You Can Now Buy Your Very Own F-4 Phantom Fighter Jet for a Total Steal

http://nationalinterest.org/ ^ | 3/22/18 | James Clark

[Kozak]

Yeah, saw bunch for sale at EAA years ago. It was remarkably cheap for a jet....

[eyeamok]

yeah, it's a fun little toy, but I have 2 of them. I just pulled the engine out of the other on and Shumake from spec2 is rebuilding to go fast and have it stripped just about ready to be powdercoated. pics will go up this summer when it is finished. But since we were talking about airplanes, here is my long term project, I just finished all the gear,control linkage,installed brake/rudder pedals, and will put in battery box this weekend, then I can bolt the canard back on and take it off the stand. With any luck it will fly this year. about 98% done with airframe, engine is sitting here, then I need to buy avionics.

[Kozak]

The emergency procedure for loss of control:

If loss of control beneath 10,000 AGL
EJECT

[Davy Crocket]

Ok..

[Jacquerie]

The F-4 was marginally safe at best for carrier operations. I witnessed several F-4 launch and landing mishaps over a few cruises in the early 1980s.

Hat tip to all F-4 carrier pilots and RIOs.

[Oscar in Batangas]

Is there a “Jealous” icon???

[gundog]

Aluminum and titanium.

[doorgunner69]

Gary Shumake is still in business? I knew him from way, way back when roadracing street bikes in SoCal at all the old tracks. He could be a prickly bastard at times. Wow, must be going on 40 years ago.

[octex]

You have that right.

I was in V-2 Cats on CVA-42, ‘60-’62. The Phantoms were THE loudest a/c we launched. They were even louder than the larger A3 Skywarrior bombers.

[ops33]

I was an air traffic controller during my AF days and spent most of my career working F-4’s, both tower and radar. I fondly remember the days when the Wing would surge, everyone wanting to land and takeoff at the same time, single runway, always a couple of barrier engagements, limited holding patterns, somebody declaring minimum fuel, etc. Glory Days.

[eyeamok]

Gary Shumake is still in business?

Yep, he is just around the corner from the airport, and with 2 rz500’s and 2 rd400’s we have become good friends over the years, I see him every week or so.

[doorgunner69]

Sometime ask him if he keeps in touch with Bill Henry. That was the guy I teamed up with to race a RD350 in production class. I was learning to tune and we had no real $, but I learned a lot. Henry went on to race a Spec2 bike for some time.

[Yardstick]

Coolest plane ever. Love those droopy tail fins.