The F-4 Phantom was the fruit of McDonnell Aircraft’s development in the 1950s and is often claimed as one of the most remarkable fighters of the post-World War II era. First conceived as a conventional attack aircraft with four 20mm guns, the F-4 Phantom eventually emerged as a state-of-the-art, gunless, all-weather interceptor with advanced radar and missile armament.
From the moment the United States Navy began operating it, some mere thirty-one months after its first flight, the F-4 Phantom acquired an almost overnight reputation as the Navy’s fastest, highest-flying, and longest-range fighter. Soon thereafter, versatility and performance attracted the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force to the aircraft, making the type the backbone of American military aviation during the Cold War.
This tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter bomber was just what it had ordered. Capable of carrying upwards of 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs, it was a good choice. Later models integrated the M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, which enhanced its firepower. The aircraft was fitted with the Westinghouse APQ-72 radar and an IR detector in a small fairing under the nose.
Known variously by the colorful nicknames “Spook,” “Flying Brick,” and “Rhino,” among others, the F-4 Phantom was officially named Phantom II back in 1959. It wasn’t long, though, before the numeral “II” was dropped and it became simply the Phantom.
The F-4 Phantom was a real speed devil and could attain Mach 2.2. Sixteen records set for speed, altitude, and time-to-climb included a world altitude record of 98,556 feet in 1959 and an official speed record of 1,604 mph on a 15-mile circuit in 1961. Operating service with both the Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds-the only aircraft to have ever done so served from 1969 to 1973.
The F-4 saw widespread employment during the Vietnam War. The Air Force deployed its first F-4Cs to Southeast Asia in 1965, flying air-to-air missions against North Vietnamese fighters and attacking ground targets. In its air-to-ground function, the F-4C was capable of delivering a load twice the normal WWII bombload of a B-17.
It remained in service through the Cold War but took part in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq as well, before retirement by the U.S. military in 1996. Between 1958 and 1981, McDonnell Douglas produced an incredible 5,068 F-4 Phantoms, which is the largest number of any American supersonic military aircraft ever manufactured. Mitsubishi built an additional 127 in Japan. Another nearly dozen countries also flew the Phantom II, including Australia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, and the UK. And in at least some of those countries, a few planes continued to fly combat operations.
The F-4 Phantom was powered by two 17,900-pound-thrust General Electric J79-GE-17 jet engines, offering a maximum speed of 1,485 mph and a range of 1,750 miles. It had an initial climb rate of more than 41,000 ft/min and a service ceiling of 56,100 feet. The aircraft also featured nine external hardpoints that allowed it to carry up to 15,983 pounds of payload comprising air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, as well as unguided, guided, and nuclear bombs. It was also armed with an internal 20mm nose-mounted M-61 ‘Vulcan’ cannon.
During its operational service, the F-4 Phantom saw wide use as an interceptor within the United States Navy while the Marine Corps flew the fighter as a ground support bomber. The F-4 was capable of performing air superiority, close air support, interception, air defense suppression, long-range strike, fleet defense, and reconnaissance missions. Able to fly in all types of weather, the aircraft could be utilized on short training missions or for exercises in search of anti-aircraft defense systems.
Although retired in 1996, the F-4 Phantom found a new calling: serving as an aerial target for a new generation of U.S. military airmen. According to Boeing, modified Phantoms designated QF-4 were used as remotely controlled aerial targets over the Gulf of Mexico in 2014 to test pilots, drones, and weapons at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida.
Peter Suciu, a Michigan-based writer and expert in military hardware, has extensively covered the F-4 Phantom. He has written several books on military headgear, including “A Gallery of Military Headdress.”