Posted on 09/01/2016 3:33:24 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
20 years after it was fully retired from combat duty by the Pentagon, the F-4 Phantom Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) has taken its last unmanned flight. The bitter-sweet milestone was marked on August 17 at Holloman AFB in New Mexico, now the QF-4’s only home. The jet was shot at during a weapons test by a pair of AIM-120 AMRAAM slinging F-35s.
Apparently the QF-4 was not lost in the test, which is not uncommon as often times these drills feature missiles without warheads. Since the AIM-120 is proximity fused and uses a continuous-rod blast fragmentation warhead, as long as the missile gets close enough to the target it is considered a kill. This allows for the possibility of the FSAT to live another day without significantly impairing test data while also providing telemetry on the missile's own end-game performance.
Now, Detachment One of the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron (ATRS) will only enjoy a few more months of manned QF-4 operations before the type is finally retired in full this December. Taking over the FSA's duties will be the more adaptable and far more nimble QF-16 Viper, which has been flown for two years by the 82nd ATRS at Tyndall AFB. The last QF-4 flew from Tyndall last May. This awesome video commemorates the winding-down of operations of the iconic aircraft at the Florida base.
USAF
A QF-4 is recovered at Holloman AFB.
Lieutenant. Colonel Ryan Inman, the former 82nd ATRS commander, stated in a Air Force press release:
"The aging fleet of the QF-4s and their limited capabilities against modern fighters have rendered the aerial target workhorse, Phantom II, at its technological limit. The QF-16 initiates the next chapter in advanced aerial targets, predominantly in support of more technologically superior air-to-air weapons test and evaluation programs. The QF-16 will enable our leaner and more efficient Air Force to continue operations at maximum mission effectiveness while maintaining air superiority and global reach for decades to come."
Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Kind, the current commander of the 82nd ATRS, added:
“It’s certainly bittersweet. The F-4 served faithfully in Vietnam and as late as the Gulf War. So, for it to be pulled out of the boneyard to continue serving its country is a testament to this airplane -- to the designers, the test pilots who first flew it, to the maintainers who’ve worked on it all these years—what a testament to what they’ve been able to do, and what a great airplane it was. Forty-five years later, we are still flying these airplanes to test the latest and greatest equipment we have.”
The F-4 still serves around the globe, in the armed forces of Turkey, Greece, Iran, South Korea and Japan. But the next decade will likely be the type’s final operational hurrah. In its better part of a century of service the F-4 has participated in countless battles, executed many heroic feats by some of the bravest and most talented pilots at her controlls, flown for the Blue Angels and the Thuderbirds, as well as the USAF, USMC and US Navy simultaneously. It has also made some ridiculously awesome solo displays, and has been dreamed up in seemingly an endless number configurations and produced under license around the globe with a whopping 5,195 having been built in total.
Maybe once all the Phantoms have left active service ole’ Cal will still have a few lightly used models to sell—free Sidewinders, a load of chaff, and flares included.
Will never forget the dichotomy of emotions when we had a skin-on-skin impact between our SM-1 and the small drone brought onboard for our live training onboard the Rodney M Davis (FFG-60) off the coast of the PI in the early 90’s. CO was grinning ear to ear and the drone guys were absolutely livid and going on about how they had specifically instructed us to avoid that. Good times.
Bookmark.
I’ve heard that there’s nothing quite as loud or sphincter-clenching as the roar of an F4 taking off under full afterburner.
Worked at an airbase in Israel for a few months back in ‘99 - every morning F-4s would take off from the airstrip right behind our hangar. Full after-burners, screaming down the runway. Just mind-blowing.
There is and it's when two take off side by side. I attribute hearing loss to the F-4.
That would be air refueling of them. My most terrifying air refueling missions involved the F-4 to include my only Class C mishap when they tore an 8 inch crack in the fork of the boom. It just went to show if you gave a brick enough thrust it would fly.
An RF-4B Phantom II doing a tail stand.
That right there is an undisputed fact, as far as I’m concerned. I grew up in the Air Force and my father was always in TAC units. At Lakenheath and Eglin, my brother, my friends and I would ride our bikes to an area where we could watch the Phantoms light up those twin GE J-79s and kick them into afterburner. The very best, however, was when the Thunderbirds flew the F-4; what a show! An airplane that big, that fast and that loud made for a spectacular show. As they say around many Air Force bases, “That’s the sound of freedom.”
We used to park up in the hills above Luke AFB near Phoenix and watch then new F-15’s do touch and go practices. I still remember one pilot going full vertical and afterburner. It sounded like a rocket launch from the Cape.
I can’t imagine having that much raw power at my fingertips. It must be what God feels when He’s slinging lightning.
Was a crew chief on F-4C/D/E/G models. They are a maintenance nightmare. They are stone age blunt instruments compared to current aircraft.
My knees and back are paying the price for many years of abuse attributed to these bent wing trashcans.
Dirty, smelly, leak like pigs. I feel for the people who have to keep that piece of junk in the air.
Good riddance.
I can attest to that. PO’ed at having to work Saturday (turned out to be morning only, but a ruined weekend anyway), we went out and got drunk in Beaufort, SC.
Anyway, next morning we’re walking down to the flight line with the mother of all hangovers. These two F4H’s take off and hit their afterburners and I hit the ground. I thought my head was going to split open.
” there’s nothing quite as loud or sphincter-clenching as the roar of an F4 taking off under full afterburner”
Nope. B-1 is louder and more awesome. Especially at night.
“I grew up in the Air Force “
Same here. Ever see a B-1 take off with full burners in the pitch black of night? Nothing compares.
I worked atba local naval base for 19 years one of my tasks was retrieving the target banner after gunnery practice. Laser sighting, not bullets. A major from the ANG base that was 20 miles away was taking his last flight and decided he would buzz the field at NASMER. I happened to be picking up the banner at the time, driving the truck as a man in back was rolling up the banner cable. I saw a shadow pass the truck and then a gawd aweful howling scream as the Major flew 25 ft off the ground full throttle. Barely caught a glimpse and it was gone. The man rolling up the cable was nowhere to be found until I looked under the truck where he was hiding. RF4C Phantom strikes Again . the Phantoms were replaced by BY kc135S a few years later and my job working on the venerable T2C Buckeye came to a end in 2004. And our military has been under attack since 2008 or earlier.It just aint the same at Nasmer I’m told, but I cant go back. I pissed the senior steward of the local IAM off and likely will never work on military aircraft again.
I worked on the F4-B and the F4-J while in the Navy. The F4-J had improvements which made it easier to work on.
What is that you say?
There was an ANG fighter squadron based out of my hometown and they flew F4s for a while. I never got close enough to see them taxi and take off, but I was near enough to hear them on occasion.
It was loud with them in the clouds. I can only imagine what it must be like on the runway.
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