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The Phantom II became one of the most respected and remembered aircraft of her time, serving with distinction with the air wings of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
The Phantom II became one of the most respected and remembered aircraft of her time, serving with distinction with the air wings of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
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00:05Advances in aviation history give way to legendary aircraft that become the most powerful and
00:11innovative weapons of our time. Each airframe is unique with limitless capabilities but one
00:22thing remains the same. Underneath the surface, they are all simply Great Plains.
00:40It was the world's first fighter with independent search-and-destroy capabilities, capable of flying at more than twice the
00:50speed of sound.
00:52Simultaneously flown by Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom starts out as a carrier
00:59-borne fighter, but it soon develops into one of the Western world's most successful land-based tactical aircraft. I'm Paul
01:07Max Moga, and we're here at the Hampton Air Powered Park in Hampton, Virginia. Join me as we hear the
01:12story of the F-4 Phantom.
01:28McDonnell Douglas builds more than 5,200 Phantoms, and the F-4 still serves with the U.S. forces and
01:3410 other countries.
01:36Who better to help us tell this extraordinary story than a highly experienced Phantom crew?
01:43Lanny, Cucho, it is a pleasure to have a couple of old warriors around to talk about the Double Ugly.
01:49Lanny, give me a quick rundown of how much time and experience you got in the old F-4.
01:53I got about 900 hours in the F-4, about almost 700 of which is combat time.
01:58Wow.
01:58And I started flying it in very early 71, flew it through 72, then I had a headquarters hiatus for
02:08about nine years, and then flew it again at Nellis for a while before converting to the F-16.
02:13How about you, Cucho?
02:14Well, I flew the F-4 straight out of a navigator training. I spent 1,350 hours in the F
02:22-4, nine years.
02:23She must have took pretty good care of you.
02:24Oh, she did. She's a really nice airplane.
02:29The Phantom story begins in the early 1950s as the McDonnell Douglas AH-1, a twin-engine supersonic attack aircraft.
02:47From its inception, the project was designed around the most powerful jet engine available at the time.
02:55The General Electric J79 design promises a top speed of Mach 1.97, or almost twice the speed of sound.
03:06The company begins work in 1951 to produce the new axial flow engine with low weight and great fuel economy
03:13at Mach 0.9,
03:15but with the strength and thrust for Mach 2 performance.
03:22The J79's radical design includes a variable stator compressor with adjustable blades and the after-burning exhaust nozzle.
03:32Variable stator vanes allow the engine to perform at its peak at all altitudes.
03:39They would become a standard feature of military engines in years to come.
03:46The design provides a two-thirds increase in thrust.
03:54During testing in August 1953, it worked so well that the test crew thinks the instrumentation is faulty.
04:04GE connects a J73 turbojet afterburner to the J79, creating a new engine in 1954.
04:18The radical new engine takes to the air in May 1955.
04:24Installed in a nacelle that can be extended below the belly of a converted North American B-45 bomber.
04:42Once the B-45 is airborne, the J79's initial test runs confirm the engine's basic capabilities and steady, level flight.
04:56Then comes a series of air starts, crucial for any jet engine.
05:03The J79 passes its test with flying colors, hitting 13,000 pounds of after-burning thrust.
05:18The first flight-qualified J79 ships off to Edwards Air Force Base in California for more ground and flight tests.
05:27I would think, Cucho, that one of the reasons the F4 has two engines was because it was designed as
05:34a Navy plane.
05:35And Navy guys, if you're going out and back to a boat, probably want to have more than one motor.
05:41But that's just me guessing.
05:42Talk to me a little bit about the engine.
05:44I mean, I'm looking at that burner can right there, and it's not small.
05:47So, these things were a pretty crucial part of getting the lead sled into the air.
05:52Well, the J79 was originally used in the B-58 and also in the F-104.
06:00And it's an amazing engine.
06:03It usually didn't fail us.
06:08But in case, like you said, in case that one fail, we always have something to fall back on and
06:15bring it back home safely.
06:18Fuel, oil, and 100 or more electrical connection checks all pass inspection.
06:26The XF-4D-1 prototype, or Skyray High Performance Naval Interceptor, is chosen as a test bed for the new
06:34engine.
06:40Ground runs in idle and afterburning thrust, test the basic installation.
06:47On December 8, 1955, the J79 equipped test aircraft readies for its first flight.
07:15Nicknames for the Phantom II include Rhino, Double Ugly, Flying Anvil, and Lead Sled.
07:25In December of 1955, GE tests its new J79-powered Skyray prototype.
07:34The aircraft takes off downwind to make full use of the runway, eating up about six miles of the famous
07:42dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base.
07:49The flight climbs to 18,000 feet before returning for a landing.
07:56With the tests a success, the J79 is cleared for operational service.
08:04Although the engine is a success, McDonnell Douglas' plans for a new naval attack aircraft are not.
08:13Instead, the Navy asks for an all-weather fleet defense interceptor.
08:18The new aircraft is called the F-4H-1.
08:23It's given Mach 2-plus performance, and the primary armament gets upgraded from four 20-millimeter cannons to four Sparrow
08:31air-to-air missiles.
08:36A powerful search-and-fire control radar make the F-4H the world's first fighter with self-contained search-and
08:43-destroy capability.
08:49In 1958, the XF-4H-1 prototype rolls out at Lambert Field, St. Louis.
09:01The test pilot, Bob Little, hopes to take its supersonic, but there's a small hitch.
09:08Our intention on that flight was to take the airplane supersonic on its first flight.
09:14We had done that four years before in the F-101, and it was certainly something to be accomplished in
09:21the F-4.
09:22It didn't work out that way.
09:23Landing gear didn't come all the way up.
09:27And on that flight, a hydraulic system failed on takeoff, so I had to bring the airplane in after about
09:3520 minutes of learning how to fly it well enough so I could land it.
09:46The XF-4H-1 eventually taxis into position on the runway, and everyone agrees that McDonnell Douglas has another design
09:53winner, despite the maiden flight difficulties.
09:59The F-4H-1 incorporates many unique features that will ultimately appeal to the Air Force as well as the
10:06Navy.
10:08The pilot sits in the front seat.
10:12The radar officer behind him can use a blind to darken his cockpit for viewing the radar screen.
10:22The cockpit has no shortage of displays and controls.
10:30Crew members sit on Martin Baker Mark V ejection seats.
10:35They can safely eject at zero altitude and at speeds as slow as 150 miles per hour.
10:43The crewman initiates ejection by pulling the overhead handle, while the blind protects his face.
10:51Tell me a little bit about the ejection seat, Lanny.
10:53It's an old Martin Baker?
10:55It's an old Martin Baker seat.
10:58It was very interesting to get into and out of under normal circumstances.
11:03Now, if you ejected, it was all automatic and it kept your legs from flailing, which at very high speed
11:09could save your life.
11:10So it was a good seat.
11:12And, of course, you could also, under emergency situations, eject on the ground.
11:17Grab both the rings and you just pull them down.
11:19You have two methods.
11:21You have the over the head, which pulls a screen in front of your face, is probably preferable, especially for
11:30high speed ejection.
11:31But the issue there is, are you able to hold on with the forces at high speeds?
11:37I think you probably would not be able to, but it's better than nothing.
11:41But I actually never even practice that.
11:45I always use the D-ring between my legs.
11:48Much quicker to get to.
11:49Much quicker to get to.
11:51Stick ejection seat.
11:58Two fully variable inlet ramps help the J79 engines reach Mach 2.
12:05A splitter plate diverts the boundary layer of slow-moving air close to the fuselage.
12:12And the inlet ramp jackknifes out at speeds over Mach 1.4 to control the shock wave and maintain an
12:18even flow of air at the face of the engine.
12:23The aircraft's data computer controls this fully automatic system.
12:31On the port side of the fuselage, a pneumatically extended ram air turbine generates emergency power if the engine fails.
12:41Down to a speed of 225 miles per hour, the turbine provides electrical power, then switches to hydraulic power for
12:49the landing systems.
12:55Four pylons under the wings supplement the center line hard point for carrying stores.
13:04On the leading edges of the wings, three-section slats maintain an even airflow and reduce stalling speed.
13:13All right, Cuccio and Lanny, this is a pretty unique looking wing to me.
13:18I mean, the tip is canted up.
13:20Cuccio, was it always like that?
13:22I mean, or was it ever a different design?
13:24Well, the Air Force model was always like that, but remember, we got the airplane from the original design from
13:32the Navy.
13:32When it was originally the prototype, one of the original prototypes had straight wings.
13:38But because of stability problems, the designer decided to try to put dihedral, and this is what this is.
13:46And the dihedral corrected a lot of the stability problems.
13:51The airframe has two trailing edge flaps.
13:58Slots blow air from the engines over the upper surface of the flap to control the airflow and maximize the
14:04effect of these fairly small surfaces.
14:12Landing requires the full flap setting.
14:15Takeoff requires half flaps.
14:20Spoilers and ailerons provide lateral control.
14:32The underside of each wing sports a hydraulically operated speed brake.
14:36To provide rapid deceleration from its top speed of Mach 2.4.
14:48The plane can land safely with the speed brakes extended.
14:58The long, low, vertical tail of the naval variants fits the low headroom of U.S. carrier hangar decks.
15:08Under the rudder is the vent for the six fuel tanks located in the fuselage.
15:17The aircraft also had the ability to carry three drop tanks.
15:29The horizontal slabs ensure full pitch control under all flight conditions.
15:37Their 23 degree angle improves directional control by increasing the effective side area of the rear fuselage.
15:46Between the J79 tailpipes is the arrestor hook.
15:50Normally stowed under the rear fuselage fairing, but extended for carrier landings.
15:58On land-based Phantoms, the hook helps short landings on runways fitted with the appropriate arresting gear.
16:09Navy and Air Force Phantoms generally have different tires, but of the same diameter.
16:18The broader Air Force tires offer greater touchdown area and are inflated to lower pressures suitable for longer, land-based
16:26runways.
16:31In the rear fuselage, stainless steel, titanium, and ram air cooling provide heat resistance.
16:39A compartment at the tail end holds the 16-foot braking parachute, needed to shorten landing roll on ordinary runways.
16:49The hole in the tail expels the air drawn in to cool the engines.
16:56The Phantom looks like no other plane.
17:00One of its most distinctive features, the power-folding wings, reduces the Phantom's width on carrier decks and elevators.
17:13On land-based Phantoms, the folded wing gives access to the boundary layer control system's plumbing.
17:24The large nose radome accommodates the 32-inch diameter antenna of the APQ-72 main radar.
17:37Under the nose, the fairing for the infrared scanner provides backup if the main radar malfunctions or gets jammed.
17:49With a crew of two, a powerful radar, and a combination of Sparrow medium-range and Sidewinder short-range missiles,
17:56the Phantom is the world's first fighter with search-and-destroy capability independent of ground control.
18:03From the start, the new Phantom is a record-setter.
18:12The Phantom 2 is the first aircraft to fly concurrently with the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
18:46In December 1959, the Phantom sets a zoomed climb-to-altitude record of 98,556 feet.
18:56In September 1960, it takes two closed-circuit records of 1,217 and 1,390 miles per hour.
19:08Less than a year later, in August 1961, it sets a low-altitude speed record of 903 miles per hour.
19:18Followed by an absolute world speed record of 1,606 miles per hour.
19:24But perhaps the most spectacular of these early achievements comes in May 1961,
19:30to mark the 50th anniversary of naval aviation.
19:34Five prototype Phantoms fly west to east across the U.S. in 2 hours, 47 minutes, shattering the previous best.
19:49F-4Bs assigned to the USS Forrestal Battle Group become the Atlantic Fleet's first Phantom unit,
19:55and they immediately fit into combat operations.
20:02Each mission begins with a briefing and survival gear issue before the crews don their life support equipment.
20:15On the command of flight operations, the crews proceed to their aircraft.
20:21Meanwhile, the deck crews, each wearing color-coded vests for identification, finish their preparations for the launch.
20:31The pilot completes his walk-around check of the aircraft.
20:35Then he and his radar officer board the Phantom.
20:39Launch weight is chalked up for the catapult officer's attention.
20:51Fleet defense requires the pilot to fly the aircraft and execute any tactics,
20:56while the radar intercept officer operates the radar and controls the early stages of any engagement.
21:07The flight deck director positions each aircraft over its designated catapult.
21:14And the aircraft is eased over the shuttle and onto the rear section of the catapult where the bridle is
21:20attached.
21:28All is ready for launch as the deck crew scrambles out of the way.
21:36The deck director signals the pilot to push up his power for takeoff.
21:44Finally, the director signals the launch,
21:46and the Phantom hurls down the catapult run and over the bow of the carrier at 185 miles per hour.
22:04As the first two depart on their combat air patrol,
22:08another pair of Phantoms taxi up for launch.
22:16The launch sequence continues, dispatching up the four aircraft simultaneously.
22:41At the end of the patrol, the Phantoms return to the carrier.
23:00As they approach at 150 miles per hour, each aircraft gets a visual check to ensure the landing gear and
23:07flaps have lowered.
23:11Once the deck is clear, the landing signal officer talks the plane down.
23:37As the pilot lines up his approach, an amber light, called the Meatball, guides him in.
23:45As the pilot lines up his approach, an amber light, called the Meatball, guides him in.
23:46The pilot lines up with a row of green lights to ensure that he's in the proper lane so he
23:50can catch the wire.
24:09After the landing, the wire is disengaged from the arrestor hook and returned to its position, ready for the next
24:15plane.
24:24Before their next mission, the aircraft head down to the hangar deck for maintenance.
24:31Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, the Phantom F-4B and the upgraded, more powerful F-4J versions provide the
24:40U.S. Navy's first line of air defense.
24:47The Phantom provides unbeatable combat air patrol within a 400-mile radius.
24:57During the Vietnam War, U.S. Navy Phantoms sometimes operate as attack aircraft from land bases.
25:06They are primarily F-4J aircraft evolved from the initial F-4B with more powerful engines and drooping ailerons to
25:15supplement the flaps.
25:21A combination of the AWG-10 fire control radar and the AJB-7 bombing system give the Phantom the edge
25:29in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat.
25:40It is a combination that will be put to the test over the skies of Vietnam.
26:04Navy Phantom F-4Js prove themselves worthy in both land and sea-based attacks.
26:13In the back seat, the radar intercept officer monitors the tactical situation on his increasingly sophisticated equipment and keeps the
26:21pilot advised of the current situation.
26:31The Phantom was initiated in Vietnam and was one of the few U.S. combat aircraft to stay in that
26:37theater.
26:44Throughout the war, it meets all its demands and is loved by its crews.
26:51But one of the early Phantom's shortcomings is a smoky power plant, which signals its location during an attack.
27:02Ten U.S. Marine Corps squadrons also operated the Phantom and Ground Attack missions in South Vietnam.
27:18Before strapping into the Phantom, the crew completes the standard walk-around checks to spot defects.
27:30The underwing pods get checked for full attachment, complete loading, proper electrical connection, and any flaws of the 2.75
27:39-inch rockets.
27:48The main landing gear wheel well gets checked for hydraulic or fuel leaks.
27:54A quick look assures that the Mark IV 20-millimeter cannon pod is loaded with ammunition and ready to fire.
28:06The ordnance crew loads high-explosive bombs onto the wing pylons.
28:22They insert flagged safety pins before removing the trolley.
28:33A safety wire fitted on each bomb prevents its arming until after it has been dropped.
28:41As it falls, the wire breaks, freeing the nose-mounted propeller to turn the requisite number of times to arm
28:48the weapon.
28:53The two crew members complete the standard walk-around check and climb into the jet.
29:06All moving surfaces get looked over one last time as the ground crew removes flagged pins and safeties.
29:19Loaded with 12 bombs and a center-line drop tank, the F-4B of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 taxis
29:26out for takeoff.
29:31Other phantoms slated for the mission join up on the runway.
29:43Before clearing for takeoff, the crew confirms that the outer wings have been locked down.
29:49They depart for another tactical sortie to support Marine Corps ground forces.
29:57During the late 1960s, the steadily increasing scope of U.S. operations in Vietnam demands that aircraft bases be upgraded
30:05to accommodate aircraft such as the Phantom, which requires fully paved runways.
30:16The success of Marine Corps ground forces in Vietnam depends on the fast response of their Phantom Squadron.
30:23Ground operations require all weather, round-the-clock support.
30:33The Phantom pilots pride themselves on accurately delivering ordnance in a safe manner close to friendly forces.
30:59Once ground forces radio the precise location of the enemy, the Phantoms zoom in and apply constant pressure.
31:25Successive waves of aircraft can deploy specific types of ordnance for each tactical situation.
31:52But it is the U.S. Air Force that flies most of the Phantoms in Vietnam.
31:58They start with the F-4C, a land-based version of the F-4B.
32:06And then the modestly improved F-4D with enhanced ground attack capability.
32:22Although vulnerable to communist guerrilla attack, the centralized fueling system, such as this at Kamran Bay, simplifies tactical operations.
32:40The Phantom's high fuel consumption makes it impractical to keep quick reaction units on the runway.
32:46But it's the only way the Air Force can deliver maximum firepower at a moment's notice.
32:58Under the scorching tropical sun, crews risk heat fatigue as they stand by in their idling aircraft.
33:09But in Vietnam, heat stroke is the least of their worries.
33:34There are currently 631 active Phantoms in non-U.S. service.
33:41U.S. Air Force F-4C Phantoms sit at the ready for attack in Vietnam.
33:56Flying with reduced fuel to allow the maximum 16,000 pounds of munitions,
34:02F-4C Phantoms.
34:03Phantoms link up with a Boeing KC-135 tanker to top off their tanks and to increase their combat radius.
34:18An incomparable attack aircraft in Vietnam, the Phantoms' combination of weapons loadout, range, exceptional airframe strength and avionics ensure that
34:28it finds and hits its mark with deadly accuracy.
34:37The F-4 flies 4.5-hour sorties with an overall record of 280 air-to-air victories and the
34:45destruction of more than 200 anti-aircraft sites.
34:58The Phantom deftly tackles heavily defended out-country targets in North Vietnam.
35:06These targets include vital communication links, power plants and strategic stockpiles, all fortified with anti-aircraft guns and missiles.
35:19Even in cloudy conditions, the Phantoms get through and release their weapons.
35:42The Vietnam War witnesses the U.S. Air Force's entire spectrum of tactical weapons, including all types of free-fall
35:49and retarded high-explosive bombs.
35:56Retarded bombs allow the attacking aircraft to drop accurately at low levels and get away before detonation.
36:12The airplane had a tremendous capability to carry a myriad of ordnance.
36:19You could carry a 3,000-pound bomb where you see the fuel tank now.
36:233,000?
36:243,000.
36:25There was no conventional ordnance that any fighter could carry that the F-4 could not carry.
36:31The F-4 could carry everything, maybe.
36:32In addition to nuclear.
36:37Phantoms also operate in tight patterns at medium altitudes, dropping their bombs on command to deliver maximum impact.
36:47Napalm becomes a particularly important weapon in the U.S. tactical effort during the Vietnam War.
36:56The initial F-4C developed into the F-4D, replacing the APQ-100 radar with the APQ-109A and gaining
37:06the ASG-22 sight.
37:15Both models lack an internal gun, so they frequently carry a gun pod for air-to-air and air-to
37:22-surface missions.
37:29The pod features an external ram turbine to power the cannon, which restricts the aircraft to speeds below 400 miles
37:36per hour during the firing pass.
37:43That confines it to mainly air-to-ground attacks.
37:55Though useful, the Su-16A and the Su-23A self-powered version for the high-speed air-to-air roll
38:02are less than perfect solutions to the Phantom's lack of an internal gun.
38:19The Phantom also operates with air-to-surface missiles, such as the 12,000-yard range Bullpup.
38:33The main air-to-air loadout consists of the medium-range Sparrow and short-range Sidewander.
38:46Initially, Vietnam doesn't see much air combat.
38:51But when the MiG fighters appear, they're generally down.
39:14The F-4E, the definitive U.S. Air Force version, introduces an M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon in the lower nose,
39:22along with a smaller diameter APQ-109A.
39:24A Q-120 radar, upgraded engines, a slotted horizontal tail, and maneuvering slats on the outer wing panels.
39:40Revisions include potted electronic countermeasures, such as this jammer pod carried in the front-left Sparrow missile recess.
39:53The Phantom soon gains large export orders and rapidly becomes the West's most important tactical fighter.
40:03The Phantom operates in Australia, Greece, West Germany, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Egypt, Israel, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
40:27The extraordinarily adaptable Phantom operates with a wide range of weapons on its five hardpoints.
40:36Unguided rockets are especially significant for area ground attack.
40:412.75 inch, and more rarely 5 inch types, are fired against soft battlefield targets such as troop concentrations, unarmored
40:50vehicles, and artillery positions.
41:14The Phantom can carry four Sparrows under the fuselage and two or four Sidewinders on underwing hardpoints for maximum flight.
41:223.75 inch, and more flexibility in the air-to-air roll.
41:28Any number of U.S. bomb types can get deployed in saturation or precision bombing against point and area targets.
41:36The Phantom can carry 30-to-air pods.
41:41The Phantom can carry 30-millimeter pods as well.
41:55The Phantom serves as the most important aircraft in the U.S. Navy and Air Force during the 1960s and
42:02early 70s.
42:06It also wins a position on the aerobatic demonstration teams of each service.
42:18The Navy's Blue Angels fly the F-4J.
42:33The Air Force Thunderbirds rely on the F-4E.
43:05The Phantom can carry 30-to-air on the F-4J.
43:05Extensively used combat aircraft since World War II.
43:09The F-4 Phantom has racked up some impressive production milestones.
43:13Over 5,000 F-4E Phantoms were produced for the U.S. and Allied Air Forces by the end of
43:19its 20 years service history.
43:31And as late as 1983, a conversion of the F-4Ns created the QF-4N variant, a pilotless drone that
43:39can simulate even the most sophisticated targets.
43:41Now out of production, but still an effective warplane, the Phantom isn't going away anytime soon.
43:48Oh, okay.
43:49Um...
43:50Uh...
43:51Um...
43:53authoritarian.''
43:53Huh, huh, what?!
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