In 1963, as Soviet Tu-95 bombers pushed NATO response times to mere minutes, Britain faced a critical defense gap.
Budget constraints left the Royal Navy without a modern fighter capable of intercepting threats at supersonic speeds.
Facing being outdone by the Soviets, a desperate Britain did the unthinkable: they turned to a foreign warplane for a solution.The American McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II caught their eye.
A Vietnam veteran boasting Mach 2.2 speed, cutting-edge avionics, and staggering 18,000-pound payload capacity.
But for the nation that had produced the Spitfire and Harrier, simply adopting the Phantom wasnt enough they aimed to perfect it.The F-4K Phantom FG.1 was born, a distinctly British interpretation of American muscle.
At its core roared all-new Rolls-Royce Spey Turbofans with 30% more thrust.
But this power came at a price.
During trials aboard HMS Ark Royal, a pilot spooled up his engine for takeoff, unleashing exhaust 150 degrees Celsius hotter than expected.
Steel warped, paint bubbled, and to the shock of all present, the flight deck of Britains mightiest carrier began to meltThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.
It entered service with the Navy in 1961, then was adopted by the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Air Force, and within a few years became a major part of their air arms.
A total of 5,195 Phantoms were built from 1958 to 1981, making it the most-produced American supersonic military aircraft in history and a signature combat aircraft of the Cold War.The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2.
It can carry more than 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs.
Like other interceptors of its time, the F-4 was initially designed without an internal cannon, but some later models incorporated an internal M61 Vulcan rotary cannon.
Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record and an absolute altitude record.High over Germany a pair of German F-4F Phantoms fly off the left wing of a KC-135R Stratotanker after receiving fuel.
The KC-135R is from the 100th Aerial Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England.The F-4 was used extensively during the Vietnam War, first as the principal air superiority fighter for the U.S.
Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, and later as a ground-attack and aerial reconnaissance aircraft.
During the Vietnam War, all five American servicemen who became aces one U.S.
Air Force pilot and two weapon systems officers (WSOs), one U.S.
Navy pilot and one radar intercept officer (RIO) did so in F-4s.
The Phantom remained a major part of U.S.
military air power into the 1980s, when it was gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S.
Air Force, the F-14 Tomcat in the U.S.
Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S.
Navy and U.S.
Marine Corps.The Phantom was used for reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) missions in the 1991 Gulf War, and finally left combat service in 1996.
It was the only aircraft used by both U.S.
flight demonstration teams: the United States Air Force Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the United States Navy Blue Angels (F-4J).
The F-4 was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations.
Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several ArabIsraeli conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms, acquired before the fall of the Shah, in the IranIraq War.
The F-4 remains in active service with the air forces of Iran, Greece, and Turkey.
The aircraft has most recently been in service against the Islamic State group in the Middle East.Top Photo: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II returning to Holloman Air Force Base on November 18, 2008 U.S.
Air National Guard Photo: Master Sgt.
Vincent De GrootSources: YouTube; Wikipedia