McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II--Bicentennial Tail
Under pressure from the Kennedy administration to reduce the military budget by having more commonality between the services, the USAF evaluated the US Navy's F4H-1 Phantom II against the F-105 Thunderchief (as a tactical fighter), the F-106 Delta Dart (as an interceptor), and the RF-101 Voodoo (as a tactical reconnaissance aircraft). To the USAF's surprise, the F4H-1 outperformed all three, and was capable of doing all three missions with the same general type of aircraft.
Impressed, the USAF asked for the loan of two F4H-1s for further evaluation preparatory to purchase. These were painted in overall ADC Gray and redesignated F-110A Spectre in 1961. Soon thereafter, it was announced that the USAF would purchase the F-110A as its standard tactical fighter, to replace the F-105 (the F-106 would remain the USAF's standard interceptor), while the RF-110A would replace the RF-101. However, to eliminate confusion over aircraft types, the Tri-Service Aircraft Designation System was adopted in 1962; both the F4H-1 and F-110 were renamed simply the F-4. The Spectre name was dropped (though it would be adopted later for the Lockheed AC-130) in favor of the Navy's Phantom II. The Navy and USAF variants were designated F-4B and F-4C respectively, though the F-4C would be modified slightly for USAF requirements. This included wider main landing gear tires (which resulted in a bulge in the upper wing), flight controls for the backseater, and boom/plug refueling rather than probe/drogue.
In combat, the F-4C was something of a mixed bag. It was still an interceptor rather than a dogfighter, and over Vietnam, where it was pitted against more agile MiG-17s and MiG-21s, the Phantom was at a disadvantage. Its raw speed allowed its crews to pick and choose a fight, but it could not turn with the smaller North Vietnamese fighters. Its biggest problem was the lack of an internal gun, especially since the AIM-7 Sparrows and AIM-9 Sidewinders that formed its normal warload were unreliable. Finally, a lack of dogfight training left USAF pilots at a disadvantage. Though tactics would change and missiles would improve, F-4C crews were barely reaching parity with an enemy the USAF outnumbered and outgunned. There was nothing wrong with the aircraft itself: it was simply being committed to a role it was not designed for.
The F-4C was gradually replaced in Vietnam by improved F-4D/E variants, though C models would be involved until the end of the war. Following the end of American involvement, the F-4C was relegated to Air National Guard interceptor units. These would remain in service until the early 1990s, when they were retired in favor of the F-15 Eagle.
This is another view of 63-7676; with that tail number, it was inevitable it would be decorated for the 1976 US Bicentennial. The entire tailplane was painted white with red and blue stripes, and "17" and "19" added ahead of its actual plane number. The tailcode was reduced to almost nonexistence, and the Betsy Ross flag added behind it. For good measure, the wingtips were also decorated with red, white and blue stripes. Though this was not the most elaborate Bicentennial scheme, it was pretty impressive. A view of the nose marking can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/31469080@N07/15456502233/in/datepos...
As mentioned before, this was Brigadier General Fred Haeffner's personal aircraft as commander of the 58th TFTW at Luke AFB. It was relegated to the 199th FIS (Hawaii Air National Guard) in 1983, and thence to the 123rd FIS (Oregon ANG), before being lost in a fatal accident over the Pacific Ocean in 1989.
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II--Bicentennial Tail
Under pressure from the Kennedy administration to reduce the military budget by having more commonality between the services, the USAF evaluated the US Navy's F4H-1 Phantom II against the F-105 Thunderchief (as a tactical fighter), the F-106 Delta Dart (as an interceptor), and the RF-101 Voodoo (as a tactical reconnaissance aircraft). To the USAF's surprise, the F4H-1 outperformed all three, and was capable of doing all three missions with the same general type of aircraft.
Impressed, the USAF asked for the loan of two F4H-1s for further evaluation preparatory to purchase. These were painted in overall ADC Gray and redesignated F-110A Spectre in 1961. Soon thereafter, it was announced that the USAF would purchase the F-110A as its standard tactical fighter, to replace the F-105 (the F-106 would remain the USAF's standard interceptor), while the RF-110A would replace the RF-101. However, to eliminate confusion over aircraft types, the Tri-Service Aircraft Designation System was adopted in 1962; both the F4H-1 and F-110 were renamed simply the F-4. The Spectre name was dropped (though it would be adopted later for the Lockheed AC-130) in favor of the Navy's Phantom II. The Navy and USAF variants were designated F-4B and F-4C respectively, though the F-4C would be modified slightly for USAF requirements. This included wider main landing gear tires (which resulted in a bulge in the upper wing), flight controls for the backseater, and boom/plug refueling rather than probe/drogue.
In combat, the F-4C was something of a mixed bag. It was still an interceptor rather than a dogfighter, and over Vietnam, where it was pitted against more agile MiG-17s and MiG-21s, the Phantom was at a disadvantage. Its raw speed allowed its crews to pick and choose a fight, but it could not turn with the smaller North Vietnamese fighters. Its biggest problem was the lack of an internal gun, especially since the AIM-7 Sparrows and AIM-9 Sidewinders that formed its normal warload were unreliable. Finally, a lack of dogfight training left USAF pilots at a disadvantage. Though tactics would change and missiles would improve, F-4C crews were barely reaching parity with an enemy the USAF outnumbered and outgunned. There was nothing wrong with the aircraft itself: it was simply being committed to a role it was not designed for.
The F-4C was gradually replaced in Vietnam by improved F-4D/E variants, though C models would be involved until the end of the war. Following the end of American involvement, the F-4C was relegated to Air National Guard interceptor units. These would remain in service until the early 1990s, when they were retired in favor of the F-15 Eagle.
This is another view of 63-7676; with that tail number, it was inevitable it would be decorated for the 1976 US Bicentennial. The entire tailplane was painted white with red and blue stripes, and "17" and "19" added ahead of its actual plane number. The tailcode was reduced to almost nonexistence, and the Betsy Ross flag added behind it. For good measure, the wingtips were also decorated with red, white and blue stripes. Though this was not the most elaborate Bicentennial scheme, it was pretty impressive. A view of the nose marking can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/31469080@N07/15456502233/in/datepos...
As mentioned before, this was Brigadier General Fred Haeffner's personal aircraft as commander of the 58th TFTW at Luke AFB. It was relegated to the 199th FIS (Hawaii Air National Guard) in 1983, and thence to the 123rd FIS (Oregon ANG), before being lost in a fatal accident over the Pacific Ocean in 1989.