The Phantom

The Phantom. . , The Phantom, The F-4 Phantom was the U.S. Air Force’s fastest, highest-flying and longest-range fighter. It first flew May 27, 1958, and entered United States Air Force service in 1963. It was named Phantom II on July 3, 1959, during a ceremony held at the McDonnell plant in St. Louis, Mo., to celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary. By the end of production in 1985, McDonnell had built 5,068 Phantom IIs., F-4’s saw combat in both the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm and served in the air forces of eleven countries in addition to the United States., Both U.S. military flight demonstration teams, the Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds, flew the Phantom II from 1969 to 1973. The F-4 Phantom became the first American aircraft to see concurrent service with branches of the USAF, USN and USMC., Specifications: , Wingspan: 38 feet 5 inches , Length: 58 feet 3 inches , Height: 16 feet 6 inches , Ceiling: 56,100 feet , Range: 1,750 miles , Weight: 55,597 pounds , Power: Two 17,900-lb-thrust General Electric J79-GE-17 jet engines , Speed: 1,485 mph (max) , Accommodation: Two Crew , Armament: 15,983 pounds of weapons, including 20 mm nose-mounted M-61 “Vulcan” cannon, This Phantom's History, This F-4D Phantom II was manufactured by McDonnell Aircraft, in St. Louis, MO., and gained by the United States Air Force on Feb. 28, 1967., March 1967 To 49th Tactical Fighter Wing (U.S. Air Force Europe), Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany (deployment to Wheelus Air Base Libya, Aviano Air Base Italy, Bitburg Air Base Germany)., September 1973 To 36th Tactical Fighter Wing (U.S. Air Force Europe), Royal Air Force, Bentwaters, United Kingdom., April 1979 To 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing (U.S. Air Force Europe), Spangdahlem Air Base (deployment to Zaragoza Air Base, Spain)., September 1981 To 401st Tactical Fighter Wing (U.S. Air Force Europe), Torrejon Air Base, Spain., May 1983 To 187th Tactical Fighter Group (Air National Guard), Dannelly Field, Alabama., July 1988 Retired from active service., August 1988 – January 2013 Displayed at Dannelly Field, Montgomery, Alabama and later at Fort McClellan, Alabama., February 2013 Relocated to Veterans Memorial Park, Florence, Alabama., F-4D Phantom, serial number 66-7514 is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio.