McDonnell F-4N Phantom II

McDonnell F-4N Phantom II. . , Although developed for the U.S. Navy, the Phantom was one of the first fighters to be adopted by multiple armed services. Because of its speed and maneuverability, the Phantom was extraordinarily popular with pilots. More than 5,000 were produced and flown by American and foreign armed forces., Originally, the Phantom did not carry guns or cannons. were unnecessary because the Phantom would carry longer-range Sparrow III and shorter-range Sidewinder missiles for air-to-air combat. The Phantom's close encounters with North Vietnamese MiGs during the Vietnam War (1955-1975) sometimes proved them wrong. These experiences laid the groundwork for the next generations of dogfighters, such as the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet, which were designed with internally mounted cannons., The Phantom attained legendary status during the Vietnam War. It served with U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps squadrons, but it was too large and heavy to use aboard smaller Essex-class carriers like Intrepid. The actual air-to-air success rate of the Phantom is unclear. Both sides make vastly different claims regarding victories and losses. The U.S. Navy officially claims 40 victories to 7 losses in air-to-air-combat. On May 10, 1972, pilot Lt. Randy Cunningham and radar intercept officer Lt. (j.g.) William Driscoll shot down three North Vietnamese MiG-17 fighters. These victories, combined with two previous kills, made Cunningham and Driscoll the first aces of the Vietnam War. , Length: 58 feet 3 inches (17.7 m) , Wingspan: 38 feet 4 inches (11.6 m) , Height: 16 feet 3 inches (4.9 m) , Empty Weight: 28,000 pounds (12,700 kg) , Max Weight: 58,000 pounds (26,308 kg) , Top Speed: 1,500 miles per hour (2,414 kph) , Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,240 m) , Crew: Two, pilot and radar intercept officer , Armament: Four AIM-9 Sidewinder and four AIM-7 Sparrow missiles; AGM-65 Maverick missiles; AGM-88 HARM missiles; 18,650 pounds (8,460 kg) of various types of missiles, bombs and rockets on fuselage centerline; and four wing pylon bomb racks , [Captions:] , Unlike other fighters, the versatile Phantom was also used for ground attack missions. An F-4B Phantom II of fighter squadron VF-111, flown from the carrier USS Coral Sea (CVA-43), drops bombs over Vietnam in 1972., This angle shows the unique shape of the F-4 Phantom II aircraft. The Phantom II is armed with both AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.