Subject: New Fighter Series--McDonnell F-4 Phantom (24 of 49)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 13 Jun 94 16:58:46 GMT

>From [email-masked]

The F-4M was the version of the Phantom intended for the Royal Air 
Force.  In February 1965, the RAF followed the lead of the Royal Navy 
and selected the Spey-powered F-4M, which was designated Phantom FGR 
Mk. 2 in RAF service.  The "FGR" meant Fighter, Ground attack and 
Reconnaissance, which were to be the roles to be fulfilled by the 
aircraft.  It was intended as a replacement for the Hawker Hunter in 
both the ground attack and fighter reconnaissance roles.  

Originally, the replacement for the Hunter was to have been the Hawker 
Siddeley P.1154 Mach 2 V/STOL fighter, which was to have been built in 
both shipboard and land-based versions.  The Royal Navy backed out of 
the P.1154 project in February of 1964, leaving the RAF to go it 
alone.  When the Labour government was elected in October of 1964, one 
of the first acts of the new Prime Minister Harold Wilson was to 
question whether Britain really needed or could afford such an 
expensive military aircraft as the P.1154.  On February 2, 1965, the 
government cancelled the P.1154 project altogether, leaving the RAF 
with no Hunter replacement.  The RAF had expressed an interest in the 
McDonnell Phantom as far back as January of 1964, at the same time 
that the Royal Navy was considering its own version of the Phantom 
which eventually emerged as the F-4K.  Anticipating that the RAF would 
eventually be able to follow up its interest in the Phantom with some 
hard cash, the McDonnell design team began to develop a version 
specifically for the RAF under the US designation F-4M.  On February 
9, 1965, the RAF followed the Royal Navy's lead and announced that 
they had selected the Phantom as the successor to the Hunter.  On July 
1, 1965 it was announced that agreement had been reached on the 
initial production batch for the RAF--two YF-4Ms and 38 F-4Ms.  At 
that time, it was stipulated that the RAF would ultimately want to 
acquire 200 F-4Ms.  The order was soon reduced to 150, but the final 
32 planes on the order were cancelled before they could be delivered.  

The RAF Phantom, like the Royal Navy version, was powered by a pair of 
Spey 202/203 turbofans.  The RAF preferred the cheaper and proven J79 
turbojet for its Phantom, but political considerations dictated the 
choice of a British-designed engine.  The US designation for the RAF 
Phantom was F-4M, with the RAF designation being Phantom FGR.Mk 2.  

The F-4M differed from the Royal Navy version in having a 
Ferranti-built AN/AWG-12 fire control system (a license-built version 
of the Westinghouse AN/AWG-10 fitted to the US Navy F-4J) interfaced 
with a Ferranti inertial navigational and attack system (originally 
developed for the abortive TSR.2).  The RAF version lacked the slotted 
stabilators, the double-extensible nose leg, and the aileron droop of 
the naval variant.  The F-4M was fitted with anti-skid brakes for 
safer operations on wet or short runways.  Like the F-4K, the F-4M was 
not equipped with an internal cannon.  However, unlike the F-4K, the 
F-4M was compatible with the SUU-16/A and SUU-23/A gun pods.  The 
basic armament consisted of four Sparrow air-to-air missiles carried 
in underfuselage slots, plus two to four Sidewinder air-to-air 
missiles carried underneath the inboard underwing pylons..  Since the 
F-4M was not intended to be launched from carriers, it lacked the 
prominent stabilator incidence indicator that was fitted to the rear 
fuselage of the F-4K.  The F-4M was otherwise externally almost 
identical to the Royal Navy F-4K.  

Numerous subsystems for the RAF Phantom were manufactured in Britain.  
BAC built aft fuselages, fins, rudders, tailcones, stabilators, and 
inboard wing leading edges.  Delaney Gallay built heat exchangers and 
titanium insulation blankets.  The UK branch of Goodyear built the 
brakes, subcontracting the anti-skid system to Dunlop.  Ferranti 
manufactured the fire control system and the inertial navigation 
system.  Marconi built the fuel flow meters, the fuel gauge, the 
autopilot, and the ASN-46 navigational computer (under license from 
Bendix) 

The first of two YF-4Ms (XT852 and XT853) flew at St Louis on February 
17, 1967.  XT852 was then transferred to Holloman AFB in New Mexico 
for trials.  XT853 was transferred to NAS Patuxent River in Maryland.  

The production F-4M differed only in detail from the YF-4M.  A total 
of 116 production Phantom FGR.Mk 2s were delivered to the RAF.  The 
first F-4M to reach Britain was XT891, which arrived at Yeovilton on 
July 18, 1968.  Two days later, it was transferred to No. 23 
Maintenance Unit at Aldergrove in Northern Ireland.  115 more F-4Ms 
were delivered to the same unit.  The last example (XV501) was 
delivered on October 29, 1969.  However, repairs to XV434 (which had 
been damaged during an earlier accident) delayed its delivery until 
June 16, 1970.  

The initial plans were for the Phantom FGR.Mk 2 to serve in the 
strike/attack role pending the availability of the Anglo-French 
SEPECAT Jaguar.  When the Jaguar eventually did become available, the 
Phantom would switch over to the air defense role and would replace 
the BAC Lightning in service.  

The first Phantom FGR Mk.2s were handed over to No 228 Operational 
Conversion Unit at RAF Coningsby in August of 1968.  The first 
operational squadron was No. 6, which was formed at RAF Coningsby in 
May of 1969.  The Phantom FGR.Mk 2 replaced that unit's ageing 
Canberra B.Mk. 16s.  Subsequently, Phantom FGR 2s were operated by 
Nos.  6 and 54 Squadrons of Air Support Command, Nos 23, 29, 56, and 
111 Squadrons of Strike Command, and Nos. 14, 17, 19, 31, and 92 
Squadrons based in Germany.  They served in the ground attack and air 
defense roles.  In the tactical reconnaissance role, FGR Mk 2s were 
operated by No 2 Squadron in Germany and by No 41 Squadron of the Air 
Support Command.  

The F-4M could carry the SNEB rocket pod, the 1000-pound bomb, the 
BL755 cluster bomb unit, and it could also carry nuclear weapons.  
When used in the reconnaissance role, the F-4M could carry the EMI 
special pod which housed cameras, infrared linescan, and side-looking 
radar.  This unit had mapping and moving target indication 
capabilities and could carry a variety of optical cameras.  

In the mid-1970s, the SEPECAT Jaguar began to become available, and 
Phantom-equipped ground attack squadrons began to relinquish their 
planes and convert to the new Anglo-French plane.  The Phantoms were 
now available for the air defense role, supplanting the BAe Lightning 
which was in the process of being retired from service.  Beginning in 
1975, the changeover to air defense roles was accompanied by the 
addition of Marconi ARI.18228 radar warning receiver antennae in a 
fintop pod.  In the air-defense role, the armament typically consisted 
of four AIM-7E2 Sparrow radar homing missiles, two AIM-9G Sidewinder 
infrared homing missiles, and an optional SUU-23/A gun pod.  The 
Sparrow gave way to the BAe Sky Flash in 1979 and the AIM-9G yielded 
to the AIM-9L in the early 1980s.  The BAe Sky Flash is a semiactive 
radar-homing missile with a launch weight of 425 pounds and an 
effective range of about 30 miles.  The 66-pound high-explosive 
warhead is triggered by an EMI active-radar fuse.  

The RAF Phantom did not participate in the Falkland/Malvinas conflict 
of 1981.  However, RAF Phantoms began operating out of Port Stanley 
Airport in the Falkland Islands in 1982 following their recapture from 
Argentina.  In order to compensate NATO for the diversion of these 
aircraft to the Falklands, Britain purchased 15 ex-US Navy F-4Js for 
use in Europe.  They retained their J79 engines and their American 
avionics.  They were assigned the designation F-4J(UK) rather than the 
more logical "Phantom F.Mk 3" so that they would not be confused with 
the Tornado F.Mk 3.  RAF serials were ZE350-ZE364.  

>From 1987 onward, 75 Phantom FGR.Mk 2s received new BAe-built outer 
wing panels in order to extend their fatigue lives.  

During the late 1980s, Phantom-equipped interceptor squadrons began to 
be re-equipped with Tornado F.Mk 3s.  The last two Phantom-equipped 
interceptor squadrons were disbanded in the second half of 1991.  The 
Falkland-based No. 1435 flight exchanged its Phantoms for Tornadoes 
in mid 1992.  Nos 56 and 74 Squadrons based at Wattisham disbanded in 
the fall of 1992, bringing the era of Phantom service with the RAF to 
an end.  

A total of 32 Phantom FGR.Mk 2s were lost in accidents.  

XT899, the last Phantom at Wildenrath, is now on display at the Czech 
Air Force Museum.  

RAF serials of Phantom FGR Mk.2: 

XT852-XT853 	McDonnell YF-4M-29-MC Phantom 
XT891-XT895	McDonnell F-4M-31-MC Phantom 
XT896-XT906 	McDonnell F-4M-32-MC Phantom 
XT907-XT914 	McDonnell F-4M-33-MC Phantom 
XT915-XT928 	transferred to following batch 
XV393-XV398 	McDonnell F-4M-33-MC Phantom 
XV399-XV417 	McDonnell F-4M-34-MC Phantom 
XV418-XV436 	McDonnell F-4M-35-MC Phantom 
XV437-XV442 	McDonnell F-4M-36-MC Phantom 
XV460-XV475 	McDonnell F-4M-36-MC Phantom 
XV476-XV495 	McDonnell F-4M-37-MC Phantom 
XV496-XV501 	McDonnell F-4M-38-MC Phantom 
XV520-XV551 	McDonnell F-4M Phantom - order cancelled 

Specification of F-4M Phantom FGR.Mk. 2: 

Two Rolls-Royce RB-168-25R Mk.202/203 Spey turbofans, 12,250 lb.s.t 
dry, 20,515 lb.s.t. with afterburner.  Maximum speed 1386 mph at 
40,000 feet (Mach 2.07), Inital climb rate 32,000 feet per minute.  
Service ceiling 60,000 feet.  Combat range 1000 miles, maximum range 
1750 miles with maximum external fuel.  31,000 pounds empty, 52,400 
pounds loaded, 56,000 pounds maximum takeoff weight.  Wingspan 38 feet 
5 inches, wing area 530 square feet, length 57 feet 7 inches, height 
16 feet 1 inches.  Maximum internal fuel in the fuselage tanks was 
1347 US gallons.  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 3317 US gallons.  Armament consisted of 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 Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft Armament, Bill Gunston,
  Orion, 1988. 

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

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