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McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II - Proof a Brick Can Fly?

www.outlookindia.com

Air Force Day: The Incredible Story Of How India Acquired Its First Bomber Squadron From Aircraft Graveyard

After the World War Two ended, the British left several B-24 Liberator Bombers in an aircraft graveyard. They made sure they could never be flown again by smashing cockpits and pouring sand into engines, and yet Indians salvaged those aircraft and made them airworthy. For two decades, India flew...
www.outlookindia.com www.outlookindia.com


Any familiar names?

B-25 Mitchell | Remembering Shared Honor

North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber.
www.rshonor.org www.rshonor.org

B-25 info

theaviationgeekclub.com

The B-25 ‘Bridge Busters’ and the GLIP bombing technique - The Aviation Geek Club

The B-25 ‘Bridge Busters’ and the GLIP bombing technique
theaviationgeekclub.com theaviationgeekclub.com

B-25 History Project

B-25 Mitchell bomber history
b-25history.org b-25history.org
 
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A real shot in the dark, Hayes--does this guy look familiar?

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HayesGreener said:
No I do not recognize him. But then it has been more than 50 years. I wish I had spent more time talking to those guys back then. Thanks for your interest
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Okay. Was a shot in the dark, as I said. This pic--obviously from WWII--came up in a search for 555TFS pilots, but without a name. That saves me trying to find the name.

I'll drive on in other directions. ;)
 
Dr. Dabbs,

I love all your articles. Just read the one about the CH-47D.

With regard to the F-4's top speed, you quoted the oft mentioned number of Mach 2.23. This is not correct.

In the mid 1960s the top speed was published as Mach 2.4. You could find that figure in many respected publications including Jane's All the Worlds Aircraft. But phooey to publications; let's strap on an F-4 and see what it can really do.

I was stationed at Eglin AFB, FL in the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing from 1974-1976. During that time I served as a line pilot, flight commander and Wing Chief of Standardization/Evaluation. Being a bachelor I let 33rd Maintenance know that I was always available for a Functional Check Flight or FCF. Why sit in my Geodesic Dome when I could be flying at 1620 mph or 1400 + knots!

Will, there was a way to exceed Mach 2 and even Mach 2.23. To wit, every, single time I flew an FCF, about 20 times, I reached Mach 2.4! And one time, because of superior skill & cunning, I reached Mach 2.45! Other F-4 pilots will throw the BS flag at my claim. But I did it. And I only wish I had let the Phantom go for Mach 2.5. But I was "a feared" of exceeding some structural limit ripping off the wings and having my GIB's widow super PO'd at me and missing beer call.

There was a way to reach M 2.4 and I learned it from Don Stuck, McDonnell company test pilot.

Joe Crecca
NAMPOW 1966-73
 
The F-4E Phantom, the A-10 Thunderbolt II (aka Wart Hog), and the F-14 Tomcat were the last US fighter/Attack aircraft built that just looked plain "mean" and ready to devour anything just sitting still.

F-4E
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A-10
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F-14D
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During the war, U.S. Navy F-4 Phantoms claimed 40 air-to-air victories at a loss of seven Phantoms to enemy aircraft. USMC F-4 pilots claimed three enemy MiGs at the cost of one aircraft in air-combat.

A total of 116 air-to-air victories were claimed by Israeli Phantoms between the beginning of the War of Attrition in 1969 and the Bekka Valley battles of 1982. Israel has admitted to the loss of at least 55 Phantoms in combat, most of these to SAMs and AAA. 33 were lost in the Yom Kippur War alone.
 
I once met Astronaut CAPT Jon McBride who related an interesting F-4 story. When he was flying F-4's his weapons officer was from the Texas Valley - Harlingen, I think. They would fly down there in an F-4 to spend the weekend with his folks. The weapons officer's Mom would pack them a lunch for the return trip. The F-4 cockpit was too large to hand lunch up to the pilot.. McBride solved this by rolling inverted, the weapons officer laid out lunch on the canopy. McBride then pushed into a gentle inverted dive and lunch slid up in front of him.
 
If we could compile all the great S.E.A. Phantom stories we could write a book.

Dateline circa 1969 -- Udorn Thailand -- after flight report --

Pilot reports that he "almost flamed out" coming back from the North. Seems someone, (and the stories get foggy here) probably a crew chief had mounted the Phabulous Phantom with a handful of white chalk. Supposedly, he (the crew chief or someone) had drawn a Phantastic nude on the top backbone area of the Phantom. Problem for the "almost flamed out" part of the story was the KC-135 Tanker attempting to inflight refuel the thirsty Phantom had problems "aiming the refueling boom" as the refuel door on top of the jet was located -- well -- kinda in the middle area of the chalk art and the Boomer couldn't get it in.
 
Tinyman said:
If we could compile all the great S.E.A. Phantom stories we could write a book.

Dateline circa 1969 -- Udorn Thailand -- after flight report --

Pilot reports that he "almost flamed out" coming back from the North. Seems someone, (and the stories get foggy here) probably a crew chief had mounted the Phabulous Phantom with a handful of white chalk. Supposedly, he (the crew chief or someone) had drawn a Phantastic nude on the top backbone area of the Phantom. Problem for the "almost flamed out" part of the story was the KC-135 Tanker attempting to inflight refuel the thirsty Phantom had problems "aiming the refueling boom" as the refuel door on top of the jet was located -- well -- kinda in the middle area of the chalk art and the Boomer couldn't get it in.
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F-105 crew beat 'em to it:

theaviationgeekclub.com

Here’s why this Infamous F-105 Thunderchief was an Incredible Morale Booster - The Aviation Geek Club

Here’s why this Infamous F-105 Thunderchief was an Incredible Morale Booster
theaviationgeekclub.com theaviationgeekclub.com
 
I was an Air Force Communications Tech from 1979 to 1999. My career included two tours, 1981-1984 and 1989 - 1991 at Zweibrucken AFB, Germany. We supported the F4c Phantoms which were designed to be spy planes during the European part of the cold war. These planes were stripped of all armament and loaded with the same engines the Air Force Thunderbirds were using at that time in their F4s. These planes made no exhaust plumes as the F4 was known for. They carried cameras that could take photos and were known for their speed to escape enemy fighters of the time. We closed the base in 1991 and our Wing Commander at that time took off with the last plane and pulled a beautiful full vertical take off once he left the deck. It was a beautiful sight. My wife and I have fond memories of the F4c and Zweibrucken, for she was also stationed at Zweibrucken, and we were married in 1983 on base and still remember our time there which your story made us reminisce about. Thank you!
 
www.f-4phantom.com

F-4 Hit by Flak Lands without Its Backseater - F-4 Phantom II

The backseater who ejected from this F-4 is a pilot named Kenny Boone. Kenny was one of my instructor pilots when I went through F-4 replacement training unit (RTU) at Luke AFB, Arizona, 1971 – 1972. Kenny was a pilot flying in the back seat on an orientation mission over the Ho Che Minh trail...
www.f-4phantom.com

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and...Pardo’s Push

www.smithsonianmag.com

Bob Pardo Once Pushed a Crippled F-4 Home With His F-4. In Flight.

...while in combat over Vietnam.
www.smithsonianmag.com www.smithsonianmag.com
 
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