Great stuff, perfect Friday morning videos. The F4 was the plane of my time, the one I seemed to grow up with. All of a sudden it is 50+ years old and still a cracking looking thing. :goodjob:
Re: Phantom F4
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 7:41 am
by dromia
Phwoarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Another classic that I used to spend hours as a child watching them on the Tain ranges.
Re: Phantom F4
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:11 am
by ovenpaa
I did not realise how many world records it took as well. According to Wikipedia:
To show off their new fighter, the Navy led a series of record-breaking flights early in Phantom development:
Operation Top Flight: On 6 December 1959, the second XF4H-1 performed a zoom climb to a world record 98,557 ft (30,040 m). The previous record of 94,658 ft (28,852 m) was set by a Soviet Sukhoi T-43-1 prototype. Commander Lawrence E. Flint, Jr., USN accelerated his aircraft to Mach 2.5 at 47,000 ft (14,330 m) and climbed to 90,000 ft (27,430 m) at a 45° angle. He then shut down the engines and glided to the peak altitude. As the aircraft fell through 70,000 ft (21,300 m), Flint restarted the engines and resumed normal flight.
On 5 September 1960, an F4H-1 averaged 1,216.78 mph (1,958.16 km/h) over a 500 km (311 mi) closed-circuit course.
On 25 September 1960, an F4H-1 averaged 1,390.21 mph (2,237.26 km/h) over a 100 km (62.1 mi) closed-circuit course.
Re: Phantom F4
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:28 am
by Chuck
Are they THAT OLD already...OOOER!
Watched them at Leuchars doing circuits and bumps (along with some German Starfighters) when I was a kid on hols there...
Always remember one coming in to land over the coastline we were picnicking on - and frightening the life out my wee sister with the noise HAR HAR!
Re: Phantom F4
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:40 am
by 20series
I grew up only a few miles from RAF Conningsby and they were always flying over head
Alan
Re: Phantom F4
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:51 pm
by Robin128
Great clips Chuck...Remember them practicing at Pendine and how they used to roar over the farm unexpected in Llangennith
...and how to turn them to dust in a second...
Re: Phantom F4
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:51 am
by swampy
when i was a kid in north wales we used to see them, F111s, buccaneers, jaguars and all sorts. i loved it. the noise of them was awesome.
i am not sure what my mum thought when she was out on th horse!
Re: Phantom F4
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:08 am
by Robin128
Buccaneers...those were the days...hammering down the Loughor valley and around to Pendine.
If they were not leaking, they were empty.
Watch how low they raise under-carriage...Jeeeze...looks like Gib...one of the most dangerous airports in the world apparently, due to approach restrictions (Spanish air space, but maybe now resolved) and wind around the rock.
Apols for the high jack Chuck...'I want it all!'
Re: Phantom F4
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:23 am
by dromia
Now I just loved the Buccaneer.
When I used to work on the hill they would seem to appear from the ground, flash by and then the noise. They used to come in at zero feet on the Tain range, the Tornadoes seem in orbit by comparison on their approach nowadays.
Anyone remember a telly documentary perhaps in the late 70s about them at the Red Flag exercises in Nevada, I can still see bits of that in my minds eye.
What an aircraft, originally designed to deliver nuclear war heads.
