McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II
Smoky twin-engine brute from the Phantom family, flown by the Luftwaffe until 2013.
- Twin J79 engines
- Anhedral tailplane
- Two-seat crew
- Heavy for its wing
Specifikation
- Ursprung
- United States
- Tillverkare
- McDonnell Douglas
- Roll
- Multirole
- Generation
- 3
- Introducerad
- 1973
- Stridstyp
- Luft
- Spawnkod
- f4f
På servern
The F-4F is the German variant of the Phantom II, delivered from 1973 and flown by the Luftwaffe for four decades. Visually it is unmistakable: drooped outer wing panels, a tailplane angled sharply down, and two J79 engines that left a smoke trail visible from a long way off. The design philosophy was thrust over finesse, and the Phantom was heavy, fast and famously not built to turn. The F-4F dropped some of the naval equipment and later gained AMRAAM capability under the ICE upgrade. On MCS it flies exactly as its reputation suggests. It accelerates and climbs well but rolls into turns reluctantly and loses speed if you pull too hard for too long. Fought properly, in the vertical, using speed to control the engagement, it beats machines that are nominally more agile. Recommended for pilots who enjoy older airframes with real handling character.