Posted on 03/11/2020 7:30:24 AM PDT by C19fan
Japan shed a little bit of history this week as the last of the country’s RF-4E/J Phantom II reconnaissance jets, part of a fleet that has served for more than 50 years, flew for the last time. The last six recon Phantoms flew for the last time on March 9, and the country will retire its entire Phantom fleet by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Tokyo is pursuing the development of a new fighter jet it will design with help from the U.S..
The six jets, part of the 501 Hikotai squadron, were RF-4 photoreconnaissance variants of the iconic fighter. The 501 Hikotai, based at Hyakuri Air Base north of Tokyo, was famous for adopting the American cartoon character Woody Woodpecker as its mascot, painting the bird on the squadron’s vertical stabilizers. According to The Aviationist, which covered Monday’s event, the squadron featured jets in three different camouflage styles, including Vietnam, European, and over water (above). Hyakuri Air Base also tweeted a series of gorgeous photos on Twitter:
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
The Phantom is just too old by 2020 standards.
Ping!
Love the F-4, such an iconic plane!
I recall witnessing in DaNang airbase two F-4, wingtip to wingtip, taking off like, truly, a bat out of Hell. The noise was spectacular and the fire from their anus burned red hot. It is a scene I shall never forget.
BOY, were they loud!
“Love the F-4, such an iconic plane!”
It had an interesting “departure” mode - invoked when one was pulling Gs and exceeding allowable AOA without compensating with rudder.
Time to clean out the old flight suit.
saw one take off and go straight the F up!
awesome
Hell no. Buy a US product off the line like everybody else yah damn merchantilists.
Le Sled
Meanest looking plane ever. I remember back in the late 60’s those babies flying over my house, since my house was near the flight line of McConnel AFB in Wichita.
"The F4 Phantom. America's proof that given a big enough engine, even a brick can fly."
does that one look right? looks different for some reason?
Tail looks a little taller.
I saw the same thing at Da Nang. A few weeks later an F-4 gave us a little help and we could feel the heat “from the ass end” as we put it.
:focal(555x361:556x362)/https://public-media.si-cdn.com/filer/f8/eb/f8eb53a8-dbc0-4614-aad6-eac33ae466b3/f4_bombs.jpg)
Speed is life they say!
Tell that to the B52.
Collings Foundation flies a Phantom at airshows occasionally.
Check their schedule or contact them:
https://www.collingsfoundation.org/aircrafts/?tab=tab-four
You can fly in it too. Rather pricey but...when in history will you get another chance?
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