McDonnell F-4 Phantom II

The Phantom F-4E, squat and powerful, ugly yet right. Exceeding sixty feet in length and when configured for a MIG CAP mission weighing more than twenty-five tons. With 2,000 gallons of fuel internally and 1,340 gallons externally in drop-tanks the intercept range is not far short of 1,000 miles and the ferry range in excess of 2,000 miles. More than once under combat conditions with MIG-19s over North Vietnam the Phantom has exceeded twelve G's and come home with the wings intact. Wing shape is semi-delta with leading and trailing edge flaps, coupled with these is a boundary layer control system which enables the Phantom to operate off reasonably short runways. The outer wing panels are angled up to provide more stability at high degrees of attack; the tail plane is angled down to compensate for the bent wings rolling tendency when the aircraft yaws. Herewith follows a general specification covering the Phantom F-4E. McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Basic design 1953. First flight May 1958. First flight of production F-4E on 30 June 1967.