F-4 Phantom: A Complete Air Force

Creator: McDonnell Douglas to promote the F-4 Phantom II

Description: Dating to the 1970s, this film "F-4 Phantom: A Complete Air Force" was made by McDonnell Douglas to promote the F-4 Phantom II for international clientele. The F-4 is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it entered service with the Navy in 1961 before it was adopted by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, and by the mid-1960s it had become a major part of their air arms. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981 with a total of 5,195 aircraft built, making it the most produced American supersonic military aircraft in history, and cementing its position as a signature combat aircraft of the Cold War. Aside from being flown by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, it also flew with the air forces of at least 11 other nations, making it one of the most widely-adopted military aircraft in aviation history. The film has no narration, but contains a lively musical score. It begins with images of the aircraft on the drawing board at McDonnell-Douglas, before sequing into footage from the test program. At 1:00, the aircraft shows how it can dwell or fly very slowly, right behind a propeller powered training aircraft. At 1:08 an aircraft marked "Sage Burner" is shown. This is from 28 August 1961, when Operation SAGEBURNER took place. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Naval Aviation, Lieutenants Huntington Hardisty and Earl De Esch, United States Navy, flew a McDonnell F4H-1F Phantom II to a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Speed Record of 1,452.777 kilometers per hour (902.714 miles per hour) over a 3 kilometer (1.864 mile) course at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. At 1:54, an F-4 in camouflage paint scheme is shown. At 2:25, Iranian F-4 Phantoms for the Imperial Iranian Air Force. The Imperial Iranian Air Force was the largest operator of the RF-4E after Germany. A total of 32 examples were ordered by IIAF. At 2:54, Royal Navy F-4s are shown. At 4:28, a U.S. Navy F-4 lands on a carrier deck. At 4:51 a Marine Corps F-4 is shown after launch from the carrier. At 5:27, the aircraft is shown being used for close tactical support in Vietnam, dropping napalm and other ordnance. At 6:20 what appears to be temporary repairs to a damaged airstrip are shown, with an F-4 taking off using a skid on its nosewheel. At 6:37, image of an F-4 surrounded by a full load of ordnance it could carry. 6:48 minigun demonstrated. Additional combat missions in Vietnam are shown. At 10:16, air to air refueling followed by acrobatics by the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds (in 1969 the aircraft flew for both stunt teams!)

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVnMgiwa5jc

Metadata Source:YouTube