"f4 phantom why not deployed essex class carriers" Topic

i have always heard that the f4 phantom was too heavy to be deployed on essex class carriers
googling essex class recently came across a picture of a douglas a-3 skywarrior on the deck of the uss hancock a essex class carrier
wiki shows the a-3 skywarrior (heavier)and f4 phantom in or about the same weight ranges ,so why did the f4 phantom not deploy on this class of carrier?

Maybe something to do with landing speed as well as weight.

According to Wiki, the Phanton II was too heavy to operate off an Essex class carrier.

I suspect that while the A3 was slightly heavier than the F4, it had a lower ground pressure.

"Heavy" can mean a lot of things. It may have to do with the arrestor gear. It may have to do with the speed the catapults had to give the aircraft for a safe take off.

I tried putting the question to Bing Copilot but it wasn't helpful.

It looks like the A-3 is quite a bit heavier than the F-4. Stall speed is partially weight dependent so the arrestor cables can't be the answer.

This is a really good question. The "heavy" explanation looks like one of those things everyone just believes and repeats. But if the elevators, catapults, and arrestors can handle the A-3 they can handle the F-4.

The only thing I can think of is that, as a high performance, super sonic aircraft the F-4 had a much higher stall speed than the sub-sonic, long range A-3 for the same amount of weight. So the Essex could handle the weight of the A-3 at a lower landing speed or the lighter weight and higher speed of other fighters, but not the high speed, high weigh landing of the F-4.

I suspect if the catapults can launch an A-3 they can launch an F-4, but I can't find numbers.

I'm just guessing, but I can't find an explanation on the internet. Just people saying "too heavy".

Found a bit of an explanation here:
link

Looks like F-4s could have operated from Essex class but would have needed mods to the carrier and planes.

The Royal Navy equivalent carriers needed the F-4s modded with more powerful engines, more blown air over the wings and an extending nose wheel in order to takeoff. And the deck melting with the excess engine power.

The smaller carriers also had a higher accident rate compared to the bigger carriers.

Hope this helps,

B

The Essex class was not equipped to handle the size, weight, and power requirements of the F-4 Phantom. The Phantom was a large, heavy jet fighter that required a longer deck and stronger catapults than those found on Essex class carriers.

I served aboard the Coral Sea CV-43. I got there just before the Hancock was decommissioned. Both ships at the time were homeported at Alameda. Some of the Hancock's crew transferred across the pier to the Coral Sea. The guys from V-2 division said that the Hancock could not launch or recover Phantoms because they were too big and heavy.

Good comparison to the RN use of Phantoms on smaller ships.
Those RN ships wee significantly modified as well as the aircraft as said. The ships themselves were what, a touch bigger than the Essex but still smaller than the Midways?

I suspect the Foch and Clemenceau were closer in size to the modernized Essex class.They stuck with the F8 Crusaders for near twenty years after the US phased them out for that very reason.

I wonder if a better comparison is to the F8 Crusader than the A3?

There is more to go over.
Weight?
Landing speed?
Required length to roll to reduce energy?
How much force could the arrester wire and landing hook put on the airframe before taking it apart?
Very importantly deck strength as Old Contemptible pointed out.