The F-4 is one of the finest fighter aircraft ever built with 5,195 delivered by McDonnell-Douglas to customers around the world. My first exposure to Phantoms was as a youth watching the RF-4C’s of the 123 TRS, KYANG flying in and out of then Standiford Field, Louisville KY. Once you have heard the howl of an F-4 flying overhead with the smoke trails out the back, it is something you will never forget. I was lucky enough to be on a Sothern Watch rotation when the Wild Weasels from the IDANG were on their last deployment. I didn’t know it then but found out later I had witnessed the last USAF F-4 combat mission taking off.
Phantom Specs:
Powerplant - Two General Electric J-79 afterburning turbofan, 16,000 lbs of static thrust each
Length - 63 ft
Height - 16 ft
Wing area - 530 sq ft
Weight - 29,500 lbs Empty
Maximum takeoff weight –58,000 lbs
Maximum speed - 1,583 mph, mach 2.24at 48,000 ft
Ceiling - 55,000 ft
Armament - one 20 mm six-barrel cannon (F4-E),8 air-to-air missiles and 16,000 lbs of bombs
Still in use in the USAF ( Four plus drones) Germany, Japan, Greece, Turkey, South Korea, and Israel ( In storage)
Phantom Specs:
Powerplant - Two General Electric J-79 afterburning turbofan, 16,000 lbs of static thrust each
Length - 63 ft
Height - 16 ft
Wing area - 530 sq ft
Weight - 29,500 lbs Empty
Maximum takeoff weight –58,000 lbs
Maximum speed - 1,583 mph, mach 2.24at 48,000 ft
Ceiling - 55,000 ft
Armament - one 20 mm six-barrel cannon (F4-E),8 air-to-air missiles and 16,000 lbs of bombs
Still in use in the USAF ( Four plus drones) Germany, Japan, Greece, Turkey, South Korea, and Israel ( In storage)
(USAF Photo)
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