft defense systems. It starred in both the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm with a record of 280 air-to-air victories and the destruction of more than 200 anti-aircraft sites.

The Phantom was the first multi-service aircraft, flying concurrently with the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. It is the first and only aircraft ever to be flown concurrently by both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. It has been flown by the defense forces of 11 other nations: Australia, Egypt, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iran, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.

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The Phantom in camouflage paint over the Mississippi River.

 From 1958 until its U.S. service retirement in 1996, it flew more than 17 million miles - the equivalent of one aircraft flying continuously for more than 2,000 years.

It's only been 95 years since the Wright Brothers first took humans into the skies, and the F-4 Phantom II has been flying more than 40 percent of those years.

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In 1967, Phantom II production was 72 aircraft a month at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis.

From 1958 to 1979, when the production line stopped, a total of 5,195 F-4 Phantom II aircraft were built. Of those, 5,057 rolled off the McDonnell Aircraft (later McDonnell Douglas) production line in St. Louis, Mo. The last 138 were built under license by Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. in Japan. The 21-year production run was the longest on record until surpassed by the F-15 Eagle, which has now been in production 26 years (1972-98 and counting).

Of the 5,057 built in the United States, the U.S. Air Force took delivery of 2,874 aircraft; the Navy and Marine Corps, 1,264; and international customers, a combined total of 919. The Phantom still holds the record for the largest production run of any supersonic fighter built in the United States.

 In the 1960s, most of the thousands of McDonnell employees were involved in delivering the Phantom. Between 1966-67, production averaged 63 F-4 aircraft each month. Production peaked at 72 Phantom aircraft a month in 1967. By 1978, production was 4 to 6 aircraft a month. In all, production of the F-4 contributed to more than 1 million man-years of employment at McDonnell.

The two-place, twin-engine supersonic F-4 Phantom II, flew at Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound), and could carry a payload of up to 16,000 pounds of bombs, rockets, missiles and guns. Each aircraft has 54,197 feet of wiring and 643,000 fasteners holding it together.

The pilots and crews who worked with the aircraft called it many nicknames, but most of all they praised it as a workhorse, an aircraft you could count on, an aircraft that did it all, and an aircraft that got the job done and got you home again.

 

 

The 5000th F-4 Phantom II

 

It was May 24, 1978, and the 5000th Phantom II was being delivered in ceremonies that marked the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the twin-engine, two-person fighter. More than 600 guests attended the event that presented the aircraft to the U.S. Air Force. With pomp and ceremony, the aircraft was unveiled, sporting a special paint job that featured the flags of all the nations currently flying the F-4. At the time, the Phantom II had the longest production run of any supersonic fighter and the run was expected to continue for several more years. By Oct. 25, 1979, Phantom No. 5057 - the last U.S.-built Phantom - was being delivered to the U.S. Air Force for ultimate delivery to the Republic of Korea Air Force.

As part of the celebration of the landmark 5000th Phantom aircraft, a commemorative book was produced.

 

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Number 5000, an F-4E (Serial Number 77-0290), delivered on 24 May 1978.	The 5,000th Phantom continued the tradition of a photo session on the McDonnell Douglas flight ramp.	The unveiling of the 5,000th Phantom II.
No. 5000 being built in St. Louis.	No. 5000 and another Phantom II take to the air.	May 24, 1978, Phantom No. 5000 climbs skyward.

 

 

The Last to Be Built

 

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Phantom 5057 is delivered on Oct. 25, 1979, bringing to a close the 21-year run of the U.S. production line.	Nearly 21 years after first flight, Bob Little prepares to climb into the rear seat to be part of the test flight for the last U.S.-built Phantom.	Dee Francis (right), who began test flying the Phantom in 1963, said: "The Phantom converted me to a two-engine airplane believer. The F-4 is a great fighter. Unlike aircraft before it, the Phantom has pure brute power. It can keep the Gs on and keep the speed up at the same time." Jack Krings, MAC chief test pilot, and Joe Dobronski, MAC flight test director, present the award.

On Thursday, Oct. 25, 1979, the U.S. Air Force took delivery of Phantom No. 5,057 — the last U.S.-built F-4 Phantom II aircraft. Another 138 Phantoms would be built in Japan, but it was the end of what was then the longest production line of any supersonic fighter built in the United States. It still marks the largest production run for a U.S.-built supersonic fighter.

 Earlier that fall, No. 5,057 had been taken up for its test flight carrying the same pilot who took up the first prototype on May 27, 1958. Bob Little, then McDonnell Douglas vice president for engineering and marketing, put back on his flight helmet and flew the last test in the back seat of 5,057.

"This is an historic occasion, and it is a privilege to be part of it," Little said. "The Phantom is still a great work horse. No one imagined we'd build F-4s in numbers this large. Sooner or later, the last one had to come down the line. But it was some program, some kind of airplane."

In the front seat for the last test flight was Dee Francis, who marked his 3,000th hour during the flight, giving him more test flight hours in a single type of aircraft than any other pilot in McDonnell Aircraft Company history.

Francis, who began test flying the Phantom in 1963, said: "The Phantom converted me to a two-engine airplane believer. The F-4 is a great fighter. Unlike aircraft before it, the Phantom has pure brute power. It can keep the Gs on and keep the speed up at the same time."

After delivery to the USAF, No. 5,057 was turned over to the Republic of Korea Air Force.

 

 

The Last to Serve

 

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Red stars denote air-to-air combat victories.	The Phantom II fought throughout the Vietnam War from carriers off the coast.

When the Idaho Air National Guard 124th Fighter Wing retired its last eight F-4 Phantom II aircraft, it ended an era.

An F-4G Wild Weasel had flown its last combat mission on Jan. 2, 1996, over Southern Iraq. A few weeks later, the U.S. Air Force had retired its last F-4 aircraft. Then, on April 20, 1996, in ceremonies at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho, the 124th Fighter Wing flew the last operational flight of the F-4 Phantom II in an F-4G aircraft. With the line already retired by the Navy and Marine Corps in January 1992, the Phantom II reign over the skies had ended.

 The Phantom had been in active U.S. military service since it was first delivered to the Navy in 1960. It joined the services of both the Air Force and Marines in 1962. It had served in both Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. It had become known as the "world's leading distributor of MiG parts" due to its kill record and had demolished the Iraqi air defense system.

The Phantom II continues to fly in defense of eight other nations. About 100 remain in U.S. service as drones and missile targets, including the eight aircraft which flew to the "boneyard" at Arizona's Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in April 1996.

 

The Phantom Today

 

More than 800 F-4 Phantom II aircraft are still on active duty with the defense forces of eight nations: Egypt, Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Turkey. Almost 100 Phantoms that have been converted into QF-4 drones and missile targets still serve the U.S. Navy and Air Force.

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One of the later developments in the Phantom program was the conversion of several Navy F-4B airframes into QF-4B drones for use by the Naval Missile Center at Pt. Mugu, California.

Israel, Japan and Germany have upgraded their Phantoms with new avionics and capabilities. Turkey will modernize its aircraft under a contract with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) to add new radar systems, displays, navigation systems, etc. IAI also will modify the structure on the Turkish Phantoms. Greece awarded an avionics upgrade contract to Daimler-Benz of Germany in 1997 to add systems similar to the Turkish program. Greece will also modify the airframe structure and has selected Derco Aerospace, Milwaukee, Wis., and Kitco, Springville, Utah, to supply the mod kits. Derco and Kitco are U.S. companies that are licensees of Boeing. Both Korea and Egypt are looking into avionics and structure upgrades.

Given the upgrades already performed and those under contract, the F-4 Phantom II will probably still be flying in 2015 — nearly 60 years after its first flight.

And the F-4 Phantom II will continue to fly in spirit as its design innovations live on in some of the most modern aircraft:

• Engine inlet duct movable ramp system for high-speed performance
• Braided wire bundles using hookup wire that substantially reduce weight and space requirements.
• Boron epoxy composite rudders
• Extensive use of titanium in primary structural members to resist high temperatures
• Pulse Doppler radar with look-down and shoot-down capability

Boeing supports the F-4 today with a team of six engineers, under contracts with Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Combined, the six have more than 150 years of experience with the Phantom.

 

Phantom "Phirsts"

 

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Vice Adm. Clarence Ekstrom, right, pins the Distinguished Flying Cross on Cmdr. Lawrence E. Flint after the Navy announced that Flint had piloted the McDonnell F4H Phantom II carrier jet, background, to an unofficial world altitude record of 98,560 feet. The Navy said the unofficial record was set in a flight from Edwards Air Force Base. The previous official record was 94,658 feet and was set by a Russian. (Wide World Photos 1959)

The F-4 Phantom, which received the 1965 Glenn H. Curtiss Memorial Award as outstanding aircraft of the year, has been setting and holding records since its first flight 40 years ago.

In 1998, based upon its class and weight for medium-sized aircraft, it still holds:

• The world mark for speed over a 15-25 km. course - 1,058.8 mph
• 3 U.S. records for speed over closed-circuit courses without payload (100, 500 and 1,000 km.) - avg. speed 730 mph; top speed 785.7 mph

Over its lifetime, the F-4 Phantom:

• Set 15 world aviation records within its first 28 months, including altitude (98,500 ft.), 8 time-to-climb marks, and speed (Mach 2.59)
• 5 speed records were held for 13 years until broken by the F-15 Eagle in 1975
• First aircraft to achieve a sustained altitude of 66,443.8 ft.
• First aircraft to fly from Los Angeles to New York in 2 hours and 49 minutes
• Largest production run of any supersonic fighter built in the United States (more than 5,000 aircraft in 20 model configurations, including nation-specific configurations)
• First production aircraft to make extensive use of titanium
• First fighter with pulse Doppler radar with look-down and shoot-down capability
• First fighter to concurrently serve multiple purposes for multiple military services (U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps; and 11 foreign military services)
• Only fighter ever to fly concurrently with both U.S. aerobatics flight demonstration teams — the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds

   

 

The Blue Angels

 

In 1968, the U. S. Navy chose the Phantom for its Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team.

 

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The Blues move into a diamond formation on takeoff.

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Three feet separate wing tips and canopies in Blues demonstration at Nellis AFB, home of the Thunderbirds.	The Blues move into a diamond formation on takeoff.
Blue Angels in a Delta formation.	"Smoke On" for a diamond loop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of World War II, on April 24, 1946, the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, ordered the establishment of a flight demonstration team to showcase naval aviation.

The Blues made their debut in F-4Js at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona on 15 March 1969, and for five seasons thrilled millions worldwide with their exhibitions of precision flying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Thunderbirds

 

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Thunderbirds fly past Waikiki	Thunderbird solo in "Wing Walk" demonstration.
The traditional Thunderbird wedge.	A Thunderbird diamond slow flight demonstration.

The current U.S. Air Force flight demonstration team -- the "Thunderbirds" -- had its beginning in 1953, when Brigadier General Charles Born, commander of crew training, was given the task of forming a unit "to demonstrate efficiency, familiarization and orientation to people not knowing of the F-84G; to create interest in the training program; and to recruit aviation cadets".

The U. S. Air Force also selected the Phantom for its Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron.

The Thunderbirds made their debut in F-4Es at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado on 4 June 1969, and for five years their exciting close formation maneuvers represented American air power and friendship all over the free world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gee Whiz!

Top Gun

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At its farewell William Tell appearance, the F-4 Phantom compiled the meet's only perfect score on the AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided missile profile.

In 1988, piloted by men younger than the aircraft, the F-4 Phantom competed in its 7th and final William Tell meet. Flying three F-4 aircraft, each bearing the red stars denoting MiG aircraft kills, the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Interceptor Group (FIG) won "Top Gun" in the F-4 category. The Oregon team compiled the meet's only perfect score on the AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided missile profile. They also tied an F-15 Eagle team for 2nd place in the air superiority profile. Overall, the 25-year-old F-4C aircraft flown by the 142nd FIG beat out two F-15 Eagle teams and one CF-18 team from Canada, finishing 7th in the 12-team competition.

 

Show Me

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The last F-4 Phantom aircraft flown by the Missouri Air National Guard was the same fighter that shot down two MiG-21 aircraft over North Vietnam and the same aircraft that flew the Phantom line's 10-millionth hour in January 1990.

The last F-4 Phantom aircraft flown by the Missouri Air National Guard was the same fighter that shot down two MiG-21 aircraft over North Vietnam and the same aircraft that flew the Phantom line's 10-millionth hour in January 1990. Today, it is gutted and mounted on a pedestal as a permanent exhibit in front of the Missouri Air National Guard's entrance near Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.

 

Dust Off the Helmet
The pilot who flew the first flight of the F-4 Phantom in 1958 flew in the back seat of the test flight of the last U.S.-built Phantom about 21 years later. Bob Little, who was the chief test pilot for McDonnell Aircraft in 1958, had moved into the company's marketing department in 1960. But he dusted off the gold football-type helmet he'd worn on that first flight to help test Phantom No. 5,057 in 1979. Little was the company's corporate vice president of engineering and marketing at the time.

 

 

Don't Get Spooked

 

 The official Phantom mascot wears a high slouch hat, a flowing black cape and oversized basketball sneakers. Phantom Man started as a design for a shoulder patch for U.S. military squadrons, but quickly became the "Spook" that

 traveled with the F-4 Phantom around the world. It has been seen in a huge variety of places in a wide variety of formats — everything from surreptitious paintings inside the security fences of Eastern Bloc nations to the design on a deck of playing cards. In addition to being featured on F-4 aircraft, Phantom Man has appeared on numerous service patches, awards, publications, signage, apparel and souvenirs. He has carried a variety of weapons, including pearl-handled pistols for aerial gun-fighting competitions, and worn a variety of costumes depending on which nation he represents. In England, for example, he swaps his slouch hat for a bowler and pipe.

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One of the later developments in the Phantom program was the conversion of several Navy F-4B airframes into QF-4B drones for use by the Naval Missile Center at Pt. Mugu, California.	Following their introduction at Tan son Nhut airport on 1 November 1965, RF-4Cs served impressively in Southeast Asia. This RF-4C of the 15th TRS, 18th TFW, was based on Okinawa.

By Any Other Name
Many of those who worked with the F-4 Phantom II thought the aircraft was unattractive. That triggered a variety of nicknames, such as: Double Ugly, Rhino, Flying Anvil, Big Iron Sled and the Louisville Slugger. The aircraft also became known as "the world's leading distributor of MiG parts" in tribute to its record of downing 280 MiG aircraft. During the Vietnam War, the Phantom shot down its first MiG-17 on June 5, 1967, and its last MiG-21 on Jan. 8, 1973.

Check It Out
The F-4 Phantom was built in some 20 models when you include each nation's unique configurations. In general, it had nine fighter versions and three reconnaissance versions. The RF-4C Phantom aircraft flew reconnaissance in Operation Desert Storm.

Not Over Yet
 In addition to approximately 800 F-4 Phantom aircraft still flying in active service for other nations, the United States is still flying nearly 100 QF-4 Phantoms as drones. As the Phantom marks its 40th birthday on March 20, 2000, there are 12 QF-4 aircraft stationed with the Navy at Pt. Mugu, CA, and about 70 QF-4 serving the Air Force at Tyndale Air Force Base in Florida and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

 

 
 

Pardo's Push

 

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"That was one hell of an airplane," retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bob Pardo recalled later. "For one aircraft to get two airplanes that far out of Vietnam speaks very well of the people who put it together." Pardo, left, presented a commemorative painting of the "Pardo Push" to McDonnell Aircraft when the Phantom was retired by the Missouri Air National Guard in 1988.

It was March 10, 1967, in enemy skies over Hanoi. The last of 44 F-4 aircraft were just coming off a bombing raid into North Vietnam when Capt. Bob Pardo and his wingman Capt. Earl Aman were both hit by enemy fire. Aman's aircraft was the worse off. Hit by two damaging blows to the fuel tank, he suddenly was down to 2,000 pounds of fuel instead of the 7,000 pounds he needed to safely return to the refueling tanker.

Pardo knew he had to do something quickly if Aman was going to make it out. First, he tried to use Aman's drag chute to help the wounded Phantom. With the drag chute extended, Pardo tried to maneuver behind Aman's aircraft so he could use the drag chute compartment to push the aircraft toward the tanker. No good. Turbulence was too great.

Pardo decided to try to use the tailhook on Aman's aircraft. He moved in under Aman's aircraft and got the tailhook against the windscreen of his F-4 Phantom. Success. By this time, Aman's aircraft was so low on fuel that Pardo told him to shut down the engines. Pardo's push was working, but the two aircraft had to stay directly in line with one another. Pardo would push for 15 to 20 seconds, lose the necessary balance and slide off to the side. Then he'd have to reposition and push again. By now the pressure of Aman's F-4 aircraft was cracking the windscreen of Pardo's fighter. As the spider web of cracks grew, Pardo became increasingly concerned. He moved the hook down the windscreen into a small metal area below. The hook stayed put, and the push continued. To keep his own damaged Phantom flying, Pardo shut down one engine for the last 10 minutes of the flight.

After pushing Aman's aircraft almost 88 miles, the two damaged Phantoms reached friendly air space. At 6,000 feet, with practically no fuel left, the two pilots and their weapons systems officers parachuted to safety.

"That was one hell of an airplane," retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bob Pardo recalled later. "For one aircraft to get two airplanes that far out of Vietnam speaks very well of the people who put it together."

 

 

Wild Weasel

 

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An F-4G Advanced Wild Weasel 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (P) with APR-38 beam receivers, radar homing and warning system carrying (L to R) AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-78B ARM, AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88A Harm.

The F-4 Phantom was not the first, nor probably the last, "Wild Weasel."

A "Wild Weasel" is an aircraft that has been modified to identify, locate and physically suppress or destroy ground-based enemy air defense systems. The aircraft launches missiles that home in on the defense system's electromagnetic energy emitted as these radar system tracks the aircraft. Simply put: If an anti-aircraft radar system is turned on for more than a few seconds, the Wild Weasel can use the radar's own signal to find and destroy it.

The original Wild Weasels were F-100F aircraft, which were developed to combat the increasing success of the anti-aircraft defense system of North Vietnam. The F-100F, paired with F-105 fighters, began flying hunter-killer sorties over North Vietnam in November 1965. Their mission was to detect and destroy radar-controlled surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft artillery. But the F-100 proved too slow; and by fall 1966, converted F-105 aircraft assumed the Wild Weasel role. Called "Thud Weasels," the F-105F aircraft carried more sophisticated electronic detection and jamming equipment as well as more powerful weaponry. It flew through the end of the Vietnam War, basically serving two missions: paired with other F-105D aircraft or F-4 Phantom aircraft as a hunter-killer team, or as strike force support to bombers. Upgraded to the F-105G aircraft, it supported B-52 bomber strikes in 1972.

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In the late 1970s an Air Force program was established to convert more than 100 F-4E aircraft into the F-4G Wild Weasel configuration, the prototype of which is shown here.

 By 1975, the F-4G Phantom became the Wild Weasel. These modified F-4E fighters had their cannon replaced with AN/APR-38 electronic warfare equipment. About 116 F-4Es were rebuilt as F-4G aircraft to carry a pilot and an Electronic Warfare Officer. The F-4G, which first flew on Dec. 6, 1975, carried the AGM-88A/B/C High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM). It worked in tandem with other F-4G aircraft or as a hunter aircraft, directing fighter-bombers against SAM sites.

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In 1991, the F-4G Phantom Wild Weasel was deployed in Operation Desert Storm. By this time, its EW System had been upgraded to an AN/APR-47 configuration. The Wild Weasels flew 2,596 sorties and obliterated Iraqi air defenses in the opening stages of the war. The aircraft fired more than 1,000 air-to-ground missiles, destroying more than 200 targets.

 The F-4G Wild Weasel flew its last combat mission over Southern Iraq on Jan. 2, 1996. Shortly after, the Phantom line was retired from active service by the U.S. Air Force. It had already been retired by both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The last operational flight of the F-4 Phantom II in service to the United States was flown by the Idaho National Guard 124th Fighter Wing in an F-4G Wild Weasel on April 20, 1996, from Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho.

 

Text and Pictures Courtesy of McDonnell Douglas / Boeing

 

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