About the McDonnell F-4C/D Phantom II
- In May 1958, the McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II prototype was rolled out of
their facility at Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri. It was a very large
aircraft for a fighter and it was not very pretty by aviation standards. It
looked like some giant had stepped on its nose and kicked it in the tail;
however, it flew on the 27th of that month and is still flying today,
5,195 Phantoms later. From these beginnings until well into the 1970's the F4
Phantom II would be the primary fighter aircraft of the free world.
By 1982 the F4 had fought in 5 major conflicts, nine years in Southeast
Asia, twice in the desert of the Middle East and against each other at one time.
It was used in every role; Fighter interceptor, Fighterbomber, Reconnaissance,
Tanker and Drone. They specialized in attack roles as Wild Weasel defense
suppression and laser designator bombers. They also defeated the best aircraft
that the opposition could put against it. The only time it lost was when pitted
against another F4, during the Greek-Turkey conflict. With the U.S. Navy in the
headlines everyday with this new interceptor, the American Defense Department
ordered competitive tests be flown against the best aircraft in the U.S. Air
Force inventory. Convair's F-106 Delta Dart was selected to fly against the
Navy's Phantom II, and the Phantom easily won top speed, low-level speed,
altitude, plus the unrefueled range and radar range. Following this flyoff, much
to the disgust and embarrassment of the Air Force, it was decided that the next
Air Force fighter would be this U.S. Navy design. It would at first supplement,
then totally replace the Air Force F100; F102; F104 and F105 strike and
interceptor aircraft. Under the designation F110A, the Air Force Phantom II was
basically a Navy-4B airframe with changes made to meet Air Force requirements.
Following the F-4C, which was essentially the same aircraft as the designated
F110A, the F-4D version was more closely tailored to meet the requirements of
the Air Force. With these two versions, the Phantom II established its
unparalleled esteem in the U.S. Air Force.
- The F-4's in the U.S. Navy had numerous variants through its career to
fulfill various requirements from the Navy as well. Following the F-4G, which
was developed as a trial, the next variant was designated the F-4J to avoid
confusion with the original F4H-1 The F-4J was designed as the follow-on to the
original F-4B, correcting some of the deficiencies which had become apparent in
service. Its maiden flight was made on 27th May 1966, and mass production
started shortly after. As the F-4J was developed for the U.S. Navy in parallel
with the F-4D of the Air Force, they had a few differences. The new
J79-GE-10 powerplant was further improved from the previous J79-GE-8 to yield
more power. Internally, upgraded radar, with an improved fire-control system and
a new missile-control system, were fitted to earn even better interception and
ground attack abilities. In addition, a fixed inboard leading edge along with a
slotted tailplane contributed to better maneuverability at low speeds. Lift at
low speeds was further enhanced by furnishing 16.5 dropped ailerons. As a
consequence of these alternations, its approach speed was reduced by 20km/h.
A further noticeable difference from the previous variants was the bulged inner
wingfoot to accommodate the larger wheels employed to cope with its increased
weight. Armament was also bolstered. AIM-7 Sparrows and AIM-9 Sidewinders were
equipped as the main weapons for air-to-air combat, and a wide variety of bombs,
missiles, rockets and explosives could be fitted according to the mission. The
maximum load of armament was 5 tons which made the F-4J's attack capability
outstanding. Further changes were introduced during the course of production,
such as a provision of Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mode (SEAM) and addition
of various dogfight-capable computers.
- It was in March 1967 when the F-4J's delivery to the corps started. U.S.
forces were in midst of the hard-fought conflict against North Vietnam. Back in
1961, the U.S. government decided to send their troops to Vietnam to support the
South Vietnamese government, and the conflict kept spreading day by day. Under
these circumstances, the Phantom II played a main role in the sky. The
Navy's Phantom II's were flown from aircraft carriers, and the Phantom
II's of the Air Force and the Marines were flown from their bases in South
Vietnam and Thailand to engage in North Vietnameses's MiGs. It was the end of
May 1968 when the F-4J's carried on the aircraft carrier “America” first
appeared over the Vietnamese sky. On 21st July, an F-4J shot down a MiG 21,
which was recorded as the first kill by the F-4J. F-4J's streamed to the battle
field, and achieved outstanding military results against MiG's especially after
resumption of the North Vietnam bombing. The only “Ace” status in the U.S.
Navy during this conflict was attained by an F-4J on 10th May 1972. Lt. Randy
Cunningham and Lt. William Driscoll, who had already shot down a MiG 1 and MiG
17, gained three MiG 17's on the day, making themselves the first aces.
However, their “longest day” was not concluded. Soon after their fifth kill,
on their way back, their F-4J was tagged by a missile from the ground and the
pair ejected and were rescued at sea.
- The mass production of the F-4J ceased in December 1972, recording
522 aircraft as the total number produced. The F-4J proved its superb combat
capability mainly in the Vietnam conflict throughout its career, and contributed
to establishing the high reputation for the Phantom II series all around the
world. Seven F-4J's were slightly modified for use by the U.S. Navy's “Blue
Angels” flight demonstration team as well. These aircraft had oil and smoke
injectors added, and were beautifully painted in the team's attractive blue and
gold colors. Their acrobat demonstrations fully utilized their full potential at
the many air shows held for the public. Although being replaced gradually by the
F-14 Tomcat in the Navy and the F-15 Eagle in the Air force in recent years,
the Phantom II dominated the sky all over the world as a guardian for western
alignment till the 80's.
Specs & Features
- Plastic pieces attached to sprues molded in light grey.
- Ready to assemble precision model kit.
- Kit can be constructed into either the Phantom 4C or 4D.
- Includes two unassembled, highly detailed pilots to seat in craft.
- Comes equipped with a full weapons load including:
- Left and right inboard pylons
- 4 AIM-7E Sparrow rockets
- 1 ALQ-87ECM pod
- 4 AIM-9E Sidewinder rockets
- TER and MER racks
- Other notable accessories include an entry ladder, a LORAN antenna, and
chaff dispensers.
- Accurately reproduced exterior and cockpit.
- Canopy will open and close.
- Die-cast metal landing gear struts.
- Solid Synthetic-Rubber Tires.
- Many waterslide decals that add a great deal of detail to both the exterior
and the interior of the craft.
- Detailed pictorial instructions.