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F-4 Phantom 50th Anniversary


Steindaddie
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Steindaddie

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the mighty F-4 Phantom. From it's early days as the premier fighter of the Vietnam War through today, where it is still a frontline fighter in the air forces of over half a dozen countries, the Phantom has well earned the reputation as one of the greatest aircraft in history.

 

I was a Phantom Phixer and proud of it !

 

Will

 

PS. Here is a photo of one those F-4's I worked on. Taken over the Persian Gulf in 1991

post-1949-1211914788.jpg

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Wow, how time flies. It's wierd to watch Dogfight on TV to see guys in their 60's-70's talking about flying F-4's.....

 

-Ski

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I kinda have a soft soft in my heart for the F-4. I can't claim anything as cool as being a Phantom Phixer though... I just watched 'em fly around the area when I was growing up. Our local ANG unit, the 136th FIS, (now all but defunct) flew the F-4 during most of the 1980s and into the early 90s, when they converted to the Electric Jet. Soon thereafter they converted again... to tankers... and became the 136th ARS. Just recently they lost all their aircraft and have became an associate unit, although I don't know much more than that. But that's for another thread...

 

Anyhoo, here's the most well-known F-4 to serve with 'Rocky's Raiders'... F-4C 64-0660. Or, as she's more commonly known, '660'.

 

Here she is in the ADC gray scheme...

 

660Falls002.jpg

Mike Kopac photo

 

 

660Falls003.jpg

Mike Kopac photo

 

 

And shortly after joining the unit, still in SEA camo...

 

660Falls001.jpg

David F. Brown photo

 

 

As you can see, '660' is a triple MiG-Killer. Her victories were as follows:

 

May 12th, 1966 - MiG-17 - Maj. Wilbur R. Dudley & 1Lt. Imants Kringelis - 390th TFS, 35th TFW

May 14th, 1967 - MiG-17 - *Maj. Samuel O. Bakke & Capt. Robert W. Lambert - 480th TFS, 366th TFW

June 5th, 1967 - MiG-17 - Maj. Durwood K. Priester & Capt. John E. Pankhurst - 480th TFS, 366th TFW

 

* I have conflicting info as to the crew for the second kill. One source states Bakke/Lambert, while another indicates Hargrove/DeMuth.

 

 

Here's a few earlier shots of '660' while with other units...

 

 

September 1979, 58th TFTW(TTW?), Luke AFB

 

660LA001.jpg

Cliff Bossie photo

 

660LA002.jpg

Cliff Bossie photo

 

 

April 16th, 1970, 35th TFS, 347th TFW, unknown location

 

660GG001.jpg

Photo credit: unknown

 

 

And here she is today... back in Niagara Falls, but sadly on a stick. Hopefully someday she'll be finished in more accurate markings to reflect her period of service with the 136th. (The 'ZZ' markings were introduced after the outfit had converted to the F-4D.)

 

660Stick.jpg

Marty McGuire photo

 

 

PHANTOMS PHOREVER!!!

 

 

Fade to Black...

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teufelhunde.ret

A retired F-4J, painted to represent VMFA-333's Vietnam War MIG-killing cruise, aboard the USS America.

f4_after.jpg

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Steindaddie

Nice photos of 660 - definitely a Phamous Phantom (and they need to get the thing off that stick)

 

Here is the ID plate from another MiG Killer - F-4E 67-0239. The plate is installed in the front cockpit, about 3 inches from the pilot's right knee.

 

Although a USAF plane, 67-0239 was being flown by a Navy and Marine corps exchange crew. Pilot Capt. Larry Richard, USMC and RIO Lt Cdr Mike Ettel, USN

 

In August 1972, they were part of a flight protecting a weather recon mission when bandits were spotted 30 miles out ....An excerpt from the Osprey Combat Book 'USAF F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1972-73'.......Richard and Ettel responded by 'unloading' their F-4E (67-0239) of g and locking on the second MiG - a light green, camouflaged example. It's pilot apparently had not realized that his leader had dived away and run for home. Richard fired a second AIM-7 at a distance of one mile and blew the MiG's tail off.

 

The ID plate is a bit scruffy, but it's in better shape than that MiG-21

 

Will

post-1949-1212006361.jpg

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teufelhunde.ret

On 22 November 1961, under OPERATION SKYBURNER, a Phantom piloted by US Marine Corps (USMC) Lieutenant Colonel Bob Robinson set a world speed record of 2,585 KPH (1,606 MPH). Robinson's Phantom was fitted with specially modified J79s featuring water-methanol injection, which cooled the engines to raise the redline limit and provided greater exhaust mass flow to increase thrust. It was the only one of the records aircraft with any major modifications. Photo Credit: Boeing Photo

d4c_7091.jpg

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Steindaddie

Given the many modifications and all the stuff that was later hung on the Phantom, it's always nice to remember it once did 1,600 MPH !

 

As is usually the case with the production models. later Phantoms were not so speedy The last major model, the F-4G (as seen in the original post) was loaded down with electronics and had so many bumps and bulges, it wasn't going no 1,600 MPH ! But of course, it didn't need to.

On the other hand, there was one model that could always hit Mach 2 - the RF-4. They were as speedy in 1964 as they were in 1994.

 

Another speed demon was "Sageburner". This was the project that on Aug 28th 1961 netted the Phantom the world's low altitude speed record of 902 MPH. They were at no time over 125' AGL !

 

That record still stands today - way to go Phantom ! thumbsup.gif

post-1949-1212085715.jpg

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Here are a couple of F-4's from CVW-14 off the Enterprise in '71-72 while on a WestPac. The first shows a VF-142 bird loaded with bombs, the second is the CAG bird, from the 'Pukin Dogs' of VF-143. These are from the original slides I found on Ebay. Enjoy, Mark.post-527-1212173783.jpgpost-527-1212173794.jpg

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Spathologist
Here is the ID plate from another MiG Killer - F-4E 67-0239.

 

 

That's an interesting thing to have. I don't know how the AF runs things, but when the Army decommissions an aircraft, the ID plate is the only thing turned in. Without the ID plate, the aircraft is just a heap of spare parts. In legal terms, the ID plate *is* the aircraft.

 

Maybe you can say you own your own private F-4.....

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  • 4 months later...
Nice photos of 660 - definitely a Phamous Phantom (and they need to get the thing off that stick)

 

Here is the ID plate from another MiG Killer - F-4E 67-0239. The plate is installed in the front cockpit, about 3 inches from the pilot's right knee.

 

Although a USAF plane, 67-0239 was being flown by a Navy and Marine corps exchange crew. Pilot Capt. Larry Richard, USMC and RIO Lt Cdr Mike Ettel, USN

 

In August 1972, they were part of a flight protecting a weather recon mission when bandits were spotted 30 miles out ....An excerpt from the Osprey Combat Book 'USAF F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1972-73'.......Richard and Ettel responded by 'unloading' their F-4E (67-0239) of g and locking on the second MiG - a light green, camouflaged example. It's pilot apparently had not realized that his leader had dived away and run for home. Richard fired a second AIM-7 at a distance of one mile and blew the MiG's tail off.

 

The ID plate is a bit scruffy, but it's in better shape than that MiG-21

 

Will

 

Cool ID plate, I guess that means it isn't still in service with the Egyptian AF? How did you acquire it? I was born the day that Richard and Ettel s/d the MiG, so I am especially interested in this plane. Plus the fact that one of them was from Minnesota. Are there any pictures of 67-0239? I know the Osprey book has artwork, but not an actual picture.

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One of my favorite planes! I vividly remember seeing camouflage painted F4s flying overhead when I was younger......tons of black exhaust trailing behind them. It was a common event but I always stopped to watch no matter what I was doing. For me, there's just something about the styling of that plane. I appreciate it's classy lines as much as a '57 chevy. In my area, when the F4s stopped flying all you saw was A7 corsairs... looked like a flying pelican. :blink:

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teufelhunde.ret
One of my favorite planes! I vividly remember seeing camouflage painted F4s flying overhead when I was younger......tons of black exhaust trailing behind them. It was a common event but I always stopped to watch no matter what I was doing. For me, there's just something about the styling of that plane. I appreciate it's classy lines as much as a '57 chevy. In my area, when the F4s stopped flying all you saw was A7 corsairs... looked like a flying pelican. :blink:

 

:packin heat:

Phantom_04.jpg

Phantom_09.jpg

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  • 1 year later...
Guest Phantom Lover
I kinda have a soft soft in my heart for the F-4. I can't claim anything as cool as being a Phantom Phixer though... I just watched 'em fly around the area when I was growing up. Our local ANG unit, the 136th FIS, (now all but defunct) flew the F-4 during most of the 1980s and into the early 90s, when they converted to the Electric Jet. Soon thereafter they converted again... to tankers... and became the 136th ARS. Just recently they lost all their aircraft and have became an associate unit, although I don't know much more than that. But that's for another thread...

 

Anyhoo, here's the most well-known F-4 to serve with 'Rocky's Raiders'... F-4C 64-0660. Or, as she's more commonly known, '660'.

 

Here she is in the ADC gray scheme...

 

660Falls002.jpg

Mike Kopac photo

660Falls003.jpg

Mike Kopac photo

And shortly after joining the unit, still in SEA camo...

 

660Falls001.jpg

David F. Brown photo

As you can see, '660' is a triple MiG-Killer. Her victories were as follows:

 

May 12th, 1966 - MiG-17 - Maj. Wilbur R. Dudley & 1Lt. Imants Kringelis - 390th TFS, 35th TFW

May 14th, 1967 - MiG-17 - *Maj. Samuel O. Bakke & Capt. Robert W. Lambert - 480th TFS, 366th TFW

June 5th, 1967 - MiG-17 - Maj. Durwood K. Priester & Capt. John E. Pankhurst - 480th TFS, 366th TFW

 

* I have conflicting info as to the crew for the second kill. One source states Bakke/Lambert, while another indicates Hargrove/DeMuth.

Here's a few earlier shots of '660' while with other units...

September 1979, 58th TFTW(TTW?), Luke AFB

 

660LA001.jpg

Cliff Bossie photo

 

660LA002.jpg

Cliff Bossie photo

April 16th, 1970, 35th TFS, 347th TFW, unknown location

 

660GG001.jpg

Photo credit: unknown

And here she is today... back in Niagara Falls, but sadly on a stick. Hopefully someday she'll be finished in more accurate markings to reflect her period of service with the 136th. (The 'ZZ' markings were introduced after the outfit had converted to the F-4D.)

 

660Stick.jpg

Marty McGuire photo

PHANTOMS PHOREVER!!!

Fade to Black...

 

As a crew cheif with 347 TFW in 1970 and 71 the picture of 660 was most likely taken at Yokota AB Japan.

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  • 3 years later...

Although I favor the F-111F, the F-4 was a classy jet; especially loaded to the "gills" with missiles & bombs. It was the first Air Force aircraft I ever loaded. Back in 1978 I loaded an AIM-7 and the SUU-23 gun pod. Liked the "E" model the best. I have a friend who flew them with the 308th TFS. Loved when the F-110 entered USAF service with the air defense grey scheme, my favorite of all paint jobs.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Here are some pics of F-4's I have come across in my travels. I hope they come out OK as I had to keep cutting down the image size to get them to fit after I scanned them!

 

This one is at the Wisconsin Military Museum at Volk Field. The manager of that museum is a member here on the Forum, he might be able to shed some light on what is going to happen with all their aircraft there on static display, as last I heard the museum was closing.

 

post-440-0-91553700-1390177877.jpg

 

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For the life of me, I just do not recall where this picture was taken from! I may have actually bought it somewhere, I just had NO recollection. May have come from a friend or relative too. Anyone? Looks like a Navy aircraft, but not much for markings on it.

 

post-440-0-72763700-1390178157.jpg

 

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