D'oh! The Phantom is such a phenomenal machine. A down and dirty and a superfast vertical climb by an F-4 is always the highlight of an airshow. Nothing else quite vibrates my sternum like a Phantom. Thanks for posting!
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author
Posts: 16744 | Location: Las Cruces, NM | Registered: 03 June 2000
Yep to me the Phantom was the epitome of what a big, American, heavy iron, fighter should be. Loud, mean looking and trailing thick black smoke at all times. Unless it's spiting fire out the tail in full mid scrambling loud afterburner.
I had a technician who had been a Phantom Fixer in VN. One day a pilot couldn't start his Phantom so he asked the tech if thwe emergency system worked .The tech wouldn't admit he didn't know so he said sure it works. The pilot tried and after a lot of noise smoke vibration it started . The thanks the tech got were some dirty looks by the pilot !
Emergency starting system? I guess they were talking about the cartridge starting system, which produced clouds of dark smoke, and less than a few fires. Never once heard it called an emergency starting system. I started my USAF career as a Crew Chief on the F-4D--what a wonderful machine to work on. As an Aircraft Maintence Officer my first assignment was back to F-4s, slatted "E" models with TISEO. Lots of memories.
John Farner
If you haven't, please join the NRA!
Posts: 2949 | Location: Corrales, NM, USA | Registered: 07 February 2001
While I have never flown in a F-4, I got to spend a half hour in a F-4 flight simulator at the Idaho National Guard's Gowen Field in Boise. That was a kick, I was surprised at how responsive the controls were. The instructor allowed me to do some aerobatics in it but his boss overruled him when he wanted to allow me to use some of the weapons systems. The funny part was the landing. For some reason, I couldn't quite get my depth perception right. I couldn't tell how close I was to the field so I hit hard bounced and ran the plane through one of the hangers. I'm glad I didn't get a bill for that!
Toomany Tools , I was never in the military, only in the defense industry working on various projects mostly Navy. Sorry if I don't have the right terms .Cartridge starting sounds more correct. In all my 'failure analysis ' work the hard part was getting good info on the field use .Some a bit shocking - fill up the chopper with as much as you can then take off item by item until it can lift off !! Some of the weapons were best used in Iraq like the neat armour killer -Rockeye bomblet with it's shaped charge.
I'm glad I didn't get a bill for that!
