McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II
The age and vulnerability of the RF-101C Voodoo was apparent by the Vietnam War. As losses rose among the Voodoo community, the USAF sought a faster and newer replacement. The solution turned out to be yet another variant of the eminently adaptable F-4C Phantom II. The basic airframe was retained with a new nose, with three cameras placed inside. As the RF-4C was meant to be unarmed, it was not necessary to retain the multimode interception radar of the F-4C, and the RF-4C used the smaller AN/APQ-99 navigation radar. Lighter and more aerodynamic than the F-4C, the RF-4C proved to be the perfect replacement for the RF-101 and remaining RF-84F Thunderstreaks in USAF service. It entered service in 1965.
The RF-4C would be the last dedicated manned tactical reconnaissance aircraft in USAF service. They were used extensively over Vietnam, and in active-duty USAF squadrons until the late 1980s, when they were relegated to Air National Guard units. The last two squadrons of ANG RF-4Cs saw service during the First Gulf War, after which they were retired completely. A number were supplied to foreign air forces afterwards, but the RF-4E (built off of the early F-4E variant) remains the primary foreign RF-4 version.
64-1047 was one of the higher-timed RF-4Cs in the USAF inventory when it was retired in 1994. It entered service in 1965 and went straight to South Vietnam, where it served with the 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Tan Son Nhut International Airport outside of Saigon. After its Vietnam service, it flew in detachments in both West Germany and South Korea, before it was relegated to the 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (Alabama ANG) at Birmingham.
Its final combat deployment came during Operation Desert Shield in late 1990. Equipped with both its internal cameras and high-resolution camera pods, the 117th TRW's RF-4Cs--including 64-1047--were to fly up and down the border, looking into both Iraq and occupied Kuwait to catalog Iraqi forces. Though 1047 did not see actual combat, as the 117th was redeployed home before Desert Storm started, 1047 flew more sorties than any other F-4 in what would become the First Gulf War: 147 missions. When the USAF's RF-4C fleet was retired in 1994, 1047 was preserved because of its unique history: it was one of the few aircraft to fly in both Vietnam and the First Gulf War.
Today, 64-1047 is on display at the National Museum of the USAF, still in its last operational gray camouflage, known as "Egypt One." Its 147 mission total, shown as camels, is carried on the port intake splitter plate. 1047 is also one of the few F-4s to be displayed with nose art, in this case McDonnell Douglas' offical mascot for the Phantom--the "Spook." The aircraft's distinction of having the highest sortie count is recorded on the cooling intake on the nose.
Though the USAF RF-4C fleet was almost always unarmed, the 117th TRW painted its RF-4s that served in Desert Shield with sharkmouths. 64-1047 is likewise shown without armament, aside from an ALQ-119 electronic countermeasures pod displayed in front of the aircraft.
McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II
The age and vulnerability of the RF-101C Voodoo was apparent by the Vietnam War. As losses rose among the Voodoo community, the USAF sought a faster and newer replacement. The solution turned out to be yet another variant of the eminently adaptable F-4C Phantom II. The basic airframe was retained with a new nose, with three cameras placed inside. As the RF-4C was meant to be unarmed, it was not necessary to retain the multimode interception radar of the F-4C, and the RF-4C used the smaller AN/APQ-99 navigation radar. Lighter and more aerodynamic than the F-4C, the RF-4C proved to be the perfect replacement for the RF-101 and remaining RF-84F Thunderstreaks in USAF service. It entered service in 1965.
The RF-4C would be the last dedicated manned tactical reconnaissance aircraft in USAF service. They were used extensively over Vietnam, and in active-duty USAF squadrons until the late 1980s, when they were relegated to Air National Guard units. The last two squadrons of ANG RF-4Cs saw service during the First Gulf War, after which they were retired completely. A number were supplied to foreign air forces afterwards, but the RF-4E (built off of the early F-4E variant) remains the primary foreign RF-4 version.
64-1047 was one of the higher-timed RF-4Cs in the USAF inventory when it was retired in 1994. It entered service in 1965 and went straight to South Vietnam, where it served with the 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Tan Son Nhut International Airport outside of Saigon. After its Vietnam service, it flew in detachments in both West Germany and South Korea, before it was relegated to the 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (Alabama ANG) at Birmingham.
Its final combat deployment came during Operation Desert Shield in late 1990. Equipped with both its internal cameras and high-resolution camera pods, the 117th TRW's RF-4Cs--including 64-1047--were to fly up and down the border, looking into both Iraq and occupied Kuwait to catalog Iraqi forces. Though 1047 did not see actual combat, as the 117th was redeployed home before Desert Storm started, 1047 flew more sorties than any other F-4 in what would become the First Gulf War: 147 missions. When the USAF's RF-4C fleet was retired in 1994, 1047 was preserved because of its unique history: it was one of the few aircraft to fly in both Vietnam and the First Gulf War.
Today, 64-1047 is on display at the National Museum of the USAF, still in its last operational gray camouflage, known as "Egypt One." Its 147 mission total, shown as camels, is carried on the port intake splitter plate. 1047 is also one of the few F-4s to be displayed with nose art, in this case McDonnell Douglas' offical mascot for the Phantom--the "Spook." The aircraft's distinction of having the highest sortie count is recorded on the cooling intake on the nose.
Though the USAF RF-4C fleet was almost always unarmed, the 117th TRW painted its RF-4s that served in Desert Shield with sharkmouths. 64-1047 is likewise shown without armament, aside from an ALQ-119 electronic countermeasures pod displayed in front of the aircraft.