| Tango01 | 31 May 2023 7:57 p.m. PST |
"Flying Brick. Lead Sled. Rhino. Double Ugly. If nicknames are destiny, then the F-4 Phantom II fighter was cursed at birth. Even its official name was ironic. "Phantom" evokes an image of stealth and subtlety, a supernatural nemesis that strikes without warning. But the F-4 was anything but stealthy or subtle; it was a big fighter that muscled its way through combat. Along the way, it became one of the most influential aircraft in history…"
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Armand |
| Choctaw | 01 Jun 2023 8:03 a.m. PST |
I remember as a teen I was roading a tractor out in the middle of nowhere when two F4s came over at treetop level. I waved and received a wing-waggle in return. I thought that was pretty cool and instantly fell in love with that aircraft. |
| Andrew Walters | 01 Jun 2023 9:22 a.m. PST |
Only aircraft used by both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. And if you've played any Viet Nam era air games, you know the Phantom II is The Plane. I always thought it was cool looking. What, exactly, in that period is supposed to be better looking? The Crusader II? The Thunderchief? The Starfighter and Talon II were pretty, but they hardly count. Also, the Phantom II is still in use. So the haters can just prattle on if they like. |
| Tango01 | 01 Jun 2023 11:26 a.m. PST |
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| microgeorge | 01 Jun 2023 12:13 p.m. PST |
IMO the Crusader II was a more attractive ship and had a better kill ratio in air-to-air combat in Vietnam, giving it an edge when the early air-to air mid. It was also designed with gun armament when the early air-to-air missiles were notoriously unreliable.
Given that, the Phantom II had a much greater impact on aerial combat and yes, it is still being flown in certain parts of the world. It's also proof that you can fly a rock with enough thrust! My fondest memory regarding the Phantom II was watching the Thunderbirds perform at Tinker AFB. One of their maneuvers involved flying inverted on the deck. Those pilots had ice water in their veins. |
14Bore  | 01 Jun 2023 12:34 p.m. PST |
They were being phased out when I got to England and we were getting A-10s, always my favorite early jet aircraft. |
 20thmaine | 16 Jun 2023 7:17 a.m. PST |
One of the few planes to get the Dinky treatment:
So it must have been good!
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| Tango01 | 16 Jun 2023 2:57 p.m. PST |
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| Tango01 | 17 Dec 2023 9:22 p.m. PST |
Why the C-5 Galaxy Is Such a Badass Plane link Armand |
| Tango01 | 06 Jan 2024 4:18 p.m. PST |
The Inside Story of the F-35 Lightning II
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Armand
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| Nine pound round | 21 Jan 2024 2:01 p.m. PST |
If you can get your hands on a copy, the Air Force Historian did an interesting book on fighters in the 1960s and 1970s called "Sierra Hotel," which is full of interesting anecdotes about the F-4, and the tricks pilots and crews used to soup it up (some surprisingly small, like using pieces of soda straw to identify critical switches in the cockpit). |
