McDonnell Douglas F-4J(UK) PhantomAEROGUIDE 25: McDONNELL DOUGLAS F-4(UK) PHANTOM Published in Groat Britain by Linewrights Led P.O. Box 632, Ongar, Essex CM ONH, England (© 1989 Linewrghts Lid ‘The contents of this book ae strictly copyright and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior vaiten consent of Linewrights Lid ISBN 0 946958 22 7 Written, designed and produced by Roger Chesneau Colour profile and ine drawings by Mike Keep Cover photograph by Joananne Chesnesu Photo processing by Frank Calins Typesetting by Typesetters (Birmingham) Lid) Smethwick, West Midlands Colour reproduction by Columbia Offset (UK) id London ‘Monochrome reproduction by M&E Reproductions, North Fambrdge, Essex Printing and binding by Black Bear Press Ltd Camandge ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Te publication could not have been produced without the ready help given by embers of No 74 (Fightef) Squadron, and the publishers extend ther thanks to them, in particular to the Officer Commanding, Wa Ca CR Spink, anc to Fit Lis J Bletcher, P McNamara and L MeQuada. Thanks sre aso due to Del Holland (Martin Baker Bircrft Co), Robert F Dor, Paul Jackson and Dick Ward for their kind assistance with Dhotogranhs. Uncredited ilustrations are the opynght ofthe publishers Cover photograph: The first ofthe Tigers E350 undergoes a outine check-over prior toa sorte, Apri 1988, Back cover plate: The same srraft in profile, showing the traditional black tal that has gradual been introduced to all No 74's Phantoms Title page illustration: Roma, the tiger at Linton Zoo that has been ‘adopted by the Squadron. No 74 San Price £3.95 net (UK only)McDonnell Douglas F-4J(UK) PhantomINTRODUCTION fourteen years, the Roval Air Force was once again able to count a fully operational Tiger Squadron amongst its units. The re-formation of No 74 (Fighter) Squadron, to give its name in ful, was @ direct outcome of the 1982 Falklands War: after hostilities were concluded, it became necessary to station a detachment ‘of Phantoms on the islands in order to defend the Falklands against any further Argentine incursions, and '8 a consequence there was a shortfall in the number of aircraft available for air defence duties in the United Kingdom. The Tornado ADV interceptor was still some ‘years away in terms ofits introduction to service, and thus in order to fil the breach created by the move south something else was needed — and as quickly as possibl “The obvious place to turn to was the Arsenal of Democracy, the United States, and in particular the storage facity at Davie Monthan AFB, where for many years the dry desert atmosphere of Arizona has hi reserve surplus US military arratagang the possibility that om d ht be needed. 7 Phantom was only were there pt was already io R ‘engined variant, ac ela O: 31 December 1986, after a break of more than dito This ofthe beet F-4) sitrames were selected, thelr fiying hours varying from 2000 to 4500, and taken to the US Navy's Air Rework Facility (NARF) at North Island, Ean bore: Thee they were yttod, inspected ancl tien reassembled, incorporating ss much Bish equipment as Be ee ee een peer seico sn meant replacing much of the original communications Be ee hae iees cages eeu CAE requirements and reurbishing the AWG 10 redar system Beare a ene Skye oar ieaien: Th standard Phantom powerplants, General Electric 179s ‘wore retained: Redesignatod F0(UK)- not Phantom F.3, Thich though perhaps a logical appellation is an entirely Fetious one the arcraft were flown in batches from the United States during the socond hat of 1984 to take Tpecpieea et ccee to la eagle an, Sreacy eperstng $Spey_poweted Phontoms, at RAE Wattsharn in Surat im general appearance the F-Ai(UKIs closely resomble sting RAF Phantoms but tho original, simmer Be ee a once ged sual cus it identification. Perhaps more obviously, at least from. © mostangles, the aera ack. firtop pod carving radar iter whic tne aos 2 ate located USN-style at tho fin Be eee ae erate ceicarpers ofthe main The original paintwork of the new aircraft was rent, as related later. Below: One of the early artivals at Wattisham: ZE362/'G’, photographed on 19 October 1984 in ‘clean’ configuration and with pristine paintwork, The purchase of F-A\UK)s for the Royal Air Force marked one of the few occasions when the service has acquired ‘second-hand’ aircraft, although the thoroughness of the refurbishment programme ‘meant that the Phantoms were virtually brand new.ip 7 Squat was oily ring ato a ‘Roya Fig Caps, Roving been formes at Nota on ‘ly 187 wh Are SO Roun eh SEs ‘the sping a 18 ought Frence unde the Suto Bega, 2d Sem ling HO sey Scat rarer 3 potable wh rast “ghlosos toe. ke during the pti ite tgrm Tiger Squacror wus isthe e eerence to Ho's courage and aggfssion nth a= an i flame an the eprops sgunaron mug. Ir aciayrecoanised. “ie Seaton dha inthe sumer of 1919 ant ‘wes note fomed ut 1 September 1 when a0 ‘lemon of N02 Squdon, ig Denman Fass [oyesnon Criss The wants nomsnay based tt tornnure fo whch aeagrme Rated on ‘gut 135, romaing ter forte nxt for yas ‘No 74 (FIGHTER) SQUADRON Tha Donons were placed by Gaus an ron 901898 Spires were taken on stn The ‘Sauadron was vr aetie dur he Bate o Brita, ‘hing tom 2 sumber of acl a Naver MG! recocing 2 enemy sre cosoyed 1 na eto tho Toma Sd’ 9 ‘sttin ecogntn a gt of Spits pressed tha und by the Govan of te ony aa eon The yn nt pS or nosy stn Mricano tbs an Spee VEs ands, btm 94 the ‘Suaern renege Gran onde i Ste Ke ingroura-atack sores oe ner Fanee Ho 78 ins taped Baten us om agit at ming ot th Methane 86a the ‘German amin reat. Tha Squdranbaamo ano a the components ot Fler Comat stat Wing wen sang ah Nos 8 and 25, re-eguppad wit Meteosat Benwatarsin September 146 Meters n= ‘aces ars Ve ad ere the Hora St nth btn 85 rte F cl {alonedby Fs wre taken on charge Ty 60 a bacame thee squadron a peat Mach 2EplshEotre Ugh, et ato the Far East i Force EAP. gus 151 Seal dsbandes,alegusing tart to No 5 Snuadon (thin nt eh toca fined rd cones to main 9 Hay ‘lg Ra renin man ol 8 Oeaber {ait on neh date nae ofl reso th ‘Phan Iwas delredopctoal une ourteenDESIGN & SEVEL@PIVIENT the most successful Western postwar combat aireraft and cortainly, to date, the most numerous ~ has been recounted very many times in print and was outlined in Aenocuioe 13, which covered the Spey-engined variants, and so the subject will not be dwelt upon here. Briefly, however, the F-4J can be traced directly back to the F-4B, which was the first major production version of the Phantom following the completion of some four dozen F-4A (FaH-1) pre-production and early service Ts background history of the Phantom ~ arguably aircraft. Compared with the first prototype (depicted on this spread), the 8 variant featured redesigned main intakes, a substantially raised cockpit and canopy, more powerful engines (J79-GE-8s, each of 16,000Ib thrust), APQ-72 main radar inside a big new nose section and, less obviously, a strengthened structure and undercarriage, an updated and standardised avionics suite and a retractable inflight refuelling probe. Tho J model was the second to be put in production for the US Navy and Marine Corps; 502 were built, compared, with 651 Bs, It featured still more stengthening, to enablethe aircraft to land aboard carriers at 38,000Ib (34,0001b in. the B); larger undercarriage wheels (with a bulging of the ‘wing upper surfaces above the gear wells); 17,900Ib thrust -GE-10 engines; an extra fuel cell, in the rear fuselage; new AWG-10 fire control radar, incorporating pulse-doppler to enable low-flying enemy aircraft to be detected and tracked (the old IR sensor beneath the nose was deleted); the addition of a radar homing and warning system (RHAWS}, roughly equivalent to RWR; updated avionics and communications, including an ASW-25 data link for carrier communication; Martin-Baker Type H7 Above: The first of the many: the McDonnell FaH-1 prototype, photographed during its maiden fight on 27 May 1958, Apart from its slender nose, nose boom, low-profile canopy and cutaway main intakes, the aircraft iooks almost identical to production Phantoms. McDonnetf Douglas Below left: The first fight of the F-4J, 27 May 1966, Aircraft {instead of Type H5) ejection seats; and leading-edge slots along the ‘horizontal’ stabilisers which, in Conjunction with the ‘drooped aileron’ feature, reduced cartier approach speeds by 12kts (about 9 per cent. The J model formed the basis of the British Spey- engined Phantoms, the only members of the 5000+ strong family to be fitted with anything other than J79s or ‘their derivatives (at least in a production series variant) and the subject of a very expensive and not wholly Satisfactory redesign programme. Meanwhile about one~ third of the US Navy's B models were going through the 153072 wes actually the second J built, not counting three converted 8 models. The occasion Is suitably ‘commemorated on the nose. McDonnell Douglas Below: ‘Romeo’ and ‘India’ shortly after getting airbome at ‘Wattisham, spring 1987, The aitcraft are both carrying the £600 US gallon centreline tank. Paul JacksonTIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM rigours of a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) known as Project ‘Beehive’, under which the airframes were strengthened and certain features of the F-4J incorporated, resulting in a new designation, FAN. Some 250 Js were later upgraded to F-4Ss in another SLEP, the work including the fitting of advanced AWG-108 radar, ‘smokeless’ -GE-10B engines and leading-edge slats ('S. for Slats’) on the wings. The fifteen aircraft purchased for the Royal Air Force were taken from a variety of Blocks (see table on page 7) ‘and were manufactured between 1967 and 1963. All had, seen service with the US Navy or Marine Corps; indeed, at least one example, 153785, did duty in South-East Asia during the Vietnam War. The first two aircraft were taken, by helicopter from Davis-Monthan to San Diego, but when one of them took an unscheduled dip in the Pacific fen route to North Island it was decided to fly-in the remaining aircraft. Each airframe was given a Standard Depot Level Repair and what amounted to a J-to-S SLEP (less the leading-edge slats) and the result is that No 74 ‘Squadron's Phantoms are amongst the most up-to-date flying anywhere. They cannot therefore be considered the stopgaps (in the sense that they are interim aircraft) that some commentators have implied: they are much more modem than the existing FGR.2s and few FG.1s on the RAF's inventory and, just as importantly, have many fewer flying hours on the clock: The choice of the Phantom was perhaps the obvious one, given the urgency of replacing the elements of No 29 Squadron which moved to Ascension and thence to RAF Stanley after the Falklands War. Despite the different engines, the aircraft was in large measure familiar to air ‘crews and ground crews alike. The first pilots and navigators for the re-formed squadron were all experienced on the Phantom and training was type: ‘conversion only, undertaken at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station in Arizona: none of the aircraft acquired was a dual-control type, and air crews are now drawn from the Phantom OCU at RAF Leuchars. Similarly, ground crew training was originally carried out at NARF, with formal classroom instruction at the Naval Air Maintenance ‘School at NAS Oceana, on the US East Coast, but this is now conducted at Leuchars’ Phantom Training School, ‘A further reason for selecting the Phantom was the fact ‘that, despite thelr different powerplants, the F-4J and the F-4K/M (the US designations for the Spey-engined versions) have certain components in common. Radomes, undercarriage parts and a number of the Tiger Tales ‘All the Phantoms operated by No 74 Squadron have se time or ancther with either the US Navy orth US Marin Corps. This ‘selection of photos shows some ofthe ara in their earlier colours. Top row: (lft 2 sow fn by VEMA-251's Fd 15373 now ZE351) photographed in Japan in about 1877; (centre) ZE552 once sported &DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT external panels are interchangeable among the three marks, as are (more importantly) pylons, external fuel tanks and of course ordnance. Another consideration, and one not often highlighted in the aviation press, was the fact that the F-4J, being a US Navy aircraft, is, plumbed for a hose-and-drogue inflight refuelling system ‘compatible with British practice; US Air Force machines, conversely, are designed to accept a fixed boom and cannot therefore take on fuel from RAF tankers. The choice of the F-4J did have some disadvantages. ‘The aircraft are equipped with US Navy ejection seats (albeit of British manufacture) and thus only accept plug- in terminals from Navy flying suits — which No 74 ‘Squadron personnel therefore wear. More serious, however, isthe fact that the aircraft have J79 engi Not only does this present maintenance problems terms of cost ~ there are only fifteen aircraft using J79s in the UK, although they are common enough in other European countries, notably West Germany ~ but the engines have no APU (self-start) facility and need a bulky external power source, calling for additional outlay and, extra maintenance. The colour scheme displayed by the F-4Js when they arrived in the UK was the subject of much comment and f ‘THE AIRCRAFT OF No 74(F) SQUADRON. ] Type US BuNvo 153768 Farzeme — {153768 153783 Faszome — {159785 159785 Fass0-MC 153803 FASTMC 153860 Faa2MC 153892 188510 rarsomc {158510 188578 Falsame [155734 136755 FAS7MC 155068 FALSOMC 155804 * Aircraft known to be paint in BS colours Ap 1988. + Writan of 1088, ‘speculation, and even today it represents a conundrum that has not been satisfactorily resolved. The official line is that the aircraft were painted in near-equivalents of the standard RAF Phantom scheme of Barley Grey (BS4800- famous colour scheme asthe ‘Black Bunny’ of VK-4 ‘Evaluators, based at Point Mugu right the Phantom taking on fuel inthis photo is VE-102 Diamondbacks’ 58510, which became ZE358, Botom row i the “Black Bunny's t appeared just prior to rlurishmert, having reverted to the standard USN scheme and ooking somewhat westhorbeston BB weno | ee (phoro: No 7 Sar; (con) F-4) 153785 ater 2E39) ina subdued schame landing at Kaneohe Bay, Hawai, in March 1865; (ight) te same aircraft in more flamboyant colours, in sorvice with VMA-222 Red Devis at the time this picture was taken. Photos fom Robert F Dorr ‘except where indicatedTIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM San Diego: fuse testing the Rak Home at last, August 1984. ] The Squadron in Cyprus, 1987. All photos: No 74 SanDESIGN & DEVELOPMENT 188.2) and Medium Sea Grey (BS381C-637) with Light Aircraft Grey (BS381C-627) undersurfaces, using Federal Standard colours 36314, 36270 and 36440 respectively. ‘The 36270 shade is the lighter of the two standard USAF F-16 uppersurface greys, incidentally, whilst 36440 used to be seen on the AV-8B's undersurfaces and in its glossy 16440 form is applied overall to many of the US Navy's F-14 Tomeats (its, in fact, the well-known Gull Gray of US Navy aircraft). The 36314 is the problem: it simply is unlike samples of 36314 seen elsewhere! It has a distinctly greenish-blue hue (which has been explained by the fact that it was applied thinly over a deep yellow primer) but more importantly it has a genuinely glossy finish, as can be seen in the photographs in this book, suggesting that this shade, and perhaps all three, belong to the FS 1- series rather than the 3. F-4N(UK) DATA* Powerplant: Two Gancral lac HTB 0b each te at 172000 Bimenelone: Overl engi St Sn; wingspan 38 Sn: eight 1h Welaha ergy 200s maximum $6.00 Performance: Maximum speed (laan) over Mach 2.28 (1600mph at high stud); cimb rate 26.000!Umin rng with maximum extemal fot 2300 mioe frmament. Fair medium-range Sky Flash or AIM-7 Sparrow AM and four short range AMO Sidewinder AAMs, pus oczactonally) {ne 20mm M6! cannon in SUU-23/ pod, Maximum external loos ‘Serve: First fight F-4)27 Mey 1956, (F-(UK)) summer 1988; RAF _hrvico entry 31 AUgUSt 1988 (at daliory to Watiham). Tigure quoted are approximate, ‘Above: Z£360 in 1985 with its code letter somewhat roughly applied to the forward nosowheel door. This aircraft has since been repainted in the standard RAF Phantom colour scheme ‘with black tail. In common with other frontline RAF aireraft, the F-AUKIs are housed in hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) at their home base, giving protection against most forms of ‘conventional attack. Ground crews like the shelters too! Note the air start hose at tight for the J79 engines, Left: An ‘alert bird’ in Wattisham's camouflaged ‘Q' hangar, December 1985, Page 9STRUCTURE another for over thirty years now and itis easy to forget the impact it made when it first appeared, for although one could recognise in it many of the hallmarks of its MeDonnell-built predecessor, the F3H Demon, it was nevertheless a dramatic new shape in the skies. Interestingly, nothing remotely like it has been put into production since: it has no direct descendants as such, partly no doubt because of its longevity but also because of technological advances and changing role parameters, In terms of its general layout, the F-4 was quite conventional, even by late 1950s standards, the fuselage housing the main radar, crew and avionics, fuel and powerplants, the last set side by side and fed with air vie ong intake ducts on either flank. The low-set, semi-delta wing was nothing new in terms of aircraft design, and the broad-track undercarriage retracting towards the aircraft's centreline was typical of the day. What made the Phantom different was the detail of the design ‘The novelties can in general be explained by the requirements of high performance at a range of altitudes Ts Phantom has been around in one form or Page 10 and the quest for optimum stability in all flight regimes. Thus the massive variable-geometry ramps and bleed ducts fronting each intake duct permitted the quantity of air delivered to the engines to be carefully controlled, at the same time keeping the swirling boundary layer currents adjacent to the fuselage skin well clear. The 12- degree upturns at the wing tips pay dividends in terms of lateral stability (in much the same way as a constant dihedral would}, and the 23-degree anhedral on the stabilisers at once keep them clear of engine efflux and of wing wash when the aircraft is nose-up and counteract the rolling tendencies produced by the angled wing tips. As to its structure, the F-4J(UKI is no different from the standard article, the SLEP at San Diego involving, checking, upgrading, refitting and replacing components rather than rebuilding per se. The viral dismantling of the aircraft prior to their acceptance by and delivery to the RAF can be, for the most part, attributed to the Phantom’s original system of assembly, wherein the fuselage was built as left and right halves, each being plumbed and wired before the two were mated.Left: Another view of ‘Oscar’ in its HAS, clearly showing the starboard HAWS fairing on the main intake. Above left: Close-up view of the retractable steps to the front cockpit. Note the formation stip light at top left ~ the F-4J(UKs are, along with the new Harrier GR.6s, the only RAF aircraft to have them, ‘Above: The two cockpit canopies. The fixed centre frame between the two cockpits is Lunglazed on the por side. Below: Close under the nose radome. The elliptical plate at top right marks the location of a beacon used for carrier landings when the aircraft were in US service, Bottom: Starboard and port air intakes for the F-4's heat exchanger system.TIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM Page 12STRUCTURE EN Fer left: View into the =, ©) starboard main intake, with the compressor face evident beyond; the ‘tail down’ attitude of the J79s as installed in the aircraft can be inferred from this photo. Left: Starboard intake splitter plato and ramp, showing the ‘perforations’ for bleeding off Unwanted boundary-layer ait Below far left: Looking along the starboard wing leading edge Bolow centre: Low-vsibility pink and pale blue roundels, are carried on F-AJIUKIs in the usual six positions; the (SW gaan Upper photo shows the rs = starboard intake roundel. The | WF sere iran Peers \4 ay cane Ba: i Below: The upturned wing tip of the F-4is especially apparent in this photo of one of No 74 Squadron's early arrival. Page 13TIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM vn Page 14 MIN iO aSTRUCTURE Opposite page top: View from aft shows drooped aileron; inboard, adjacent to the fuselage, is a plain fap. Opposite page centre left: Recesses beneath the wing root, leading edge mark the positions of the USN catapult hold bback hooks; the hooks themselves have been removed Opposite page centre right: Detail of ‘dogtooth’ on wing leading edge. Opposite page bottom left: Starboard ‘dogtooth, looking inboard, Opposite page bottom right: Outboard pylon attachment ‘and (nearer camera) wing fold hinge detail Left: Local strengthening at the wing hinge line, The need to {old the Phantom's wings rarely arises in RAF service. Left below: Starboard wing tip, with formating lights (forward and trailing-edge navigation light evident. Below: Overhead view of drooped aileron, starboard side, Bottom: Starboard wing, showing location of roundel an tip panel Page 15TIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM Left: Wing root trailing edge detail. The fuselage panel aft of the trailing edge isin the ‘old’ colours; the rest of the aircraft carries British paint. Bolow: Tango’ tal, with a fintip RHAWS of slightly different shape compared with the rest of the fleet. Right: ZE350 on 19 October 1984, with a Sky Flash missile and an SUU-23/A gun pod posed beneath Right centre: 2£352 Pictured on the same day, ‘The orange dayglo dise above the wing root is nothing other than a visual reference point for accompanying aircraft: Spey Phantoms have an exhaust duct here, Right bottom: Tail end of E352 as originally finished (loft) and as now (1988). The style of the serial numbers, is unique in the RAFLeft top: ZE356/0" in the standard RAF Phantom scheme of Medium Sea Groy, Semi Matt Grey (Barley Grey’) and Light Aircraft with a Medium Sea Grey radome, the latter showing traces of a former colour, probably Barley Grey. Left centre: The contrast between the original US paintwork and the standard itish colours is highlighted in this view. Some squadron personnel refer to the old sme as ‘Duck Egg Blue with good reason Left bottom: Zi looks immacu e spring sunshine, unarmed but with a centraline tank in place. Intake blanks are fitted Above: ZE359/'J' in the old colours. A Sidewinder ‘acquisition round is visible on the port outer rail: with this 1uipment, interceptions and agements can be ealistically simulated against friendly aircraft Right upper: ZE350/T’. This and the preceding four photos were taken in il 1988, Right lower: No Squadron shares Q me : tion Alert duties (QRA, or simply 'Q’) with other UK: od interceptor units: here 363 awaits the call at isham's alert hangar in December 1985. The fight rew's helmets are ready to be grabbed atop indshield, Notice the 3s to the wing flapand ready to 9 d cde numbers appl Top right: The tiger e arried on the nose AUK Above: One of the Ks of the F-AJ(UK) ines need this substantial piece of equipment, a F he thought that ri ald appear to be requ‘STRUCTURE PionatTIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM Above: Two views showing etal beneath the tailplane, With the tip of the arrester hook prominent (left) Left: Two photos depicting the J79's variable-geometry nozzles (‘afterburner cans’ in US parlance) and the aircraft's arrester hook attachment point. The surfaces here are extremely Clean, but unattended they rapidly become blackened Opposite page top: Early J79s during manufacture. Note that the special assembly cradles can be rotated to facilitate access to all surfaces of the engines. The J798 used to have a reputation far smokiness, bt the problem was largely overcome with the introduction to service of the ‘GE-10A version of the tengine: the F-4JIUK)s have the 108, an improved derivative, General Electric ‘photo. Opposite page bottom left: Air hose attachment point for engine start-up, Opposite page bottom right: General view of tail pipe nozzles as seen from the port side, For the statistician, each J79 weighs ‘approximately 3850)b and is. just under 17 6in ong each uses about 2ib of fuel eer hour per pound of thrust at take-off (with re-heat) and rather less than 0.5lb at military rating (which is about 11,8000)STRUCTURETIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM ‘Above: Underwing view showing drooped aileron, port side. _surplus bypass air during flight. Below: Outer pylon beneath starboard wing; note sway brace. Opposite page centre left: Detail view of starboard gear | Opposite page top left: Underbelly detail, showing location _ attachment point, for centreline pylon; starboard inner pyion is seen beyond. Opposite page centre right: Starboard whee! well detail, with Opposite page top right: Auxiliary doors astride centreline empty Sky Flash bay beyond. station draw in extra air during engine startup and can dump Opposite page bottom: General view of starboard gear.STRUCTURE Page 25TIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM Page 26STRUCTURE This spread: F-4.KUK) main undercarriage views; all the illustrations except those at top row centre and bottom row centre show the port unit. The main gear units are Virtually identical to thase on the Spey Phantoms, incorporating the 11 in wide wheels first introduced ‘on US Alt Force Phantoms instead of the 734in-wide variety fitted to F-4Bs, complete with the necessary ‘wing bulges at the top of the wheel bays to enclose them. The lash-down lugs and the ¢general sturdiness of the ‘Gear units testify to the Phantoms naval origins. Note, in the photo immediately left, the air brake behind the wheel bay. Page 27TIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM. This page: Aspects of the nose undercarriage gear. The unit is similar to that on the Phantom FGA.2 but does nat have the extended oleo of the FG.1. Note the triple landing light on the front door ~ another memory from carrie-borne ops. Page 28,MISSION reason why the aircraft has enjoyed such popularity and longevity: the standard aircraft is equally at. home in the interceptor and ground-attack roles, and in the Royal Air Force the Spey aircraft originally carried a strike camera or a reconnaissance pod as well Nowadays, however, the F-4s in British service are generally used only in the air defence role, and in this ‘respect the F-4J(UK}s of Tiger Squadron, although they could presumably be fitted with air-to-ground ordnance, are no different. In fact the armament they carry is, identical to, and interchangeable with, that toted by the Spey-engined aircraft. Fully armed, each aircraft is equipped with eight missiles, four medium-range BAe Sky Flash and four short-range AIM-9L Sidewinders. The radar-homing Sky Flash weapons, developments of (and in dimensions identical to) the American AIM-7 Sparrow but fitted with @ ‘much improved seeker and other internal modifications, are carried on four stations beneath the fuselage, recessed to decrease the drag they create and to avoid fouling the undercarriage gear. Propelled by a solid rocket motor, each missile is 12ft Tin long and is reported to travel at a maximum speed of Mach 4 out to a range of 30 miles, making them ‘beyond visual range’ (BVR) Weapons — the pilot probably won't actually see his quarry. For close interception work the AIM-SL Sidewinder, the West's standard short-range missile and the one that achieved such brilliant results during the 1982 conflict with Argentina, is carried: up to four can be accommodated, in pairs on launch rails fitted to the aie ‘multi-role capabilites of the Phantom are one: inboard wing pylons. Activation is by infra-red (IR) homing, out to a range of 11 miles and, in contrast to previous models, the L version can ‘chase’ an enemy rcraft instead of having, virtually, to be pointed up its il pipe by the attacking pilot. required, the standard Phantom gun pod can be installed. Designated SUU-23/A, this houses a six- barrelled M61 20mm Vulcan rotary cannon with 1200 rounds. The weapon is effective for attacking ground targets, but itis not the ideal gun for air-to-air combat since itis inherently less accurate than an integral gt ‘owing to the vibration that inevitably occurs when it is fired. It also produces unwanted drag. The centreline station can also accommodate the standard F-4 600 US gallon (500 Imp gallon} fuel tank, while the normal store {or the outboard pylon on each wing is the ‘Sergeant Fletcher’ 370 US gallon (308 Imp gallon) tank. The carriage of the tanks increases fuel capacity by some 67 per cent which, allowing for the drag they create, still increases range at economic cruise speeds by more than 50 per cont. Below left: Starboard forward Sky Flash (lve round}, showing how recessed carriage minimises drag Below right: Port aft Sky Flash; nate haw the upper fins are housed in slots above the bay. In the event of one of these missiles having to be fred, the rocket exhaust would simply. blow away the protective cap an the nozzle, Bottom: The full suite: ‘Whiskey’ peels away to reveal four Sky Flash and four AIM-2Ls, together with a pair of ‘Sergeant Fletchers’ in the ‘correct’ RAF Phantom colours, No 74 Sqn Page 29TIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM.G@GGREir he F-4(UK)’s mission — essentially though not exclusively the interception of long-range attack aircraft armed with stand-off missiles ~ requires both combat air patrol (CAP) and quick-reaction alert (QRA) duties, and much of the aircraft's time is spent ‘over the sea. The crew of two comprises the pilot up front. and, behind him, the radar intercept officer (still generally called a navigator in the RAF, despite the wide range of, additional tasks he has to cope with). The cockpit layouts are, in effect, hybrids of those of the F-4J and those of the Right: Canopies up on ‘india’. Martin-Baker ft Co Below: F-4J\UK) front ‘cockpit. No 74 Sqn Below right: The navigator’s cockpit. Prominent at top left is the long-range periscope ‘or identifying ‘bogeys’. No 74 Sqn Bottom right: Canopy hinge detail, rear cockpit. Martin- Baker Aircraft Co Opposite page top: General view of the canopy, showing Clearly the navigator's rear view mirror faring and the circular plate covering the periscope position Martin-Baker Aircraft Co Opposite page bottom: Type 7 ejection seats as itted to the F-AJIUK), Martn-Baker Aircraft Co Page 32 F-4K/M, as a glance at the photographs below will show. One requirement of the F-4J(UK)s was that they be fitted for a long-range telescopic sight, mounted on the port canopy frame. The ejection seats are currently the US Navy pattern Type H7s and itis possible that in view of the withdrawal from service of the FG.1s and the replacement of FGR.2s by Tornados the availability of standard Type 7A Mk 3s compatible with British flying suits will be retrospectively fitted to the F-4J(UK)s, to give standardisation.SQUADRON COLOURS McDONNELL DOUGLAS F-4J(UK) PHANTOM, No 74{F) SQUADRON, RAF WATTISHAM, SUMMER 1985, annie Uppe sees ey eros ‘ Tal pipes and lower, ———— = é_ surfaces of empennoge: Stained natural Sn ‘All undercariage legs intonors of Upper surfaces of whee! bays and ‘outer wing panels inner surlaces of Gray 36314 bay doors: Write 17875 ‘All roundets: Pink/ pale blue ae ‘wing stonciing: ‘White 27875 Wing walkway cutie striping White 37875 Gray 36440 Upper surfaces of ‘ \ someon Cay Upper inboard 6314 wth atl metal erste suraces of gs Gy a8270 Poge 34Note 1:96 scale Gray 36440 is generally referred to as 'Gull Gray’ and whites. 17875 (glossy) and 37875 (matt) as ‘Insignia White’ in US service. Gray 36314 is often referred to as ‘Flint Gray’ in the. aviation press. Numbers quoted are those in the Federal Standard (FS) listings. For comments on the F-4J(UK) colour scheme depicted here see pages 7-9. Under surfaces of stabilisers: Gray 36440 with stained natural metal inner Sections | \ ‘Sidewinder missiles: White with natural ‘metal nose Sections Nose door code: Block Sky Flash missiles: White with black ‘and yellow bands For additional information regarding F-4J(UK) colour schemes, reference to Modeldecal Set 76 is recommended. Squadton markings: Orange, black and white tiger's head set on block outlined white cise Craw names: Black Allformating stro Fin flashes: Pink stencil (utr aoet lights: Greenish pale bive forward, rut but SS uunrono’ aft Crew ladder stripe Gray 36440 Fuddor code: Black utlined in yellow Rescue markings Gray 36440 Wing pylons: White 17878 Page 35TIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM Left: ZE360 outside its HAS ‘at Wattisham, spring 1988, with intake blanks in situ The slightly ta-down attitude of the aircraft is not Unusual Below: Z€357 in 1985, finished in US colours but showing underwing tanks in Medium Sea Grey (8S381C. 637) and Light Aircraft Grey (BS381C-627), the standard RAF Phantom colours. The port main intake bears the nickname ‘Avenida Arraw’ see pages 12-13 for a close- tp photograph, Below: ZE363 with a full complement of AMS, 1985. This aircraft has the “interim black tail ‘and, as yet, no tail code letter. The ‘W' was later applied to the rudder and the fin leading edge painted black; later stil the ‘906’ nose door code was replaced by the single letter Below: ZE356 ‘Quebec’ in 1988, painted in Barley Grey BS4800-18B.21, Medium Sea Grey and Light Aircraft Grey; the radome is also Medium Sea Grey. This is one of three F-AJIUKIs known to have been painted in standard RAF Phantom colours by mid-1988, Sin Below: For the 1988 Tiger Meet held at Cameri, Italy, from 5 to 12 July, ZE365 was ‘temporarily adomed with tiger artwork on the nose, painted in yellow and black. The Sky Flash ballast rounds are medium blue and a 600 US gallon tank is carried centreline Page 36Is your reference Linewrights publications provide ‘unsivalled petorial coverage of Famers ier from the 19305 up ‘0 the present day withthe accent on high-quality, original ‘photographs in large format backed up by a concise, pertinent connmentary ad precision Lie drawings. ach tle has a al olour cover including, in the ‘Ansoourbrs ranges, a superb presentation profile and most have, in adition, four pages of dramatic colour photographs. Procaced with the discerning ‘enthusiast in mind, these books ad up to am escrial reference Tray fr all who are interested in military aviation library complete? PHANTOM SQUADRONS by ‘eta L Ward ‘pp, 211 pots, 20s dawings. ‘abound HUNTER SQUADRONS by Richard L Ward ‘np, 201 pots, 67 line dawings EAP by Bll Gunston Spe, 7 peas, 12 Ene deawings AEROGUIDES "uch Sepp avege 99 photo and 10 Tine digs 12, HARRIER ve Sidley Harr GR MAT Mi 14 SKYHAWK Medonnal Dongs 448 Skyhwk Gramm AE ner 20: HORNET MeDomel Douglas F-18A Hornet men General Dynamis F111 2BeTHUNDERBOLT IL Fer Repub A104 Thunderbolt 24; TORNADO IDS Fis Torna GR Mk 1 25-TIGER SQUADRON PHANTOM MeDleael Doula F-0(UK) Phnom 26 HARRIER GR 5 AEROGUIDE CLASSICS ach 2p aerage 85 photon and 19 line devon Speman Spigie Mk V 2 ME 109 Messer B 1095 S:LANCASTER. Favey Snr Mth 5: THE HART FAMILY her Hot an derives Linewrights Lid PO Box 832, Ongar, Essex CM5 ONH, England