McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

[Nicolas10]

Boy that formation landing by the Blue Angels!

 

[NMaude]

Here's a McDonnell Aircraft Corporation film about some of the early world-records the F-4B broke:

Made by the McDonnell Corporation (before it became McDonnell Douglas), THE RECORD BREAKING PHANTOM II presents the story of the F-4 Phantom, a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy. The aircraft first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was also adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, and by the mid-1960s had become a major part of their respective air wings. The film begins with an overview of the F-4, including its ability to carry tremendous numbers of stores, an ability to operate from both WWII type aircraft carriers and super carriers.​

At 2:40 the film begins to look at the Phantom's assault on various aviation performance records.​

At 3:00, Project Top Flight which proved the airplane's incredible climbing ability, is shown from Edwards Air Force Base. Commander Lawrence Earl Flint, Jr., set a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Record for Altitude to 30,040 meters (98,556 feet). This was just short of the arbitrary 100,000 feet (30,480 meters) that delineated the beginning of space at the time. Diving back through 70,000 feet (21,336 meters), Flint restarted the engines and flew back to Edwards.​

Other closed course flights are seen at 7:00 to establish speed records with the aircraft over the Salton Sea from Edwards AFB. The plane with Col. Thomas Miller at the controls flew at 1216 mph average, 400 mph faster than the previous record.​

Commander John F. Davis is seen at 7:40, maneuvering by radar over a tight 100 mile course achieved 1390 mph.​

At 8:48, Sageburner is seen, designed to set new speed records at low altitudes. On May 18, (not shown in the film) the initial attempt ended in tragedy when Commander J. L. Felsman was killed when pitch dampener failure led to pilot-induced oscillations (PIO), causing his Phantom to break up in flight and explode. The second attempt to set a new low-altitude speed record succeeded on August 28, 1961, when Lt. Huntington Hardisty (pilot) and Lt. Earl De Esch (RIO) flew F4H-1F BuNo 145307 at an average speed of 902 mph over a 3 km low-altitude course at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The maximum altitude reached during this flight was only 125 feet, fully living up to the name of the project-Sageburner.​

At 10:30 Project Lana is seen, showing how the aircraft could quickly deploy for combat. Five F4H-1Fs took off at timed intervals from Ontario, California and set out for NAS Brooklyn (formerly Floyd Bennett Field). They made four supersonic dashes, separated by three subsonic mid-air refuellings by tanker-configured Douglas A3D-2 Skywarriors. Three of the Phantoms finished the journey, shattering the record set back in November of 1957 by a USAF McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo. The top speed, set in aircraft 148270 piloted by Lt. R. F. Gordon and Lt(jg) B. R. Young, was an average of 869.73 mph. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated an M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record.During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively; it served as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, and became important in the ground-attack and aerial reconnaissance roles late in the war. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U.S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 in the U.S. Air Force, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the U.S. Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.​

Edit: The Phantoms shown in this film are no doubt YF-4A pre-production models, F-4A LRIP production models and F-4B initial FRP models.

 

[NMaude]

Here's a late 60s video about the missile trials for the F-4J and the AN/AWG-10 at point Mugu:

F4J BIS Guided Missile Trials is a short technical film report from the Naval Air Systems Command in Point Mugu, CA on the March 1967 BIS trials of the AWG-10 Missile Control System and related components on a McDonnell Douglas F4J Phantom II. The BIS (Board of Inspection and Survey) trials were divided into five categories: ground tests, captive flights, launch flights, serviceability, and human factors tests. The film opens with an F4J being towed on a runway; the aircraft carries four AIM-7D or 7E Sparrow III missiles on Arrow 7-A launchers; in some of the tests, the aircraft also carries Sidewinder missiles. Pilots climb into the cockpit of the ship. An F4J takes off from a runway. Technicians pull out the AWG-10 Missile Control System from the nose of the aircraft (02:05). A radar dish extends from the AWG-10 and scans back and forth. Graphics are used to show how the AWG-10 system works. An F4J flies over Point Mugu armed with missiles (04:47). The film shows the instrumentation pod used to record data from the guided missile system test trials (05:20). An F4J is backed over a drop area to test missile launch ability (06:30); missiles are released and fall into the opening. Men measure the hazard area of the AWG-10 system. Three men test serviceability by loading missiles onto the aircraft (08:10). A BIS official times the loading of the missiles. An F4J goes into an environmental laboratory building (09:20) where the aircraft is tested against hot and cold temperatures and heavy water exposure. Men examine where water leaked into the system and the plane (10:00), then reseal and test again. The missile service crew loads missiles under simulated day and night conditions. They load an AIM-9B Sidewinder, an AIM-7 Sparrow III, and load another Sparrow III using an Arrow 52-A hoist cart. Several men give the plane and missile system a complete electrical checkout back in the hanger (11:36). Prior to the captive test flight, missiles are loaded onto the F4J (13:10). Officials go over the pre-flight checkout. The lead test conductor gives a pre-flight briefing in a room. The F4J taxis for takeoff; the test conductor and others monitor the tests from a control center (14:26). Other BIS members observe results from the data center. Engineers and analysists review the data gathered from the operation (15:54). The pilot gives a debriefing to the people involved in the tests. The F4J flies through the air at high altitudes (16:58); then the film shows two F4Js flying side-by-side. One of the planes launches a missile during the trials—likely an AIM-7E (17:31). Illustrations show the results of the first several launches of AIM-7E missiles, showing the range and the speeds of the F4J and the target. Men attach several Sidewinder AIM-9B missiles to the F4J to test missile compatibility (21:10). A man sits at a BIT system for testing the AWG-10 (21:41). An F4J taxis into a parked position and the pilots climb out of the aircraft, concluding the film.​

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was also adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, and by the mid-1960s had become a major part of their air arms.​

The AN/APQ-120 was an aircraft fire control radar (FCR) manufactured by Westinghouse for the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. AN/AWG is defined by the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS) and stands for (A/N) Army/Navy (A) Piloted Aircraft (W) Armament (G) Fire Control. AN/APG-59 was the first FCR integrated into AN/AWG-10, which developed into two more versions, A and B. The original AN/AWG-10 can detect an aerial target with 5 square meters radar cross section more than 100 kilometers away. AN/AWG-10A is a development of the original AN/AWG-10, with great improvement in reliability and maintainability by replacing the original transmitter in AN/AWG-10 by a solid state unit whose only tube was a klystron power amplifier.​

 

[Nicolas10]

The voice reminds me of Art Bell. I think that tone was one of the reasons he was the best radio host of all time. Thanks for the link.

 

[NMaude]

A 1960 Mcdonnell Aircraft Corporation film concerning the F-4B's flight characteristics:

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two seat twin engine all weather jet interceptor fighter bomber. It first entered service in 1960 with the US Navy. The F-4 saw extensive service in the Vietnam War. Later it was adopted by the US Marine Corps and US Air Force. The F-4 hits speeds over Mach 2.2 and has the ability to cart over 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine external hard points. The craft set fifteen world records beginning in 1959. It continued to be a major component of the US military’s air power into the 1970’s and 1980’s. The film also includes footage of a Moviola Library Viewer, or LVR; a film viewing device made by the Moviola Corporation for the US military. Interestingly enough, one of these is used in the PeriscopeFilm archive on a daily basis to view films.​

The film opens with a fun montage comparing to fighter crafts and pilots to cowboys on horseback (0:21).
The F-4 first appears at (0:27).
A pilot named Doug sits for instruction prior to a scheduled afternoon flight (2:08).
The instructors and pilot discuss an instructional film about flying the F-4; including forces of thrust weight, lift and drag (2:41).
The instructor explains AOA (3:03)
with the assistance of a sketch artist (3:32).
AOA displays are covered (4:04).
The Moviola Library Viewer is put to use (4:13).
A chart indicates angle of attack displays (4:24).
Oral tone is discussed (5:01).
A recording is played (5:33)
of the F-4’s oral tone. Instructors dig deeper into AOA (6:54).
The pilot uses scale models of the T-38 and F-104 to show examples (7:04)
for excessive AOA and medium AOA (7:52).
Dihedral affect and adverse yaw (8:47) are detailed by way of animation on the viewer (9:02).
The pilot in training mentions the F-4 pilot had to learn to fly the craft using two techniques (11:21);
one method for low AOA and one using high AOA. Old footage of early flying machines show a man foot pedaling his ailerons (12:22).
The sketch artist (13:00)
draws as the instructors explain proper method for takeoff. Nose wheel lift off speed is covered (14:08).
Pilots are instructed to be wary of PIO's (15:51).
The sketch artist and instructor cover the transonic region (16:51)
and the phenomena known as mock tuck (17:28). The viewer is used to further detail the transonic region (17:55)
as well as what happens as the F-4 enters this region and continues to move through supersonic and transonic speeds (18:19).
Stick force is covered in the various regions (18:34).
Mach number and roll rate are covered in the supersonic region (20:45).
The projector is used to detail landing configuration (21:14).
A sketch details the dangers of jet wash from another aircraft while landing (22:22).
The viewer shows a comical short of a man strapped with wings to his back learning to fly (23:01).
Splices of a film called 'Unload for Control' are used to show the F-4 spin test at Edward’s base in Kern County (24:07).
Stunning footage shows the F-4 in a flat spin and while completing other flight maneuvers (26:30).
Spins and asymmetrical store loads are covered (27:42)
with a view from within the cockpit (28:06).
The F-4 flat spins down (28:40).
The film begins to wrap up with more images of early comical flying machine inventions. This particular segment shows the rocket bike (29:35)
which fails miserably (29:52).
This film was produced by Aerospace Audio Visual Service of the Military Air Lift Command (30:26).

 

[TsrJoe]

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