by Wendy Lafond

Created on: May 12, 2008   Last Updated: January 21, 2009

The F-4 Phantom II holds a special place in history as well as in the hearts of the men who flew them. This year celebrates 40 years since the first F-4 supersonic fighter-bomber took to the air. May 27, 1958 the twin-engine, all-weather, fighter bomber proved itself worthy in air superiority, interdiction, and close air support. Production was started and the F-4 entered into service with the Navy in 1961.

In 1962 the US Air Force approved a version of the F-4 to join their ranks. Designated the F-4B, it employed Sparrow missiles instead of guns and could detect airborne threats beyond the visible range and destroy them. Incorporating twin GE J-79 engines, the F-4 could climb straight up after takeoff with an initial climb rate of 61,400 feet per minute. With a cruising speed of 585 mph, it could rocket to speeds greater than 1,500 mph. Phantoms were deployed aboard aircraft carriers as interceptors protecting the Navy's supply convoys and ships.

The F-4C Phantom II made it's debut on May 27, 1963 and delivery of production models began in November of that year. It could carry twice the bomb load of the WW-II B-17's and go much faster and farther. It had a combat range of 595 miles and a maximum range of 1,885 miles while supporting 3 external fuel tanks.

During it's reign as a superior air fighting machine, the F-4 Phantom II achieved an impressive number of world speed and time-to-climb records. December 6,1959 Commander L.E. Flint set the world altitude record in a F4H-1 reaching 98,560 feet over Edwards Air Force Base. September 5, 1961 Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Miller hit 1,216.78 mph to set a new world record for 500 kilometers over the triangular course at Edwards Air Force Base. September 25, 1961 Commander John Davis bettered the existing record for 100 kilometers over a closed circuit course by more that 200 mph when he achieved an average of 1,390.21 mph. November 22, 1961 at Edwards Air Force Base a world absolute speed record was set by a Phantom at 1,606.505 mph.

In March of 1962, at NAS Brunswick, Maine, Lieutenant Colonel W.C. McGraw, USMC, set two new world climb records from a standing start to 9,000 meters in 61.62 seconds and 12,000 meters in 77.15 seconds. The F4H-1 continued to set world climb records with Lieutenant Commander D.W. Nordberg's 114.54 second climb to 15,000 meters at NAS Brunswick and Lieutenant Commander F. Taylor Brown's 178.5 second climb to 20,000 meters. The twin GE J-79 engines provided the power and the men of the United States Armed Forces provided the courage to raise the bar on all existing speed and time-to-climb records that had been previously set.

From 1958 to 1979 a total of 5,195 F-4 Phantom II aircraft were built, 5,057 were built by McDonnell in St. Louis, MO, the remaining 138 were built by Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. in Japan. From 1966-1967, production averaged 63 F-4s per month and peaked at 72 per month in 1967. By 1978 production had dropped to 4-6 a month. In the 21-year run of the F-4 aircraft at McDonnell Douglas, it accounted for more that one million man-years of employment.

The F-4 was given many nicknames by it's crew members. Most often, though, it was praised as a workhorse and a dependable aircraft that could get the job done right and bring it's men home. Those men who flew the F-4 Phantom II were proud to be the pilot and crew of the world's first supersonic fighter-bomber.

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