Most Feared Fighter Jet of the Vietnam War - F-4 Phantom
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- The F-4 Phantom is often regarded as the deadliest fighter in Vietnam. This tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber became one of the Vietnam War's most recognizable and feared planes.
The Phantom first entered service in 1961 with the Navy. After proving to be highly adaptable, it was also flown by the Marine Corps and the United States Air Force. Everyone wanted to fly this jet capable of Mach 2.2 speeds.
During its four decades of active service in the United States' three air arms, the aircraft set 16 world performance records. It downed more adversaries than any other US fighter in the Vietnam War.
Eventually, the Phantom entered service with 15 other militaries across the world. Some of those F-4's still fly today.
An iconic US fighter of the Vietnam War era, there is no doubt why the F-4 Phantom became one of the most feared aircraft of its time.
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“Not Aesthetically pleasant”? I can’t be the only one to love the look of the Phantom right?
The phantom is probably the only jet from that era that I do like the aesthetics of.
I just posted the same thing lol. It's a piece of art!
You're absolutely correct. By far one of the best looking fighters ever built.
I was like................ WHAT?!?! its the most beautiful plane Ive ever seen!!!!
Military jets are a bit like sports cars.
There's some designs that pretty much everyone agrees look awesome.
Then there's some that are a bit more divisive and subject to personal taste.
I've seen comments that delta-winged jets look silly, like paper planes. I've seen comments that call the F-15 Eagle "fat and bloated".
Navy guy here. I once heard a pilot say, "The F4 is living proof you can fly a brick if you put a big enough motor on it." I could tell he loved it.
Also known as "the triumph of thrust over aerodynamics," or "the barn door with engines on it"; and in one of his novels, Tom Clancy calls it "an electronicized monster."
OTOH, in 1969 I was in the first large group of AF navigators to go into the back seat, for just short of four years and just short of 1,000 hours. Fifty years later, I can still feel that kick in the pants when the afterburners light off. I'm sure Navy cat shots kicked even harder.
"Durable".
Put enough power behind a brick, you can make that fly. Several slightly different versions. I heard that my self, more than once.
I also heard that statement of endearment. Heard that my self, several times.
That saying was used in the TV film Red Flag: The Ultimate Game IIRC. An old chestnut in the services I suppose.
The F-4 Phantom II brought my father back to base safely everytime in the Vietnam War, and for that alone it will always be the most beautiful plane that ever flew.
Well said man
@TheLeadSled Phantoms have armoured protected cockpits. The underbelly swing open panels weigh a lot, it takes 3 guys to open or close without hurting anyone or stripping the screws. It's a big jet and well built.
Not my dad. He never made it back from dropping unused ordinances out to sea after not getting a lock on his target. He also had to eject once because a ordinance exploded soon sfter being released and damaged the plan. He loved those plans though.
Can't wait to fly the thing in DCS. Only way i'll ever get to "fly" this beautiful piece of engineering.
@@patrickmorrissey708 that's sad mate....rest in peace
The phantom is probably the most recognizable plane in the world. And very pleasant to look at.
most recognizable my ass thats the f22
@@canabiss8297 Ehhh... F-14 because Top Gun has been dubbed in pretty much every language, tbh
@@canabiss8297 F-22 is an effin beast, though. Too expensive for mass production, but an amazing piece of war machinery.
I’d say the B2 is the most recognisable, for obvious reasons.
What about the Spitfire? I am biased as I am English.
It’s amazing to think how quickly military aviation evolved from 1945 to 1960.
and then insane to think how little we have came since 2007
Its a downright shame these planes are being destroyed instead of restoring a few to flight status and a few in museums. It an insult to the planes history and record of service.
Or how about 1939 to 1960. From biplanes to phantoms!
@shadowchrome_ keep in mind that absolute performance isn't as big of a priority since missiles have gotten immensely better. While performance is still important, stealth and electronic countermeasures are given the priority now. These 6th gen planes are going to be wild.
German technology brah🤷
This jet is the reason i got into model planes.
...totally agree! 👍💪 same with me...😉
It's a sexy plane! So is the F8 Crusader, F14 Tomcat and A6 intruder. Those are my top 3
My first ever model kit was Monogram's Snap-Tite F-4 Phantom II! I was eight years old back in the early months of 86 when I built it. That was a few short months after moving to the Fargo-Moorhead metro area where nearly daily we could hear the haunting howls of the 119th Fighter Wing "Happy Hooligans" flying in the skies overhead.
I picked up model building as a lifelong hobby a few years later, roughly around the time that the Hooligans traded their Phantoms in for Falcons, and have built hundreds of aircraft models since. Still, I'll never forget that first model...
@@Baby4HeadAutographer I almost cried when the USN retired the F-14...
@@athelwulfgalland sounds like an awesome hobby! I'll bet you have a cool showroom by now.
My dad was stationed pretty close to the north Vietnam border at the Rock pile. He always said the f4 was immensely faster than anyone knew. He said they would get close to North Vietnam to lure in sa2 launches, flip, hit afterburner and would easily out fly their Sam's. As I've got older I hear more and more my dad wasn't the only one that saw them outrun missiles.
Early in the war the North Vietnamese SAM crews had poor radar tactics and little firing discipline, since almost all of their command experience involved traditional blanket-firing AAA. It was reported by Soviet advisors that they would fire off missiles like guns as soon as they got a hit on the radar. This gave US aircrews plenty of warning that they were being tracked and a decent chance to outrun/outfly by trading altitude for airspeed.
Losses to SAMs began to increase as the North Vietnamese got smarter with their tactics; only lighting up search radar sites briefly to avoid Wild Weasel attacks, better C&C between search stations and SAM sites which allowed them to keep tracking radars dark until the last possible moment, and improving firing discipline to only light off missiles once enemy aircraft were too close and/or low to outrun.
Edit: Obviously the gradual introduction of upgraded search radar technology and tracking/fire-control systems from the Soviets also counted a great deal towards the increase in effectiveness.
Yo wassup, I love your videos. Since I also live in Ohio it's hella relatable
That was due to the poor targeting system, SAMs of that era were still in their infancy
Get as many stories out of him! Vietnam vets are a legacy fading away!
Investment Joy My Pop Pop served at Danang air base and worked with the munitions for F-4s, taking them out from the ammo dump to the flight line. He also was present at the base when the north took a part of it and firefights took place on the base. He’s still alive and I love him.
From a pilot who flew them in Vietnam: "the F-4 is proof that even a brick will fly if it has enough engine thrust."
An amusing if somewhat scary story from the same pilot: he was forced to bail out when his plane was brought down by a suspected communist...goose. He was flying low, either looking for an AA site, or perhaps returning fire after receiving some fire from a site--Im not quite sure of the details on that--but in any case, he was flying low over a larger than average-sized village, spooked a flock of geese, and says he watched as one particular goose flew up, made an ill-advised turn in his direction, and instantly was sent to the Great Goose Beyond as it was sucked into the left intake of the F-4. The plane could fly on one engine, but my pilot friend was already flying low and slow, and in his words, "very quickly ran out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas" before he could use his remaining engine to try to gain some altitude. He was forced to eject over North Vietnam, but had a few things that worked in his favor: he was close to the border, his wingman saw him punch out and reported the position, and there were US ground forces relatively close by who were quickly dispatched to find him. I've never gotten details about that or who those troops were, which tells me it was probably some Green Beret/CIA/MACV-SOG type team skulking around. In any case, after four days and three nights of "ass-puckering terror"--again his words--hiding out in the jungle, he made contact with friendly forces and got back safely over the border. And ever thereafter treated all geese as hostile until proven otherwise.
"treated all geese as hostile until proven otherwise" this is reasonable in civilian life as well. All geese are bastards
@@N0tAlpharius yup. Geese are mean, aggressive, proud, condescending bastards, and they really hurt.
They are quite tasty, though....
All Phantom RIO's and pilots said that, VF-33, 77'-80'
It's a good thing he made it out.
Imagine the KIA report: "He was stooging around down in the weeds like a new guy and ran into a particularly aggressive goose".
(I kid of course, he's certainly got bigger balls than I'll ever have, ill-advised operational decisions or not. Glad he was picked up by friendlies fairly quickly, those three nights would have been nightmarish though).
Side note: from what I've read, Special Forces never refer to themselves as "Green Berets", that's just the name of the hat. They typically refer to themselves simply as "Special Forces" or "SF", the particular example I read being "shit really got crazy after I went SF". Cheers.
Yo I thought that was the first funniest thing I heard and months I happen to love Brixx I'm a fan of the Astro van The A-Team van the military assault camper on the movie Stripes and the Millennium Falcon wait a minute you don't need aerodynamics out in space LOL
"...not entirely aesthetically pleasant". WHAT!? This is one of the coolest looking jetfighters!
It looks really good from certain angles and not so much from others. Kinda like the F105 which looks better imho even though it'a fighter bomber
Forsure the coolest. Except maybe for the f22
"Someone stepped on its nose and kicked it in the butt..."
One of the more popular descriptions back in the day. Also:
"Proof that with enough engine power you can get a brick to fly." LOL.
“Cool looking” and “aesthetic” is not the same…
@@Caseytify ahah that's being on point! the phantom is the example of the importance of perspective. give it some air and some speed, film it, and its a beauty!! aggressive, fast, and you definitely need to be on its side.. BUT... when kn the ground its bulky, its heavy and the front end is almost weird!!
I worked on the ECM systems on the RF-4C and the F-4C versions from 1973 to 1976. They were outstanding aircraft and we all loved it. Thank you McDonnel Douglas for providing such an excellent aircraft for both the War time and Peace time usage. All of us that worked on them were and still are sad about it's retirement.
I was with RF-4C's in early 80s. We used ECM pods. There was a failed attempt to integrate Pave Tack. Combat Tree: It was an integrated IFF system (information friend or foe).
"Not aesthetically pleasant"?
Okay...if you want.
I thought it was a fantastic looking aircraft - the slightly bulbous nose, twin air intakes, and downward sloping tail wings gave it a purposeful, powerful look - an iconic aircraft.
He means it ain't purty cuz its badass looking.
My favorite since I was a kid. That tail turns me on! lol
It wont win beauty pageants but a singing contest? That thing will out sing anything...
It was Phabulous, not pleasant
"Not aesthetically pleasant"? I felt the urge to reach out and slap that taste right out of his mouth. But just for a moment.
“Not aesthetically pleasant”??? This is one of the most gorgeous jets made in the U.S.
It was particularly bad ass looking considering what years it was developed in
The Pratt 7 Whitney J79 with after burners didn't hurt.
He also called the Catalina Ugly which puzzles me. Both planes are gorgeous
Yeah, I came to the comments to disagree as well.
Growing up in the late 70s into the 80s, I was given the choice one day by my parents to pick out a model of my choice in a hobby shop. I liked building models and be given the option of "whatever you want" gave me a world of choices. Being able to pick from any car, ship, rocket, tank, or plane would have been a difficult decision for most model enthusiasts. For me - the choice was easy. I quickly snagged up a large F4 Phantom model with some dark green and desert tan paint jars. One of my all time favorite builds. They are to this day, beautiful planes.
The Phantom is definitely an ugly plane - it has odd bent wings, drooping horizontal stabilizers, a weird tail, and lumpy pods strewn everywhere. But it's ugly in a way that telegraphs that it means business.
I was on lay off from Boeing Wichita in 1983. I had submitted a job application to Cessna that day and happened to be going by the south end of McConnell AFB when a couple of Phantoms were going in for a landing. I had to stop on the side of the road to admire the hot rod of power emanating out of those planes. A couple of months later I got the opportunity to work on a PDM program for a few years on that plane, great job and good money, and good memories of the people I worked with.
I remember being a kid watching this airplane in the sky and thinking it was the most badass thing I’d ever seen. 45 years later…… I still feel the same.
I was on the USS Saratoga in the late 70’s-there were a few squadrons flying the Phantom. When the Soviet TU 95’s came around, the F4’s would launch and go after the reds afterburners blazing, crew yelling and cheering. What a great memory and what a GORGEOUS jet!
The F-4 has a really predatory look that I liked, and to be still in service for a long time is a testament to its developers and builders of the ruggedness of the design.
Exactly. It looks like a war machine, not a wind tunnel experiment.
It looks like a bird of prey.
It’s a good jet
Nothing could beat the mighty phantom.not even the more newer jets of today which has a slightly slower pace.the f4 still prevails.without a doubt.
62 years and still in service... A venerable aircraft indeed. Good job.
Now add 3 of those gatling cannons on the A-10, to the nose, and 1 installed in each wing, left and right sides. Then you have a nightmare battle beast jetfighter!
Unlike apparently most other people I find the design of the Phantom the most aesthetically pleasing jet fighter ever. Pete 🇬🇧
You aren't alone!
I always preferred the organic looks of aircraft like the F4U Corsair, the F4, F-14, and F-18 over the F6F, P-51, and F-15. Curvy and fast looking like a dangerous woman. And don’t get me started on the SR-71....
@@shannonchurchill4556 You read my mind :)
2nd most....
TOMCATS!
F-14 Tomcat !
I was a crew chief on F4D's when I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the mid/late 70's. As a mechanic, F4's were a PITA to work on.
as a formen F4D crew chief I concur. i grew to hate those pigs
My uncle worked on F-14s. He says the same thing. Worst plane in the world to work on but the only one he’d call on if his ass was in a sling.
My dad was in the Marines and flew them in Vietnam. He earned the distinguished flying cross amongst other things and made it to Captain. He almost got shot down once when an RPG hit him and took out one of his engines, but still made it back to base. He has tons of fascinating stories. And silly ones too like painting the bombs on Easter like easter eggs.
Great plane. Extremely versatile and fast.
Uhhh an rpg? I don’t think that’s right homie
@@Certified_Dude It was. IIRC it was while he was flying through the A Sầu Valley. He also won't ever fly in a single engine plane ever since.
@@BeardedFrog rpgs are unguided rockets, it would be literally impossible to hit a jet with a shoulder fired 1950s Russian rocket
@@Certified_Dude You forget what era of technology and war this was. Bullets were unguided too but they still tore up planes, and a friend of my dad's actually died after getting hit with one on a run too. None of the ordinance my dad was dropping was guided either. They flew low and slow through the run. About 400 mph tops and when they came back up it would be even slower. The valley I mentioned was a notoriously bad place since you were surrounded often on all sides. It's also where he got his distinguished flying cross. I just spoke with him and he said that was how it went down. He didn't know it was an RPG at the time, just that he lost the engine and the plane was messed up. When he got back to base that was what they told him hit him. It wasn't a sam, he was never under lock. When you come down through there they know where you are coming in and going out and they light you up with everything they've got.
Probably a lucky shot, but it's spray and pray style and it only takes one lucky bullet to hit the right spot o.r in this case an rpg to hit. It's not like today where we have guided bombs that we can drop high up accurately. Vietnam bombing with f4s you were manually dropping ordinance and very low altitudes and not super high speed.
A different time than today. You can challenge me all you want but facts are facts and it happened. He has pictures of all kinds of times in the war and I'm pretty sure he has one of his plane after that mission too. Although he lost a lot of pictures unfortunately when some vietnamese stole his camera during the war.
@@BeardedFrog rpgs are extremely unaccurate, it’s nearly impossible to hit a helicopter let alone a phantom flying low near the trees, if he was hit by one then they would not have been able to tell since they were flying so low, they would have had to been under and behind him which would have put them into the forest. Soldiers know not to waste a good anti tank round on a plane so I’m calling cap on your story
My buddies and I would lay on a truck bed at the end of the flight line as they took off at sunset...To hear the tremondous roar and watch the afterburners was thrilling. They could not have been 100 feet above us.
@First Name Last Name It was an awsome experience! With all that power they seemed invincable.
Don't you miss the good ol days
@@UrMomGoes2College I did my bit...that was in 1977. No did not miss it...got busy with life when I got out. Spent a career in communications with the training I got and would always be grateful for it.
I could only ever imagine how that felt seeing those for the first time.
I grew up in heart land of Florida when mowing in the young orange tree's they would come across me own their way to Avon Park bombing range and scare the hell out of me. So low it looked like ya could have touched it.
Every mig pilot acting like gangstas till the F-105s start looking more like F-4s
The rules of engagement was criminal yet this aircraft and pilots were doing remarkable in the air war over Vietnam doing things that it wasn't intended for and most of the time with no guns until late in the war
hello! my name is Bolo
When the F-100 has two air intakes
@@Mister_Clean you can say those Charlies got catfished.
A bit of genius from Colonel Robin Olds and his tactics guys in the Triple Nickel.
Such a simple but effective trick.
I just love that the German Air Force nicknamed theirs "Air Defense Diesel" because the early engines had a habit of putting out tons of smoke.
It wasn't until the engines on later models were replaced with more modern ones that the engine trail became cleaner.
Lockheed Starfighters also had that big plume of smoke..
@@lex1945 the starfighters where named "wittwenmacher" in the german Airforce wich means " widowmaker" because they caused a lot of deaths inn accidents.
@@davidbraun4922 I know, but that was mostly caused because of the wrong use of this fighter jet. It had to take on a role, in the German Airforce, it was never meant for. The italians for example almost never had fatalities.. We also had some fatalities in the Royal Netherlands Airforce, but in Germany things went horribly wrong.
@@davidbraun4922 They also called the F-104 "Erdnagel" or ground nail, A.K.A. tent pin.
@@lex1945 yeah i know just tought is was maybe a nice Story to her. A old Officer from the Airforce was always ranting about that Plane when i was fresh in the Airforce. Seemed always a bit off when i was fresh there but maybe he had his resons ^^
My uncle was an f4 pilot in the 60s, great man.died a few years back. I will always remember how calm he always was and had great stories to tell. Great man, rest in peace uncle Bob morton
Thanks for this. I was in a F-4 combat unit during the Vietnam War and wrote some of it's history as Wing Historian for the 3rd Tac Fighter Wing for combat from Easter to October 1972. Even so, I learned something here. As noted, only one used by all the air services, showing why it was the best of it's breed as best fighter/bomber of all time.
I flew F-4d in the early 70's, my first operational Fighter. Still love that plane. I have a tattoo of The Spook on my chest. went on to F-15 which is also a superb aircraft but Old Smokey is still my favorite!
The F-4 quickly became my favorite jet of all time after my dad gave me a bunch of pictures of the D model that he took when he was stationed at Udorn RTAFB around the early 70s. He said an F-4 with blowers on taking off is the loudest thing he has ever heard before, or since. Some people say its ugly, I say its one of the most beautiful jets ever made. It was adapted to do a bunch of roles it wasn't meant to, broke a bunch of records of its day, served in Navy, USAF, and USMC. Pilots loved them, ground crews loved them. They are flown by many of our allies to this day, and one is even called a "Terminator". Those are just some of the reasons why it's my favorite jet. I really do envy you. But I heard the AC didn't work so well, and in the Southeast Asian heat, that could be unpleasant lol.
My friend did the same. Started with F4 and ended F15. He told me he liked F4 the best
That's so interesting! Being the F-15 was built so much later than the F-4, I'd thought that piloting the Eagle would be like a dream come true to a Phantom pilot
I'd really like to know why you preferred the Eagle if you could spare the time. I'm not a pilot so the details would be above my pay grade. Just a few generalities would suffice.
I worked on F4's at Eglin from 75 to 79. Cross trained into computers right as the F15s were rolling in. My dad was one of the USAF liaison with McDonnell Douglas at Wright Patterson during the design and testing of the F15. He was a former F4 recce pilot, among the other planes during his 30 year career. He flew out of Udorn in his second stint in SE Asia. Taking pictures over the North. Got transferred to Saigon and was over fighter operations over N. Vietnam. That was from Feb to December of 69. The cockpit design of the F15 was mainly his input. He ended up his last year at Eglin in charge of the test squadron there. I ended up working on a bunch of airplanes he either flew or was in charge of (F4s) I worked on the air conditioning and pressurization and O2 systems. He used to ask me all the time if certain issues got fixed or what we did to band aid them. It was a fun four years. Especially the first time I saw an F4 go vertical on take off. I never thought one could at the time, only thought the new F15s could. I was on call a lot on weekends for FCF's. That is when I saw it the first time. Dad retired as an O6 in 75 and passed away in 2109 at 94.
@@scottwhitlock9201 Sir you have a very nice story to tell, about your Dad and yourself.
Thank You Sir
I always liked how the Phantom looked.
Me too
Funnily enough, it's unique look - the anhedral (downward canted) of the horizontal stabilisers, and dihedral (upward canted) of the outer wings wasn't originally a feature on the early prototypes - these were introduced to correct poor handling.
My godfather was an F-4 pilot during Vietnam. He went on to fly for US Airways and is now retired.
cool beans
Is your godfather sully? Lol
@@Awesomeguy-kr8kv haha, nope! ✅
I worked on the ins and weapons release systems, long after VN war.
No guns out flown by north vietnam missles failed at close range how can you say it was feared . Loads shot down .Harrier jump jets i would agree but the F4 was a disaster .cost America the war .
Back in the early 80s watching these do touch and go was was nice. Young pilots beating these up and so glad to see the machine become airborne again. Strong machine.
I remember being at the airport in Boise and watching the F-4s take off from Gowen Field which actually shared a runway with the airport. Those engines where so unbelievably loud and powerful you could feel the rumble in your chest, the building shake and the smell of jet fuel if you were outside when then took off. You could here them from miles and miles away. Crazy loud.
They have A-10s too. Don't mess with Boise.
Huh, what ????
When my father got his orders to Vietnam where he flew F-4s, we were stationed at Mountain Home AFB.
I like Gowen Field, they have a-10s now
Loud!
As a pilot who flew them told me once, it's a beautiful plane to fly as long as both engines are running. The moment they stop it has a Glide path of a brick.
"Sully" Sullenberger flew them post Vietnam. He said something similar, "With enough thrust a brick will fly."
It is my favorite aircraft. It looks like it means business.
@@Foomba - Thrust can make a plane fly, but it can't make a plane fly at Mach 2.5 like the Phantom. For that you have to have good aerodynamics too.
@@Foomba People also quote shit like that, but the phantom was a wonderfully aerodynamic plane, it was simply heavy and robust.
@@florbfnarb7099 you just need more thrust
Precisely. Combat Tree: It was an integrated IFF system (information friend or foe). We used it while I was in the USAF in early 80s.
The legendary status of this bird simply cannot be understated. It was so far ahead of its time in terms of appearance and speed. It was my dad's favorite fighter jet and was one of the very planes that got me interested in planes and fighter aircraft from a very young age. In my opinion, even by today's standards it remains one of the must stunningly beautiful and aesthetically pleasing aircraft to ever grace the skies. It perfectly treads the line between pretty and powerful, badass-looking. A several-hour long documentary could be made on the impact that this plane made, and the fact that it was conceived as far back as the 1950s is just incredible to me. It's one of the most popular well-known and infamous fighters for a reason. To quote one of the other comments I've seen here, it really was the American muscle car of the skies.
yes..agree ..but we are gonna see the change..tech..how far fetch you think its here.good luck all
Yet, so few videos about this beast... I don't get it.
F4 Phantom, F14 Tomcat and of course the F4U Corsair are my all time favorite planes. I bet I have constructed at least a dozen each in models and RC planes. Can't even imagine how great it would be to be a navy pilot flying these. Hats off to those who did!
You left out the last gun Salinger F-8 . Course only the navy used it, but it was also known as the mug master.
I've been a fan of this fighter ever since Basic training at Ft. Dix, NJ in 1989. The runway (or at least one of them) at McGuire AFB was about a 9 iron shot away from where we PT'd. They flew Phantoms all the time and I couldn't get over how badass they looked or how GD loud they were. Good times.
Wish an old buddy could have seen this: he flew the F-4 in 'nam as one of the few Americans of African descent.
Rip
Allons, brother. Fellow Blackhorse trooper here. A Troop, 66-67.
@@joeoleary5346 Allons! Border Legion 83-86 , Fulda
@@joeoleary5346 big red one out of phu loi 68 & 69 door gunner
My grandfather- Lt. Gene Stowers (pilot) and his frontseater Lt. Pete Hesford were flying an F-4D on a combat mission and on a dark night in Laos (there are books that talk about Laos being the darkest place on Earth during the war) March 21, 1968. As they were rolling in on the target (convoy of trucks on the Ho Chi Minh trail) and inverted, a 23mm “Golden BB” struck their canopy and instantly killed them both. Their bodies were never recovered. I read somewhere when the villagers returned in 1972, they found the crash site and buried the bodies. RIP.
The ultimate sacrifice for their Country, God bless them.
As the rules of engagement forbade cross border air support, both sides denied these sanctuaries publicly and the men accepted these terms to harass the NVA in their rear logistic trains., in support of these warriors, many gave it all to get the enemy off their backs for that ray of sunshine of surviving the mission and Intel gained. Read any of J.Plaster or J. 'Tilt' Meyers books & others to get an idea of the scope of S.E. Asia policies during the war.
That was rough. May they rest in peace.
Much respect coming from this proud to be baby boomer.
The VC tied the drivers of the trucks to the steering wheel of the vehicle so they couldn't get out of the truck and run.
I spent three years as an F-4 Weapon Systems Officer before being selected for pilot training. I will always cherish my time in Double Ugly and am proud to be one of the lucky ones that got to fly her! #PhantomsPhorever #Rhino #MiGKiller #FightersGoFastAndKillThings
Lucky guy
@@commanderneyo6152 I've always considered myself fortunate to have the aviation career that I have had.
One of my all time favorite fighters. It just plain looks mean. Especially with a nice set of shark teeth!
Been my favorite since I was a kid. Looks awesome, solid performance, and a long life. The Phantom is a legend.
As an Air Force veteran, I remember the F-4 fondly.
So Combat Tree is basically a IFF system using a plane’s transponder to I.D a target aircraft, thats pretty cool
"Basically"? That's insanely incredible innovation! "Basic" is two tin cans with a string connecting them.
So it's the first real Joint Strike Fighter...
...and a whole lot cheaper!
Yep
Y e p
Butttt, can it go up vertically hehe
@@jameseaster9259 there I edited my post...
I was a 462 armament systems specialist on F-4E/G’s in the mid 1980’s. It was a bad ass aircraft with a beautiful design. Sometimes not so fun to work on both mechanically and electrically. Nothing like being at the end of runway pulling safety pins on the gun and bomb racks/missle launchers. Then the Phantoms going to full afterburner and start the roll to flight. The sound is so intense at 100ft away, it would start a stopped heart inside your chest. Incredible power outta the J-79’s. I can just imagine a Phantom on the cat about to be launched off a carrier and being 20-30ft away. WOW!
I caught the end of Nam on the Kitty Hawk. I just loved the F4’s.AfterNam we went into the yards and the cats and arresting gear systems and deck edge elevators were beefed up for the much heavier F14’s. While I readily admit the F14 was a much better fleet air superiority fighter, I still love the F4. What a beautiful airplane.
Also: I always loved the "form follows function" styling of the F4.... and its a little reminiscent of a Vulture.
One of the best looking planes ever made.
I m so fond to its design
Its nickname is "Double ugly", I don't know why a lot of people don't like the looks of it..
Nothing can beat the F-14 dont @ me
Bet you’re one of those people that think Jessica Chastain is attractive too 🤮
@@diesvuik7823 well pilots back then were used to planes or in this case fighters that are sleek, symmetrical, and small and a lot of them were shocked when they saw the thing in person for the first time.
The thing was MASSIVE compared to the fighters that preceeds it, the nose were drooped down, the wings were dihedral at the tips which are dogtoothed, the horizontal stabilizer were anhedral, and when you looked at it straight on the intakes looked like airbrakes instead of actual intakes.
And as for why it was called "Double ugly" its because when you look at it from the front/rear its big, wide, and unsymmetrical (dihedral wings and anhedral elevators). And when you look at it from the side it looked fat and brick like.
This is one of the best short-doc channels to watch. Always enjoy the videos.
Some great footage here! I maintained the F4-Cs through F4-Gs exclusively from 77'-80' for the 52nd TCF in Germany and it was an extraordinary bird - we called it proof a rock could fly if you strapped enough engines. If you view it's design while standing on the backbone near the tail, it seems incomprehensible that it could fly at all... yet it was never meant to be appreciated sitting on the ground. In the air it was jaw-dropping to watch! However, it was not without serious ailments. Worse that I recall was its hydraulics leaks that plagued its actuator controls at all points and its rudder horn system that gobbled maintenance time in manpower between PMIs to ensure a reliable safety record. Two birds and 4 crewmen were lost in those years due to mechanical failures. Though its ailments were largely resolved by the F and G mods, it was not the most popular bird NATO bird. Be that as it may, it was the most spectacular and loudest bird to watch during takeoffs and during occasional hotdog showoff pilot buzzing the base celebrating his final sortie and soaking.
Nice. My dad was stationed at Bitburg around that same time and worked on the F4s. You guys might have known each other. Small world sometimes
I heard the same thing from an old crew chief. He said aerodynamically they shouldn't fly but proof if you strapped big enough engines even a brick would fly lol. The F4 was and still is my favorite.
Many hot, sweaty knuckle busting hours working on these old war horses at Cam Rhan Bay. Loved that "Mighty Whine of the 79" as they flew by.
"Not aesthetically pleasing"? The F4 phantom is a beautiful airplane! It's a piece of art!
Aesthetically pleasing
Proof that with big enough engines, you can get a truck to fly.
In reality a great plane.
But if those engines runout of fuel, then you see the gravity of your situation. Could beat any plane to terra firma but the F-106 AKA Lawn Dart. Triple Nickles found out that firing all your gun pods at once could backup the a/c and lose all lift. Still could take a lot of g and fly home.
Kinda like if Carroll Shelby built fighter planes.
tecums3h More boost Frank!
when I was in primary school, we regularly had them pass over our house low and fast (it was still legal back then). The sound!! A Mirage would whistle, an F-16 would scream, and when you thought the world was gonna end, it was a phabulous Phantom on afterburner.
@@fredricknolan3905 well, the original NATO-tent peg, aka lawn dart gotta be the F-104G variant.....almost a third buried themselves in german fields and forests...
Yes, the were overburdened with strange semi-compatible european gadgets, and poorly maintained, but still...
I was in the Air National Guard when they retired the F4G Wild Weasels. Our unit participated in air ops during Operation Southern Watch and destroyed at least one SAM site in Iraq when they turned on their radar and started tracking our aircraft.
We had a Phantom Pharewell celebration as the planes left our base for the last time in 1996. Not a dry eye among the crew chiefs who maintained those magnificent birds.
We used to both love and hate these great jets when we went to Red Flag at Nellis. Love because they looked so good, hate because when they'd taxi by us the downward angled exhausts would add to the already hot air temperatures on the ramp. As a crew chief this is one of the aircraft we trained on in tech school at Sheppard AFB, and I remember how heavy everything was compared to other more modern aircraft. We used to say that the F-4 was proof that anything could fly if it had enough thrust.
Best, most versatile, enduring fighter of the jet age. And still one of the fastest ever... and still going.
F-4 Phantom, world's #1 distributor of MIG parts.
*MiG-25 would like to know your location*
you lost the war with that plane.
@@tupov what for?? So you could take 75 miles to turn around and head that way??
@@jonnycomfort9271 It is a joke, both aircraft are wonders of technology.
Japan is gonna retire their F-4EJ on march of this year.
Its a really wonderful aircraft!
I’ll take one if they’re giving them away
Indeed. Japan should give the retired F4s to the Ukrainian Air Force...they need them
Okay I just asked my dad, "What was combat tree" and he went "what?" After a bit of chit chat his response was "It was a 3 inch panel, and we didn't use it because it was a piece of junk that never worked"
I was an avionics tech in the USAF and worked on the IFF system for the F-4. Nobody called it combat tree. It was based on technology used by air traffic controllers to get tail numbers and altitude from an aircraft with added mode for military. So it wasn't like you could use it to identify a bad guy as it was to identify a good guy with the proper codes.
@@hastingb And they did that because originally the Phantom was a missile platform for Air to Air, no gun... thank goodness for the E model. Bad idea to launch missiles at friends
@@hastingb I was a weapons control mech on E model F4s. I do remember the Radar Homing
And Warning scope in the upper right of the instrument panel. Since I was more concerned about
locking up the target rather than avoiding the bad guy I didn't pay alot of attention to it.
Well that and it's been over 35 years since I last sat in an F4 cockpit. :)
When I was a kid, this was the plane the Blue Angels flew. This thing just screamed during air shows. I was glad I was able to see and hear it.
Thunderbirds flew it too! There's two on plinths in Cleveland in both schemes.
@@ThomasMRuth Well my dad was Navy. He would never think of attending a Thunderbirds show. I did see the Thunderbirds where I was stationed in the Marines. They put on an excellent performance.
My first aircraft I ever worked on was the F4 E, at Hahn AB Germany in 1981. Over 20 years in the USAF working numerous other Aircraft the Phantom was one of my favorites. 1st F117, F4 and F16 my top 3.
Worked on F-4D's in Spain for the USAF in the early 80's. Once a centerline fuel tank fell off on take off, definitely felt that explosion. I was inside our shop near the flightline.
Ah memories... I still have a scar from a "phantom bite." Smacked my noggin on the trailing edge of the wing.
@B Castle Under belly access pannels always got me in the back.
@@trespire I recall those panels :). My least favorite access panel was the one just aft of cockpits had ~100 fasteners. The missile well adapter was what gave me back aches.
@@urthetshirtguy , I don't have fond memories of those damn stressed skin fasteners. There was a bazillion of 'em.
Wow, I witnessed a F-105 drop a fuel tank just before reaching the end of the runway at George AFB. And I also was 'wounded' by an under belly access panel while trying to walk under an F-4D in Thailand (Korat AB) . Even tho I was WCS (radar) tech on F-4E. (1973)
The only fighter that went up the ladder from ground pounder to air superiority
The other way around.
The F-4 started as an interceptor, becoming air-superiority fighter, recon plane and then ground pounder and anti radar specialist.
True multi role.
Phantoms are very effective at high altitude high speed recon. No gun, clean configuration, supprisingly fast.
Air superiority fighter planes as a concept are a consequence of the Vietnam War. The first air superiority fighter plane was the F-15.
Designed as an interceptor
@@nneesskkee you have forgotten completely about WWII. The first real strategic air superiority fighter was the Zero.
Everyone wanted to fly it, except for the pilots of the “Last Gunfighter”, the F-8!
When you’re out of F-8’s, you’re out of fighters.
That was featured in an earlier video.
Ironically most of its kills were missiles.
Hell yeah! 🤠👍
@@sylvesterstewart868 yeah, because the Colt Mk.12s the F-8 was equipped with jammed up during any sort of turn, due to being manufactured poorly. Imagine if it had M39 cannons instead
Dad Was in, The F-4 C in Vietnam 1967-1968. What a Beautiful Plane. Thank you for the Video God Bless..
Excellent video - Thank you. Amazing Aircraft & History. Keep the videos coming, great stuff. Peace & Health
I think I understand the difference between Dark Skies and Dark Footage. Despite both often covering aircraft, Dark Skies is mostly about documentaries with period-specific footage, while Dark Footage is about singular events caught on film.
Unless it's some bullshit about a spray painted polar bear. Worst video he ever did.
that voice is a machine voice, the person who uploaded the footage didn't use his/her real voice, merely test to speech. You can get the software easily by purchasing a license.
My dad would take me to Kaneohe Marine Corps base to watch them fly. He was a retired Gunny. Great memories.
It was a gorgeous airplane, the first really deadly fleet interceptor, and even before the leading edge slats were installed, better in a dogfight than many people give it credit for. Airshows were never quite the same when it was retired from service. I always missed the roar of those smoky turbojets, a sound that, like the whup-whup of old two-bladed Hueys, you could feel in your bones.
I was privileged to see a Phantom make a high speed pass, at one of Planes Of Fame's airshows. The event was nearly over, but I'd noticed the F4 flying off to the east, then disappearing. Occasionally, I'd look that direction to see if I could spot it again.
As I recall it, right about the time the last airshow act of the day landed, I looked again, and could see this speck in the distance, with heat waves shimmering around it. A second later, the Phantom ripped right down the runway, at about five hundred feet or so, and REALLY pushing mach, I believe. He must have set off every car alarm within a ten mile radius of his flight path.
Most folks along the flight line were not expecting the pass! I heard lots of shoots of surprise, and a few screams as well. It's a memory I'll always cherish.
One of the sounds we grunts in Vietnam appreciated most was one of these "fast movers" coming up over your head from behind.
Your channel is pure gold. Fantastic and informative narrative with historic footage and an engaging soundtrack. Keep up the great work.
The Birmingham, AL Air National Guard had the reconnaissance version of the F4 back in the 80s where my dad worked. Every year they'd do an open house & air show. Awesome plane.
In 84/85? I was looking at bulls on the side of HWY 72 just over in Al from Ms. a fuzz East of Cherokee when one of those recon F4Gs did a low level run up at speed. Guys were maybe 150-yds off the ground. I gave them a friendly wave in passing. Then the crazy thing happened. They made a tight arching turn and came back round and ran down the way they had come up and I got a pronounced wing wave . I am sure the turn around was planned for Hwy 72 but I have never scene another jet that low and close except at an airshow. This whole area was/is a major training area where the military can get their aircraft out off base and play because at one time the chances of you hitting someone or something if it went wrong were mighty slim. Ran into a squadron of Apaches running down a 2 lane highway at power pole altitude in and South of Burnsville Ms several years ago. There is part of a squadron unit at Tupelo. Not as common as it was but if you look and listen you will see a lot of interesting stuff here.
Alabama Army National Guard-Montgomery Al. 26 years. Been up your way a thousand times.
Yes, A beloved Jet. To this day . a Historic beautiful, Jet. 💪🇺🇸
I suspect that the main reason the Phantom didn't have GPS was the same reason the Mustang didn't have it.
Yeah, GPS never worked right on the Sopwith Camel either.
I was stationed at Korat Royal Thai Air Base during Operation Linebacker II in late 1972. I was a pneudraulics technician on an A-7D Corsair and my best buddy worked on the F-4s there. We were running sorties virtually around the clock. I loved watching, hearing and smelling those loaded F-4s take off. Our pilots were exceptional and amazing. We took care of them and they took care of us. The F-4 was not aesthetically pleasant? Can't agree on that one.
“BAD-ASS”! And absolutely gorgeous. I was at Randolph and couldn’t wait to hear them go to afterburners, that roar it was a sound that’s still in my soul. Homestead AFB had one by their gate for years and it broke my heart when they took it down. The F4 like the P51 will live forever.
Phantom is an amazing aircraft, I luckily had the opportunity to have a look around an RAF one back in the 80’s, what surprised me was how big they are, they’re massive.
The petting zoo at Lackland had an SR-71.
1:43 - There's what I was waiting for, the random video (of F-14s) filling in for the plane he's actually talking about. Happens in every episode.
A lot of grunts owe their lives to those beautiful Phantoms. My dad was one of them
Yeh as a Marine in I-Corps in 68-69 they pulled our ass out the bacon a few times once when our CO. Ran into a battalion of NVA watching those 500 pounders released and then the stabilizing find deploy as they headed for their target. A wonderful site.
She was "wicked" looking. I was an AE with VF103 Oceana, VA. in 1972. Most of us got to fly a backseat sortie. Badass bird. 😊
I first saw the F-4 with the Blue Angels in '72. Since then this plane has and will forever hold a special place of honor with me. It's just majestic to see still or in flight.
Top speed Mach 2,2. I talked to a former Phantom mechanic and he said that when they got F4s back to base that had been past Mach 2 they certainly could see it on the plane. Scorched paint, bent or dented metal panels, leaking pipes and loose bolt and nuts were just some of the signs.
Fuel leaks from the wing pannels were a constant repair.
1982. Mediterranean Sea. Off the coast of Spain. U.S.S. Forrestal CV-59. Steel beach picnic. VF-103 Sluggers flying the F-4S Phantom II. Commanding officer did a mach 2 flyby the ship, barrel rold it once then pulled straight up into a full dual burner climb. Very impressive, never seen or heard anything like it before in my entire life. The next day after inspecting the aircraft, the airframe techs found that the aircraft had sustained a crack right down the centerline of the airframe from nose to tail. It was taken out of flight status and had to be craned off the boat in Rota.
@@randybarnhill3098 Our D-Check maintenance unit might have been able to repair that. I've a Phantom with wings off to re-drill and re-reem the 2000 or so holes that attach the wings. Unit 22 have done other "impossible" repairs.
That sound pretty good, im sure you did the same thing to your first cars.
@@randybarnhill3098 The F-4's top speed at sea level was around Mach 1.1, so there's no way the CO did a mach 2 flyby the ship like that. Also, at Mach 2, you cannot maneuver well at all. So there's that...
While speaking for the Grumman XF9F-9, you are showing the (dear to my heart) F-14... while also a Grumman (Bob Kress) product, it was born of the TFX/VFX programs.
Not sure if you've covered it in previous videos, but in this one you touched briefly on the F-4's roll as a "Wild Weasel". The story of the Wild Weasels is fantastic, and would make for an excellent video.
I was stationed at Clark AB Philippines in the late 80's and loved watching the F4's do touch and go's and hit their afterburners at night.
When I was a kid in the 60s and 70s, we lived near the flight path to Lockbourne AFB (later Rickenbacker), and I developed my love of airplanes just watching planes like the Phantom, A7s, KC-97s and 135s fly over Groveport. I have some photographs my eldest brother sent me of the individual pilots of the Blue Angels, posing with their F4's; sent them to me with a big batch of other weaponry in the mid-late 1970s (he was in Vietnam for two tours, and later was a personal photographer for Omar Bradley for a time).
But yeah, always loved the look of an F4.
Worked on the RF-4C variant from '84 to '88. Incredible aircraft.
I loved watching them fly off my aircraft carrier USS Independence CV-62, especially at night in the Indian ocean when it was calm as a pond one flying up and the reflection on the water. Beautiful.
I totally agree I loved climbing up to the O8 observation deck on the MIDWAY to watch the air ops or go out on the port side sponson deck and watch the jets catapulted off.
One time a F4. took off low and I watched him hit the afterburner and literally blast off.
You don't realize how big the planes are until you're standing next to one. And one F4 could carry more munitions than a WW2. B-17
Best channels on TH-cam thank you
If you like tons of errors:
1:17 the US Army didn't acquire fighters after 1947 because that's when the US Air Force was made a separate branch.
1:42 shows an F-14 Tomcat that was adopted twenty years after the Super Demon was in development.
@@IvorMektin1701 🤣🤣🤣ahhhhhh then why are you here? I suppose the work you do is perfect and you never make mistakes.
@@IvorMektin1701 and your wrong he said 1952 🤣🤣🤣 are you joking hahahaha
@@mr.k6136
*You're
My father was a jet engine mechanic on the USS America aircraft carrier. And served 2 tours in Vietnam. The things he said about the phantom is still amazing to me. Fun fact; he said it was the first fighter that a computer designed and then another computer said it would never fly. Like the bumblebee is supposed to not be able to fly.
We called them "Winged Vacuums" 'cause if there was ANYTHING on the ramp on power-up it would go straight down the intake when he ran up to taxi out. Saw one suck up a 20 lb toolbox once.
So thats where the 10mm sockets went...
@@misterbuklau4053 and 13mm :(
@@benjiro8793 Sometimes the end of the Aircraft
@@misterbuklau4053 Everything on the Phantom is imperial.
They weren't the only vacuums on the flight deck. The A-7 was a killer if you pay attention, nothing but sparks and smoke came out of the tailpipe.
I think the F4's a beautiful looking plane, nothing ugly about her at all. 10:46 She was MD's masterpiece.
It wasn’t feared.
It was pheared.
I know🤠
Ph4r out that’s ph4nt4stic
@@floydthedroid5935 I can’t remember much with the A to 4 replacement as most of what I’ve seen of the historical gag was replacing f with ph, but given that it’s the F-4, I definitely wouldn’t be surprised to see that substitution as well.
@@Justanotherconsumer phwoar
My dad a Vietnam Vet told me there were 3 things grunts like him in Vietnam loved. 1) C-47 gunship ( Puff the Magic Dragon and Snoopy) 2) F4 Phantoms dropping napalm. 3) B52 Bombers ( ARC Light).
I agree 100%. I and my GIB flew 68 missions over NVN and Ol’ Smokey brought us back every time. Another 100
I've always thought the F4 was one cool ass looking fighter! When I was in the air force in the early eighths we would occasionally have an F4 make fuel stops at our base, I remember well how loud the afterburner were on takeoff! She was definitely one of the USAF's finest fighter bombers!!!
Thankfully you slowed down with the narration.
I think they listened. I enjoyed how chilled it was too. I didn't feel like I was being briefed and it was nice.
I usually slow the video down to .75x
Spent time under many of these monsters while working the cats on USS MIDWAY ! Hated seeing them phased out.
Worked on the Radar, bombing system, gun sight, missile firing system on F4C,D,E for 20 years. A lot of scrapes and bumps from phantom bytes.
Born in 1960 near the now defunct El Toro Marine Base in SoCal, My family never missed the yearly Blue Angel flight demonstrations. My earliest memory of the Blue Angels was when they were flying the tubular-looking Grumman Tiger. Excellent performnce, and of course one of the solo pilots snuck behind us and roared over us at low altitude. Then they turned to the Phantom. They were HUGE! Monster-truck engines. Lots of black exhaust, drop angle elevators, afterburners, fantastic climbs, crisp knife-edge passes - damn, I loved that jet. And now TWO blasting jet engines when the solo pilot surprised us. I was 9, first year they used the Phantom and 15 when they moved to the pipsqueak Skyhawk. I was dismayed. Where was that flying battleship? It took a couple years before I learned to enjoy the nimble Skyhawk (but still missed the Phantom)
Ugly duckling ? I beg to differ. She's gorgeous, from every angle.
Couldn't agree more.
Lets see if I can spell it? An Iconic jet from every angle.
Absolutely.
Vought F-8 crusader
Was the best fighter in Nam, would and did run circles around the phantom
Oooh rahh. 🤠
Everybody gansta til the F-105s start dogfighting