Subject: New Fighter Series--McDonnell F-4 Phantom (27 of 50)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 13 Jun 94 16:58:53 GMT

>From [email-masked]

F-4S was the designation applied to 265 (some sources say 248) F-4Js 
which were upgraded in the mid-1970s.  This program was analogous to 
the *Bee Line* project in which Navy F-4Bs were upgraded to F-4N 
standards.  The major goal of the upgrade was to prolong the life of 
the F-4J so that it could remain in service until replaced by the 
F/A-18 Hornet in Marine Corps service and by the F-14 Tomcat in Navy 
service.  

Major changes included airframe and undercarriage strengthening.  The 
aircraft were stripped and carefully inspected, and where necessary 
they received landing gear and wing/fuselage structural improvements.  
Visible external straps were added to the wing spar to improve the 
structural integrity.  The electrical system was completely rewired, 
and the hydraulic system was replumbed using stainless steel tubing.  

In order to improve the maneuverability, two-position wing 
leading-edge maneuvering slats were fitted to the F-4S, which gave a 
50 percent improvement in combat turning capability in comparison with 
an unslatted F-4J.  These slats operated automatically as a function 
of angle of attack, but they could be overridden from the cockpit.  
The slats came in two sections, one on the outboard part of the fixed 
inner wing and the other on the folding outer wing panel.  Because of 
delays, these slats were not initially fitted to the first 43 F-4Ss, 
but they were later retrofitted.  

The F-4S was fitted with the digital AWG-10B weapons control system 
with new AN/ARC-159 dual UHF radios and an ARN-118 TACAN (but not to 
all F-4Ss).  The ALQ-126 or 126A deceptive electronic countermeasures 
set of the F-4J was retained, with the same short intake antennae 
fairings.  One way that the F-4S could be externally distinguished 
from the earlier F-4N was by the shorter upper intake fairings of the 
S.  

One of the persistent problems with the Phantom was that it tended to 
leave a rather prominent trail of sooty black smoke behind it, making 
it more readily visible to an enemy.  In order to correct this 
problem, the F-4S was fitted with smokeless J79-GE-10B engines with 
low smoke combustors and low-energy ignition.  This same engine was 
also fitted to some F-4Js.  

Low-voltage formation lights were fitted to the sides of the nose, 
mid-fuselage, and tailfin, and staggered cooling ports were fitted 
near the nosewheel well.  

The first F-4S modification (F-4J BuNo 158360) took off on its maiden 
flight on July 22, 1977.  The first F-4S delivered with leading edge 
slats from the start was 155899, which first appeared in November of 
1979.  

First to get the F-4S was VMFA-451, which began to receive unslatted 
planes in June of 1978.  The following Marine Corps units operated the 
F-4S: 

VFMA-112, VFMA-115, VFMA-111, VFMA-134, VFMA-212, VFMA-232, VFMA-235, 
VFMA-251, VFMA-312, VFMA-321, VFMA-333, VFMA-451, and VFMAT-101.  

The first Navy squadron to receive the F-4S was VF-21, based at NAS 
Miramar in California, which began to receive its planes in December 
1979.  The following Navy units eventually received F-4Ss: 

Atlantic Fleet: 
	VF-74, VF-171 

Pacific Fleet: 
	VF-21, VF-121, VF-151, VF-154, VF-161 

Naval Reserve: 
	VF-201, VF-202, VF-301, VF-302.  

Air Development: 
	VX-4 

By the end of American involvement in the Southeast Asia War, the 
Phantom was already beginning to be supplemented by the Grumman F-14 
Tomcat in deployable squadrons aboard the larger carriers.  All 
throughout the remainder of the 1970s and into the early 1980s, the 
Navy progressively replaced its F-4Ss with later equipment in most 
deployable carrier-based squadrons.  The exceptions were six squadrons 
which were assigned to the older and smaller USS *Midway* (CVA-41), 
*Franklin D.  Roosevelt* (CVA-42), and *Coral Sea* (CVA-43), which 
were reequipped with F-4Ns and F-4Ss and soldiered on with these 
planes for a few more years.  However, by 1986, all of the Phantoms 
serving with the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets were gone, the last 
carrier launch of an F-4S having taken place on March 24, 1986 when 
F-4Ss from VF-151 and VF-161 were launched from the USS *Midway* for 
the last time.  No Phantoms served aboard Navy aircraft carriers after 
that time.  

After 1986, F-4Ss served exclusively with shore-based Naval reserve 
units.  However, this service was rather brief.  The last F-4S was 
retired by VF-202 from NAS Dallas on May 14, 1987 (BuNol 155560), 
becoming the Navy's last tactical Phantom II.  VF-202 later reequipped 
with F-14A Tomcats.  By mid-1992, the only Phantoms remaining in Navy 
service were those assigned to the Naval Air Weapons Center for 
operations from NAS China Lake and NAS Point Mugu in California.  

In the late 1980s, Marine Corps units began to phase out its F-4Ss in 
favor of F/A-18As.  In January of 1992, VMFA-112 retired the last F-4S 
from the US Sea Service inventory.  They completed their transition to 
the F/A-18A shortly thereafter.  This was the last Marine Corps unit 
to operate the Phantom, and was, incidentally, also the last naval 
aviation Phantom to serve on active duty, apart from drones.  

At least one F-4S (158358) was converted into a drone configuration 
under the designation QF-4S.  

Serials of F-4Js converted to F-4S: 

153779, 153780, 153714, 153787, 153791, 153792, 153798, 153800, 
153805, 153808, 153809, 153810, 153814, 153818/153821, 153823/153828, 
153832, 153833, 153835,153840, 153842, 153843, 153845, 153847, 153851, 
153853, 153855/153860, 153862, 158364, 153868, 153869, 153872/153874, 
153877, 153879/153882, 153884, 153887, 153889/153891, 153893, 153896, 
153898/153900, 153902/153904, 153907, 153909/153911, 154781, 154782, 
154786, 154788, 155515, 155517/155519, 155521, 155522, 155524, 155525, 
155527, 155528, 155530/155532, 155539, 155541/155545, 155547, 155549, 
155550, 155552, 155555, 155558/155562, 155565/155568, 155570, 155572, 
155573, 155575, 155579, 155731/155733, 155735, 155736, 155739/155741, 
155743, 155745/155747, 155749, 155753, 155754, 155757, 155759, 155761, 
155764/155767, 155769, 155772, 155773, 155779, 155781, 155783, 155784, 
155786, 155787, 155792, 155794, 155801, 155805/155808, 155810, 155812, 
155813, 155818, 155820/155823, 155825, 155827/155830, 155833, 155834, 
155836, 155838/155840, 155845, 155847/155849, 155851, 155854, 155855, 
155858, 155859, 155862/155864, 155869, 155871, 155872, 155874, 155876, 
155878, 155879, 155881, 155883, 155887, 155888, 155890/155893, 
155896/155901, 157242, 157243, 157245, 157246, 157248/157250, 157254, 
157255, 157257, 157259, 157260, 157267/157269, 157272, 157276, 157278, 
157279, 157281/157283, 157287, 157290/157293, 157296/157298, 157301, 
157304, 157305, 157307/157309, 158346, 158348, 158350, 158352/158354, 
158362, 158370, 158372, 158374, 158376.  

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.