Subject: McDonnell F-4 Phantom (11 of 49)

From: [email-masked] (joseph.f.baugher)
Date: 22 May 94 01:20:14 GMT

During the initial design of the Phantom, several proposals had been 
considered for a cannon-armed version.  In fact, the original F3H-E 
proposal was designed around a quartet of 20-mm cannon.  However the 
philosophy of the day was that the air-to-air missile was the wave of 
the future and that the internal gun was an obsolete holdover from an 
bygone era.  Consequently, all Phantoms to reach production had been 
armed exclusively with missiles.  

However, the all-missile fighter had shown some serious drawbacks in 
the initial air-to-air battles over Vietnam.  The earlier Sparrow, 
Falcon, and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles did not perform up to 
expectations.  They were expensive, unreliable, and vulnerable to 
countermeasures.  Many an enemy MiG was able to escape unscathed 
because a Phantom-launched missile malfunctioned and missed its 
target.  The Phantoms could carry a podded cannon mounted on the 
centerline, but it was relatively inaccurate, caused excessive drag 
which reduced the performance of the Phantom carrying it, and took up 
a valuable ordinance/fuel station.  

An initial F-4 variant with an internal M61 cannon had been proposed 
by McDonnell to the USAF in March of 1961, but had met with little 
enthusiasm.  McDonnell began a new design study for a gun-armed 
Phantom in late 1964 and finally got the attention of the Air Force.  
The gun-armed F-4E was finally funded in June of 1965.  It was destined
to be produced in greater numbers than any other single Phantom
variant.

The main difficulty in equipping the Phantom with an internal cannon 
was in finding a place to put it.  The solution was found in using the 
sharper, longer nose of the F-4C reconnaissance version.  The new nose 
was fitted with an AN/APG-30 radar set and an external pod was mounted 
underneath the nose that could carry a single six-barrel 20-mm General 
Electric M61A1 rotary cannon 

The first YRF-4C (62-12200) was modified to test this new arrangement.  
A lead computing gunsight was cannibalized from an Air National Guard 
F-100D.  Flight test instrumentation was carried in a centerline pod.  
Temporarily redesignated YF-4E, the modified aircraft first flew on 
August 7, 1965.  

After 50 flights, the first YF-4E was re-engined with J79-GE-J1B 
engines (prototypes of the -10 and -17 series).  The results with the 
YF-4E were sufficiently encouraging that two other YF-4Es were 
produced by modifying an F-4C (63-7445) and an F-4D (65-0713).  These 
planes had the definitive nose-mounted cannon installation.  The 
second YF-4E had the gun and no radar, but the third had both the gun 
and the radar.  Both aircraft were powered by the J79-GE-J1B engines, 
but both were later re-engined with the definitive J79-GE-17 
powerplant, which required new mounts and additional titanium sheeting 
in the engine bays to accommodate the higher temperatures.  

The severe space constraints in the new nose meant that a new 
ammunition feed system had to be designed for the M61A1 cannon.  In 
addition, the proximity of the gun to the radar set required that very 
effective vibration dampers and noise/blast eliminators had to be 
designed.  

An initial batch of 96 F-4Es was ordered in August 1966 as part of an 
F-4D contract.  The first production F-4E (serial number 66-0284) flew 
on June 30, 1967, R. D. Hunt and Wayne Wight being the crewmembers.  

The gun installation underneath the nose precluded the installation of 
the large radar set that was fitted to the F-4C and F-4D, so the F-4E 
carried the solid-state Westinghouse AN/APQ-120 X-band radar set which 
had a smaller antenna.  However, due to the late delivery of the 
AN/APQ-120 radar, the first 30 F-4Es were delivered without any radar 
at all.  Most were fitted with the new radar when it eventually became 
available.  

The AN/APQ-120 was to have been provided with a Hughes-developed 
coherent on-receive doppler system (CORDS), which it was hoped would 
make it easier to detect low-flying aircraft up against ground 
clutter.  However, this system proved to be so erratic that the 
initial deployment was slipped from the 35th F-4E to the 120th.  
Continued problems caused CORDS to be be cancelled on January 2, 1968.  

The F-4E was to have been fitted with the AN/APS-107 radar homing and 
warning system, but this equipment performed unsatisfactorily and the 
first 67 F-4Es were delivered without any RHAW at all.  

The weight of the gun and its 639-round ammunition drum was 
counterbalanced by fitting an additional 95-gallon fuel tank in the 
rear fuselage, bringing total internal fuel capacity to 1993 gallons.  
One of the two fin-mounted pitots (the upper one) was relocated to the 
extreme nose.  The F-4E retained the semi-recessed AIM-7 Sparrow 
air-to-air missiles and the external store stations of the earlier 
variants.  The engines were a pair of J79-GE-17 engines with an 
afterburning thrust of 17,900 pounds.  In the interest of eliminating 
excess weight, the powered folding wing mechanism of the earlier USAF 
Phantoms was finally eliminated.  Also deleted was the emergency 
ram-air turbine what sat inside a recess on the upper rear fuselage.  

The second production F-4E (66-0285) flew for the first time on 
September 11, 1967.  It differed from 66-0285 by having a slotted 
stabilator.  This slotted stabilator was added in order to give 
greater tailplane effectiveness, helping to counteract the increased 
weight in the nose.  The second production F-4E also introduced the 
long "turkey feather" afterburner, which became a trademark of the 
F-4E.  As the first fully aerodynamic representative F-4E, 66-0285 was 
earmarked for spin testing.  

The third F-4E (66-0286) was delivered to Nellis AFB in Nevada on 
October 2, 1967 for service testing.  

At Block 31, a stall warning system was added.  

It turned out that the elimination of the emergency ram-air turbine 
was a mistake, and some sort of emergency power source was needed in 
case of engine failure.  Consequently, starting with Block 40 
(68-0452), an auxiliary power unit was added underneath the 
stabilator.  

Starting with Block 41 (68-0495 and beyond), the fuselage bladders were
replaced by self-sealing fuel tanks.  This reduced internal fuselage
fuel capacity from 1364 to 1225 US gallons.  

Starting with Block 42, the more advanced AN/APR-36/37 radar and 
homing warning system was fitted.  This was a more comprehensive set 
than the troublesome APS-107, and was served by four flat, circular, 
spiral receiving antenna, one on each side of the extreme end of the 
rear fuselage facing aft and one at the front of each wingtip facing 
forward.  

At block 48 (72-0237), the main wingbox was given thicker lower skins, 
with the steel reinforcing strap previously required being deleted.  A 
Northrop-designed ASX-1 target identification system, electro-optical 
(TISEO) target acquisition and tracking sensor was added in a pod 
carried on the inner left wing leading edge.  The ASN-63 inertial 
navigation system, the ASQ-91 weapons release computer, and the 
ASN-46A analog navigation computer set were deleted.  The ASG-26 lead 
computing optical gunsight was improved and made easier to use, with 
weapons control switches and displays made easier to read.  

The most significant change at 71-0237 was the replacement of the 
blown leading-edge wing droops of earlier Phantoms by slats.  This was 
done in the interest of obtaining enhanced combat maneuverability, 
which had been one of the Phantom's weak points.  The outer leading 
edge slats were were driven by a hydraulic jack and terminated in a 
large "dogtooth" at the inboard end where the wing folding joint had 
once been.  Immediately downstream of the dogtooth edge was a small 
wing fence.  The inboard wing was also fitted with powered slats which 
terminated about three feet from the root.  The inner 3 feet of the 
leading edge were fixed.  

The first production F-4E to be fitted with slats was 71-0237, but the 
first to actually fly with slats was 71-0238 which made its maiden 
flight on February 11, 1972.  The addition of these slats greatly 
enhanced the maneuvering performance, and the USAF decided to retrofit 
earlier F-4Es with these slats.  The USAF ordered the first slat 
modification kits in April of 1972, and the first retrofitted F-4E 
(serial number 69-7524) flew on September 28, 1972.  304 earlier 
production block F-4Es were retrofitted with these slats, which 
included just about every surviving F-4E except for those serving with 
the *Thunderbirds*.  

Beginning with Block 54, high-performance antenna and coaxial cables 
were added, and on Block 56, the AN/APR-36/37 system was replaced by the  
Itek AN/ALR-46 RHAWS with fast digital processing capabilitiy and a 
cockpit display plus automatic control of jamming assets.  It had a 
programmable processor which could respond to new threats as they came 
along.  At about the same time, all F-4Es were wired to be able to 
take two electronic jammer pods (which were usually the Westinghouse 
ALQ-131) and were fitted with an AN/APX-80 IFF transponder and were 
given the capability of carrying an optional removable strike camera 
in the left front Sparrow slot.  

Blocks 53 and beyond introduced the Mk III anti-skid brake system, a 
gunsight camera, the capability to launch the Maverick air-to-surface 
missile, and the J79-GE-17C or -17E with a low-smoke combustor.  
Earlier Phantoms had the annoying habit of leaving a trail of black 
smoke behind them, making them easier to spot by enemy gunners on the 
ground.  

At about the same time, the gun installation underwent a major design.  
>From the beginning, the sheer power of the muzzle blast and the 
highly-explosive gun gases had created severe problems for the design 
team.  With the original gun muzzle design, the F-4E often experienced 
engine flameout problems caused by ingestion of gun gases into the 
engine intakes.  In addition, the shape of the muzzle often produced a 
loud whistle which could be heard on the ground long before the 
approaching aircraft actually appeared.  These problems were 
eventually cured by adding a long blast diffuser to each of the six 
barrels, joined to the barrel by a stripper diffuser which ejected 
most of the gun gas sideways and also decelerated and cooled the 
blast.  A ram inlet was fitted above the forward fuselage to blast 
fresh air through the gun compartments.  This inlet opened during gun 
firing and remained open for 30 seconds after the gun stopped firing.  
In addition, a "derichment system" was added which was triggered by 
the gun-firing circuit and enabled either engine to dump gas-enriched 
air overboard before it could enter the engine compressor and cause 
stalls or flameouts.  These modifications came to be known as the 
"Midas 4".  These modifications were introduced from Block 48 onward 
and were retrofitted to earlier blocks.  Externally, the modified 
Midas 4 update could be recognized by a distinct projection protruding 
out in front of the gun compartment which extended forward underneath 
the radome.  

The AVQ-23A/B *Pave Spike* laser target designator and rangefinder 
system was fitted to several later F-4Es and was retrofitted to some 
earlier F-4Es.  Also retrofitted was the AN/AVQ-26 *Pave Tack* 
infrared/laser target designator, as well as the previously-mentioned 
AN/ASX-1 electro-optical target identification system.  180 F-4Es were 
retrofitted with the Lear Siegler AN/ARN-101(V) digital 
navigational/attack system starting in the autumn of 1977.  Aircraft 
carrying this system could be distinguished by the presence of a 
"doghouse" antenna and blade antennae on the fuselage spine.   

The AVQ-26 *Pave Tack* pod was the first laser designation system designed 
to provide the capability of autonomous delivery of laser guided bombs 
at night.  It was originally planned to equip 180 F-4Es with this 
system, but because of delays and development problems the actual 
number equipped was substantially lower.  The pod was too large to be 
fully compatible with the F-4E, and it had to be carried on the 
centerline station, replacing the 600-gallon external fuel tank and 
taking up valuable bomb-carriage space.  

The F-4E stayed in production for twelve years, and was built for more 
air forces and in larger numbers than any other Phantom variant.  A 
total of 1387 F-4Es were built before production came to an end.  993 
of these machines were intended for the USAF, with the remaining 394 
being delivered new to foreign customers.  24 USAF F-4Es were taken from 
store and loaned to foreign customers, and 191 were passed on to 
foreign customers from USAF stocks.  The last F-4E (an F-4E intended 
for Korea) left the production line at McDonnell on October 25, 1979.  
This brought domestic production of the Phantom to an end.  

993 F-4Es were built for the USAF.  Included in this total are 10 
F-4E-63-MCs purchased by Germany for use in a joint US/German training 
program at George AFB in California, plus 58 "payback" F-4E-60-MC to 
62-MCs acquired as replacements for aircraft that were hastily 
transferred by the USAF to Israel during the Yom Kippur War of October 
1973.  

The USAF's *Thunderbirds* flight demonstration team re-equipped with 
the F-4E in June of 1969.  The machines that it received were modified 
early production F-4Es, and were among the few not to be retrofitted 
with maneuvering slats.  The planes were stripped of their guns and 
APQ-120 radar, which were replaced by storage bins and ballast.  Gun 
vents were faired over and a strip navigation antenna was provided, 
along with glidescope and VHF.  Four dummy Sparrow missile shapes were 
installed in the under-fuselage slots, these dummy missiles serving as 
oil and dye tanks.  These F-4Es served with the *Thunderbirds* until 
1974, when the energy crunch that took place as an aftermath of the 
Yom Kippur War caused them to be replaced by the more fuel efficient 
Northrop T-38 Talon two-seat trainer.  

The first F-4Es reached the Southeast Asia theatre in November of 
1968, equipping the 469th TFS at Korat in Thailand.  Six more F-4E 
squadrons deployed to Vietnam and Thailand in 1972 in response to the 
North Vietnamese invasion of the South in the spring of 1972.  

The F-4E was credited with 21 MiG kills during the war.  10 of these 
were brought down by Sparrows, five with gunfire, four with 
Sidewinders, one with a combination of Sidewinder and gunfire, and one 
while maneuvering (no weapons being fired).  However, most combat 
missions flown in Vietnam by the F-4E were ground-attack missions.  

Beginning in 1975, 116 F-4E-42-MC through -45-MCs were converted to 
F-4G Wild Weasel defense suppression aircraft.  These will be 
discussed in a later article.  

The F-4E began be supplanted in USAF frontline units by the newer F-15 
starting in 1975 and by the F-16 starting in 1979.  With the USAF in 
Europe, the last F-4Es were with the 52nd TFW at Spangdahlem in 
Germany which re-equipped with F-16s in 1978.  The last two F-4E 
squadrons in the Pacific theatre were converted to F-16C/Ds in 1989.  
The TAC kept its F-4Es a bit longer, not relinquishing its machines 
until the early 1990s.  

The 334th TFS/4th TFW based at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina 
was the last active duty USAF unit to give up its Phantom fighters, 
trading in its F-4Es for F-15E Strike Eagles on December 28, 1990.  

The following Air Force units operated the F-4E: 

1st TFW 
3rd TFW 
4th TFW 
15th TFW 
21st TFW 
31st TFW 
32nd TFS 
33rd TFW 
35th TFW 
36th TFW 
37th TFW 
49th TFW 
50th TFW 
51st FIW 
52nd TFW 
54th TFW 
56th TFW 
57th Fighter Weapons Wing 
56th FIS 
86th TFW 
354th TFW 
366th TFW 
388th TFW 
405th FW 
432nd TFW 
3274th Test Squadron 
4485th Test Squadron 
4425th Fighter Weapons Wing 
4531th TFW 

By the time of *Desert Storm* in January 1991, all F-4Es had been 
withdrawn from active duty USAF units, having been passed along to 
foreign customers or placed in storage.  Nevertheless, a handful of 
*Pave Tack* capable F-4Es flew with the 7440th Composite Wing based at 
Incirlik AFB in Turkey, operating against targets in northwestern 
Iraq.  

Two Air Force Reserve squadrons received F-4Es.  These were the 457th 
TFS of the 201th TFW, which received F-4Es in 1987, and the 704th TFS 
of the 924th TFG, receiving F-4Es in 1989.  Both of these squadrons 
traded in their F-4Es for F-16A/B fighters in 1991.  

F-4Es began to reach the Air National Guard in 1985, the aircraft 
having been former USAF planes which had been removed from active 
service.  The following ANG squadrons were equipped with F-4Es.  

110th TFS, 131st TFW, Missouri ANG 
113th TFS, 181st TFG, Indiana ANG 
141st TFS, 108th TFW, New Jersey ANG 
163rd TFS, 122nd TFW, Indiana ANG 
196th TFS, 163rd TFG, California ANG 

Service of the F-4E with the ANG was relatively brief, the type 
beginning to be supplanted by later equipment in 1990.  The last F-4E 
left Guard service in 1991, when the 113th TFS of the Missouri ANG 
converted to F-16C/D fighters.  This outfit was the last ANG squadron 
to operate F-4 fighters of any type, although a few RF-4C 
reconnaissance aircraft and F-4G SAM suppression aircraft do remain 
currently flying with other ANG units.  

394 F-4Es were built new for export customers (including 86 F-4Es for 
Israel which were funded by the United States under Foreign Military 
Sales contracts and given USAF serial numbers for contractual 
purposes).  This made the F-4E the most widely exported version of the 
Phantom.  The export F-4Es were "de-nuclearized"--that is, they were 
delivered without the capability of arming or delivering "special 
stores" (i.e., nuclear weapons).  In addition, substantial numbers of 
ex-USAF F-4Es were transferred to foreign air forces following their 
withdrawal from front-line service.  

The Turk Hava Kuvvetleri of Turkey ordered 40 F-4Es from McDonnell in 
fiscal year 1973 as part of its commitment to NATO.  32 more were 
ordered in fiscal year 1977.  All of these aircraft were assigned USAF 
serial numbers for contractual purposes, although they never actually 
flew in USAF markings.  As "payment" for its support during *Desert 
Storm*, Turkey received 40 F-4Es drown from the 110th TFS, the 141st 
TFS, the 457th TFS, and the 35th Fighter Wing.  Some were delivered 
equipped with *Pave Spike*.  Turkey remains a major user of the Phantom.

The Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia (Royal Hellenic Air Force) of Greece 
ordered its first F-4Es in 1971.  46 of these were new builds ordered 
directly from McDonnell, but additional F-4Es were acquired from 
ex-USAF stocks.  Like Turkey, Greece remains a major Phantom user.

The Republic of Korea Air Force ordered 37 F-4Es from McDonnell, 
receiving the first examples in 1978.  The last of these, 78-0744, was 
the the 5068th and last Phantom to be built in the USA.  The US 
offered 24 surplus F-4Es in 1988 and 30 in 1989, but probably only the 
latter batch was actually delivered.  Some Korean F-4Es are equipped 
to carry the AN/AVQ-26 *Pave Tack* laser designator pod.  The ROK
Air Force's Phantoms could be in action once again if the Korean
situation heats up.

The Shah of Iran had ambitious plans of making his country the 
dominant military power in the Persian Gulf region.  In pursuit of 
this aim, his government ordered 208 F-4Es from McDonnell.  A total of 
177 F-4Es were delivered to the Imperial Iranian Air Force before the 
Shah fled and the Islamic fundamentalist revolution took over the 
country.  The new Islamic Republic of Iran immediately began to assume 
an anti-Western stance, and the US government placed an embargo on 
further arms deliveries to Iran on February 28, 1979, and the 
remaining 31 F-4Es on the contract were never delivered.  The embargo 
caused a severe spare parts and maintenance problem, and when Iraq 
attacked Iran in September of 1980, only 40 percent of the Iranian 
Phantom fleet was operational.  Losses during the first 9 months of 
the war were estimated to be 60 Phantoms, with many more being out of 
action due to cannibalization.  Exactly how many F-4Es remain flying 
in Iran is uncertain.  

Israel had always been interested in acquiring the Phantom for the 
IDF/AF, but its early overtures had always been rebuffed.  However, an 
embargo imposed by France against arms deliveries to Israel and the 
increasing flow of Soviet-block arms to Israel's Arab neighbors led US 
authorities to change their minds.  The sale of F-4Es to Israel was 
first approved in principle by President Lyndon Johnson on January 7, 
1968.  This approval led to much controversy, and proposed Phantom 
deliveries to Israel played a role in the political campaigns that 
took place in the USA during the spring and summer of 1968.  In fact, 
Robert Kennedy's statement of support for the Phantom delivery to 
Israel may have played a role in his assassination.  The IDF/AF 
finally received its first Phantoms in September of 1969.  The Israeli 
Phantoms were almost immediately to see action, and played a major 
role in the "War of Attrition" with Egypt that took place between 1969 
and 1971.  The Phantom played a key role in the Yom Kippur War of 
1973, and losses to Egyptian and Syrian ground-based SAMs were quite 
heavy.  The heavy rate of Phantom losses led to an emergency transfer 
in October of 1973 of between 36 and 40 USAF F-4Es to Israel in 
Operation *Nickel Grass*.  Many of these planes were combat veterans 
from Vietnam and they were immediately sent to the front.  A further 
48 Phantoms were delivered to Israel between 1974 and 1976.  

Israel received a total of approximately 220 F-4E Phantoms (the exact 
number is uncertain) between 1969 and 1976.  Israeli F-4Es have been 
subjected to numerous field modifications to improve their operational 
capability.  Among these were the fitting of a non-retractable 
refuelling probe, provision for carrying the Shafrir and Python 
air-to-air missiles and the Gabriel air-to-surface missile, the 
replacement of the 20-mm M61A1 cannon by a pair of 30-mm DEFA cannon, 
and the installation of a FLIR sensor.  

A total of 116 air-to-air combat victories have been claimed by 
Israeli F-4Es in various conflicts, ranging from the 1969 War of 
Attrition to the 1982 incursion into Lebanon.  There have been at 
least 55 combat losses that the IDF/AF has admitted to, in addition to 
normal peacetime attrition.  By the time of the 1982 Lebanon 
incursion, the F-4E had been largely supplanted in the fighter role by 
F-15s and F-16s, and had been relegated to attack.  However, some 120 
Israeli Phantoms are still in service.  

Following the Camp David agreement between Egypt and Israel, Egypt has 
received some 36 ex-USAF F-4Es.  Many Egyptian pilots who had flown 
MiG-21s transitioned to their erstwile opponent.  The Egyptian pilots 
had a difficult time adapting to the Phantom, and Egypt had for a 
while seriously considered disposing of its Phantoms and selling them 
to Turkey.  In the end, Egypt decided to keep its Phantoms.  

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operated 24 F-4Es which were 
delivered as temporary substitutes for the General Dynamics F-111C, 
which had been ordered by Australia but had been delayed by a series 
of technical problems.  The first examples arrived in Australia in 
September of 1970, and the last Australian F-4E was returned to the 
USA in June 1973, at which time deliveries of F-111Cs to the RAAF 
began to get under way.  

Following the completion of its test program, the first YF-4E 
(62-12200) was selected for use as a fly-by-wire control system 
testbed.  Known as the Precision Aircraft Control Technology (PACT) 
demonstrator, it made its first flight on April 29, 1972.  It made its 
first all-FBW flight on January 22, 1973.  It was later rebuilt for 
Control Configured Vehicle (CCV) research with large canard tailplanes 
mounted on the upper edges of the air intakes.  It made its first 
flight in the new configuration on April 29, 1974.  Lead ballast was 
added to the rear fuselage to move the center of gravity aft and to 
destabilize the aircraft in pitch.  On December 5, 1978, it was 
donated to the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, 
where it is now on display.  

Serials of the F-4E Phantom:

66-0284/0297 		McDonnell F-4E-31-MC Phantom
66-0298/0338 		McDonnell F-4E-32-MC Phantom
66-0339/0382 		McDonnell F-4E-33-MC Phantom
67-0208/0219		McDonnell F-4E-33-MC Phantom
67-0220/0282		McDonnell F-4E-34-MC Phantom
67-0283/0341		McDonnell F-4E-35-MC Phantom
67-0342/0398		McDonnell F-4E-36-MC Phantom
68-0303/0365		McDonnell F-4E-37-MC Phantom
68-0366/0395		McDonnell F-4E-38-MC Phantom
68-0396/0399		McDonnell F-4E-38-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
68-0400/0409		McDonnell F-4E-38-MC Phantom
68-0410/0413		McDonnell F-4E-39-MC Phantom
68-0414/0417		McDonnell F-4E-39-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
68-0418/0433		McDonnell F-4E-39-MC Phantom
68-0434/0437		McDonnell F-4E-39-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
68-0438/0451		McDonnell F-4E-39-MC Phantom
68-0452/0453		McDonnell F-4E-40-MC Phantom
68-0454/0457		McDonnell F-4E-40-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
68-0458/0468		McDonnell F-4E-40-MC Phantom
68-0469/0472		McDonnell F-4E-40-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
68-0473/0483		McDonnell F-4E-40-MC Phantom
68-0484/0487		McDonnell F-4E-40-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
68-0488/0494		McDonnell F-4E-40-MC Phantom
68-0495/0498		McDonnell F-4E-41-MC Phantom
68-0499/0502		McDonnell F-4E-41-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
68-0503/0518		McDonnell F-4E-41-MC Phantom
68-0519/0525		McDonnell F-4E-41-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
68-0526/0538		McDonnell F-4E-41-MC Phantom
68-0539/0547		McDonnell F-4E-41-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
69-0236/0303		McDonnell F-4E-42-MC Phantom
69-0304/0307		McDonnell F-4E-43-MC Phantom
69-7201/7260		McDonnell F-4E-43-MC Phantom
69-7261/7273		McDonnell F-4E-44-MC Phantom
69-7286/7303		McDonnell F-4E-44-MC Phantom
69-7546/7578		McDonnell F-4E-44-MC Phantom
69-7579/7589		McDonnell F-4E-45-MC Phantom
69-7590/7595		McDonnell F-4E-45-MC Phantom  (for Israel AF)
69-7711/7726		McDonnell F-4E-46-MC Phantom
69-7727/7742		McDonnell F-4E-47-MC Phantom  (for Iranian AF)
71-0224/0247		McDonnell F-4E-48-MC Phantom
71-1070/1093		McDonnell F-4E-49-MC Phantom
71-1094/1101		McDonnell F-4E-51-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
71-1102/1115		McDonnell F-4E-52-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
71-1116/1129		McDonnell F-4E-53-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
71-1130/1142		McDonnell F-4E-54-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
71-1143/1152		McDonnell F-4E-55-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
71-1153/1166		McDonnell F-4E-56-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
71-1391/1402		McDonnell F-4E-50-MC Phantom
71-1779/1786		McDonnell F-4E-51-MC Phantom   (for Israel AF)
71-1787/1793		McDonnell F-4E-52-MC Phantom   (for Israel AF)
71-1794/1796		McDonnell F-4E-53-MC Phantom   (for Israel AF)
72-0121/0138		McDonnell F-4E-50-MC Phantom
72-0139/0144		McDonnell F-4E-51-MC Phantom
72-0157/0159		McDonnell F-4E-51-MC Phantom
72-0160/0165		McDonnell F-4E-52-MC Phantom
72-0166/0168		McDonnell F-4E-53-MC Phantom
72-1407			McDonnell F-4E-53-MC Phantom
72-1476/1489		McDonnell F-4E-54-MC Phantom
72-1490/1497		McDonnell F-4E-55-MC Phantom
72-1498/1499		McDonnell F-4E-56-MC Phantom
72-1500/1507		McDonnell F-4E-54-MC Phantom   (for Greek AF)
72-1508/1523		McDonnell F-4E-55-MC Phantom   (for Greek AF)
72-1524/1535		McDonnell F-4E-56-MC Phantom   (for Greek AF)
73-1016/1027		McDonnell F-4E-56-MC Phantom   (for Turkish AF)
73-1028/1042		McDonnell F-4E-57-MC Phantom   (for Turkish AF)
73-1043/1055		McDonnell F-4E-58-MC Phantom   (for Turkish AF)
73-1157/1164		McDonnell F-4E-57-MC Phantom
73-1165/1184		McDonnell F-4E-58-MC Phantom
73-1185/1204		McDonnell F-4E-59-MC Phantom
73-1519/1534		McDonnell F-4E-57-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
73-1535/1549		McDonnell F-4E-58-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
73-1550/1554		McDonnell F-4E-59-MC Phantom   (for Iranian AF)
74-0643/0666		McDonnell F-4E-60-MC Phantom
74-1014/1015		McDonnell F-4E-60-MC Phantom   (for Israel AF)
74-1016/1021		McDonnell F-4E-61-MC Phantom   (for Israel AF)
74-1022/1037		McDonnell F-4E-62-MC Phantom   (for Israel AF)
74-1038/1049		McDonnell F-4E-60-MC Phantom
74-1050/1061		McDonnell F-4E-61-MC Phantom
74-1618/1619		McDonnell F-4E-60-MC Phantom   (for Greek AF)
74-1620/1637		McDonnell F-4E-61-MC Phantom
74-1638/1653		McDonnell F-4E-62-MC Phantom
75-0222/0257		McDonnell F-4E-63-MC Phantom	(for Iranian AF)
75-0628/0637		McDonnell F-4E-63-MC Phantom	(USAF/Luftwaffe)
76-0493/0511		McDonnell F-4E-64-MC Phantom 	(for ROK AF)
77-0277/0300		McDonnell F-4E-65-MC Phantom	(for Turkish AF)
77-0301/0308		McDonnell F-4E-66-MC Phantom	(for Turkish AF)
77-1743/1750		McDonnell F-4E-65-MC Phantom	(for Greek AF)
77-1751/1760		McDonnell F-4E-66-MC Phantom	(for Greek AF)
78-0727/0744		McDonnell F-4E-67-MC Phantom   	(for ROK AF)

Specification of the F-4E Phantom:

Two General Electric J79-GE-17 turbojets, 11,870 lb.s.t dry, 17,900 
lb.s.t. with afterburner.  Maximum speed 1430 mph at 36,000 feet 
(Mach 2.21), 914 mph at sea level (Mach 1.19).  Cruising speed 585 
mph.  Landing speed 158 mph.  Inital climb rate 61,400 feet per 
minute.  Service ceiling 62,250 feet.  Combat ceiling 59,600 feet.  
Combat range 595 miles, maximum range 1885 miles with maximum external 
fuel.  29,535 pounds empty, 40,562 pounds gross, 38,019 pounds combat 
weight, 61,651 pounds maximum takeoff weight.  Wingspan 38 feet 5 
inches, wing area 530 square feet, length 63 feet 0 inches, height 16 
feet 6 inches.  Maximum internal fuel in the fuselage tanks was 1364 
US gallons (up to block 40) or 1225 US gallons (block 41 and beyond).  
An additional 630 gallons of fuel could be carried in internal tanks 
inside the wings.  Maximum external fuel load was 600 US gallons in a 
centerline tank that could be carried underneath the fuselage plus 370 
US gallons in each of two tanks that could be carried underneath the 
outer underwing pylons, bringing total fuel load to 3334 US gallons 
(up to block 40) or 3195 US gallons (block 41 and beyond).  Armament 
consisted of a single 20-mm M61A1 cannon with 639 rounds in an 
undernose gondola, plus four AIM-7 Sparrow semi-active radar homing 
air-to-air missiles in semi-recessed slots in the fuselage belly and 
two to four AIM-9 Sidewinder infra-red homing air-to-air missiles 
carried under the wings on the inboard pylons.  A total offensive load 
of up to 16,000 pounds could be carried on the centerline and four 
underwing hardpoints.  

Sources:

  McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume II, Rene J.
  Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1990.

  McDonnell F-4 Phantom: Spirit in the Skies.  Airtime Publishing, 1992.

  Modern Air Combat, Bill Gunston and Mike Spick, Crescent, 1983.

  The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.

  United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and
  Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

  The Fury of Desert Storm--The Air Campaign, Bret Kinzey, McGraw-
  Hill, 1991.

  Post-World War II Fighters: 1945-1973, Marcelle Size Knaac,
  Office of Air Force History, 1986.

  The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft Armament, Bill Gunston,
  Orion, 1988. 

  The World's Great Attack Aircraft, Gallery, 1988.

Joe Baugher			**************************************
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