McDonnell Douglas QF-4 Phantom II Phinal Phlight

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor aircraft/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was also adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, and by the mid-1960s had become a major part of their respective air wings.

The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated an M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record.

During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively; it served as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, and became important in the ground-attack and aerial reconnaissance roles late in the war. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U.S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force had one pilot and two weapon systems officers (WSOs), and the US Navy had one pilot and one radar intercept officer (RIO) become aces by achieving five aerial kills against enemy fighter aircraft. The F-4 continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 in the U.S. Air Force, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the U.S. Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. It was also the only aircraft used by both U.S. flight demonstration teams: the USAF Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the US Navy Blue Angels (F-4J). The F-4 was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with seven countries, and in use as a target drone in the U.S. Air Force. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft.

Role: Interceptor, fighter, fighter-bomber
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft /McDonnell Douglas
First flight: 27 May 1958
Introduction: 30 December 1960
Retired: 1996 (US combat use), 2004 (Israel Air Force), June 2013 (German Air Force)
Status: In service
Primary users: United States Air Force (target drone use, Retired as of December 21st, 2016), United States Navy (former), United States Marine Corps (former), Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force

Produced: 1958–81
Number built: 5,195
Unit cost: US$ 2.4 million (FY1965, new build F-4E)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 63 ft 0 in (19.2 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 4.5 in (11.7 m)
• Height: 16 ft 6 in (5.0 m)
• Wing area: 530.0 ft² (49.2 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 0006.4–64 root, NACA 0003-64 tip
• Empty weight: 30,328 lb (13,757 kg)
• Loaded weight: 41,500 lb (18,825 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 61,795 lb (28,030 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × General Electric J79-GE-17A axial compressor turbojets, 11,905 lbf dry thrust (52.9 kN), 17,845 lbf in afterburner (79.4 kN) each
• Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0224
• Drag area: 11.87 ft² (1.10 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 2.77
• Fuel capacity: 1,994 U.S. gal (7,549 L) internal, 3,335 U.S. gal (12,627 L) with three external tanks (370 U.S. gal (1,420 L) tanks on the outer wing hardpoints and either a 600 or 610 U.S. gal (2,310 or 2,345 L) tank for the centerline station).
• Maximum landing weight: 36,831 lb (16,706 kg)

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.23 (1,472 mph, 2,370 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
• Cruise speed: 506 kn (585 mph, 940 km/h)
• Combat radius: 367 nmi (422 mi, 680 km)
• Ferry range: 1,403 nmi (1,615 mi, 2,600 km) with 3 external fuel tanks
• Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,300 m)
• Rate of climb: 41,300 ft/min (210 m/s)
• Wing loading: 78 lb/ft² (383 kg/m²)
• lift-to-drag: 8.58
• Thrust/weight: 0.86 at loaded weight, 0.58 at MTOW
  
• Takeoff roll: 4,490 ft (1,370 m) at 53,814 lb (24,410 kg)
• Landing roll: 3,680 ft (1,120 m) at 36,831 lb (16,706 kg)

Armament

• E-model has a 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon mounted internally under the nose.
• Up to 18,650 lb (8,480 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including general purpose bombs, cluster bombs, TV- and laser-guided bombs, rocket pods, air-to-ground missiles, anti-ship missiles, gun pods, and nuclear weapons. Reconnaissance, targeting, electronic countermeasures and baggage pods, and external fuel tanks may also be carried.
• 4× AIM-7 Sparrow in fuselage recesses plus 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinders on wing pylons; upgraded Hellenic F-4E and German F-4F ICE carry AIM-120 AMRAAM, Japanese F-4EJ Kai carry AAM-3, UK Phantoms carried Skyflash missiles
• 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel Gatling cannon, 640 rounds
• 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder, Python-3 (F-4 Kurnass 2000)
• 4× AIM-7 Sparrow, AAM-3(F-4EJ Kai)
• 4× AIM-120 AMRAAM for F-4F ICE, F-4E AUP (Hellenic Air Force)
• 6× AGM-65 Maverick
• 4× AGM-62 Walleye
• 4× AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-78 Standard ARM
• 4× GBU-15
• 18× Mk.82, GBU-12
• 5× Mk.84, GBU-10, GBU-14
• 18× CBU-87, CBU-89, CBU-58
• Nuclear weapons, including the B28EX, B61, B43 and B57

Other Images of this aircraft:

         

Documentary on this aircraft:
 Great Planes McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

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