McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II

McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II. . The F-4 "Phantom II" was arguably one of the finest combat fighters of the 20th Century. It was produced in larger numbers than any other American fighter since World War II. Designed as an all-weather, long-range, supersonic jet interceptor, fighter and bomber, its design proved so exceptional that it would become the first U.S. aircraft in history to be concurrently flown by the USAF, USN, and USMC., Powered by two huge GE-J79 afterburning turbojet engines, the "Phantom II" showed performance unprecedented for an aircraft of its size. The F-4 would establish 16 speed, altitude, and time-to-climb records during its life, reaching a top speed of 1,604 mph (2,581 kph), or Mach 2.2, and a record altitude of 98,556 feet (30,000 meters). By the end of U.S. production in 1979 the F-4 would serve as the front-line fighter/bomber by the militaries of 12 nations. , Distinctive Shape, With its distinctive upswept (dihedral) wing tips, and downturned (adhedral) tail, the brutish F-4 was one of the most successful American fighter, interceptor, bomber, and all-weather aircraft in history. It could reach speeds of more than twice the speed of sound (Mach 2.2). , Warbird, The F-4 "Phantom" would earn its "warbird" wings in Vietnam. F-4's would fly nearly 600,000 sorties, and 516 "Phantoms" would be lost in combat, including 193 over North Vietnam., The F-4 would also be called into combat during the 1991 Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm., A Brute of a Fighter, Even though it could weigh more than 61,000 lbs (28,030 kg) at takeoff, the F-4 proved to be a very capable interceptor and fighter. It claimed 280 enemy 'kills" in Vietnam, more than any other U.S. fighter during the war., Bomber Heritage, The F-4 proved to be as good of a bomber as it was a fighter aircraft. It could carry up to 18,650 lbs (8,480 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including a widerange of general purpose and smart bombs, and a widerange of missiles. Later models would also include a 20mm M61 Vulcan Gatling cannon., Showing off its colors, The F-4 would have the distinction of being the only aircraft to have been chosen by both the USAF "thunderbirds" and the Navy's "Blue Angels" demonstration teams., (sidebars:), This Specific Aircraft, The aircraft exhibited here (63-7426) was a true "warbird", having flown nearly 400 Vietnam missions., General Data, Manufacturer: McDonnell-Douglas , Crew: 2 , Length: 63 ft (19.2m) , Wingspan: 38 ft 4.5 in (11.7m) , Height: 16 ft 6 in (5.0m) , Empty weight: 30,328 lbs (13,757 kg) , Loaded weight: 41,500 lbs (18,825 kg) , Max. takeoff weight: 61,795 lbs (28,030 kg) , First flight: May 27, 1958, Performance, Max. Speed: 1,604 mpg (2,581 kph) Mach 2.2 , Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,300 m) , Range: 1,750 miles (2,816 km) , Rate of climb: 41,300 ft/min (210 m/s) , Number built: 5,195 , Unit cost: US $2.4 million (FY 1965) . This historical marker is in Weatherford in Custer County Oklahoma