Why British pilots loved the F-4 Phantom

Maintainers like myself hated the F-4. It was a beast to fix just about anything! In the early days, you had to have the Egress shop remove the rear seat just to replace the UHF radio! And it was the old tube type and failed a lot! Most avionics equipment was crammed all around the rear seater's floor and his left and right. It was backbreaking work for sure! I am certain that now during my retirement years I have aches and pains that can be attributed to my F-4 depot working days!

Well, okay, for the pilots who flew them, the F-4 was the best (and so would I expect them to feel that way). But as a casual observer, I still think it looks like it was designed by a committee of plumbers! So what aircraft DO I think were beautiful? First, the RAF Spitfire. Second, the F-86 Sabre. Third, the P-51D Mustang. Honorable Mention, the P-38 Lightning.

Ah, the classic example of power over aerodynamics!

MIGs: Hold my beer.😆

I think this one beautiful aircraft. But they did make a mistake making it without a gun/cannon.

The British Phantoms were a special build, they had different avionics to the US variants and used RR Spey engines.

Smoking Thunderhogs !!!
My favorite bird.

Christ, would you look at the camera! That is so annoying!

Hay ,we adopted the Harrier for the Marines. The USA and the British have always done this. Its a smart thing to do. Don't turn down a winner.

well done - thank you !

In referring to the wild weasel missions in Viet Nam, the F4 was never used in that role. Initially it was F100D, then F105F and G models. Only later, after the Viet Nam war ended did the F-4 get adopted (F-4G) to that role.

Late to this party, but I've not heard any evidence the MiG-21s over Vietnam were flown by Soviets. Also, you didn't mention that British Phantoms were powered by Rolls Royce Spey engines, which gave them rather different performance to the American J79-powered version.

Incase anyone here is interested in trying being behind the controls, Heatblur Simulations is about to release their incredibly accurate F4E Phantom II for the simulator ‘DCS’. Its shaping up to be incredible.

Why the photos of the X-15 rocket plane from North American Aviation in a video about McDonnell Navy jet Fighters? And, was that a Hawker/BAE Hawk photo, too? Why?

Israel is the most successful country in the usage of the F-4 and is not mentioned. ???

Every single F-4 pilot I know (still alive) can barely walk

U.S. combat forces withdrew from Vietnam in 1972… thanks to the Paris agreements gained from the Linebacker 2 aerial campaign, so the analysis here of it being in effective is somewhat flawed.

I saw them display & spotted thru the 70s & deployed into the 80s, RN blue flight in formation with Buccaneers was a sight. Luftwaffe version fully GA bombed was amazing ! Dirty as feck tho & jet blast was a nightmare .

There’s no guns on the f 4 phantom for dog fighting only dependent on misales

Navy Days about 1972, RNAS Daedalus, Lee on Solent, I remember an F4 screaming about 100ft off the runway, re-heat on then going vertical, the noise was incredible, still remember it today

This video is grossly mistitled. It's a history of the phantom, mostly in US service. British service is touched on but never really gotten into in any detail.

In the mid 80’s, I was taking off from RAF Coningsby in a prop trainer. We were passing through 2,000ft when we were passed by two US Phantoms on our starboard side. They passed so close that we could easily see the pilot of the lead aircraft who gave us the Queen’s Regal Wave before heading into the clouds. It was watching the Phantoms of 111 squadron (and the English Electric Lightnings) that flew regularly around our home near RAF Leuchars that instilled in me the desire to be a pilot. Never ever got to fly in that beautiful bird.

This wonderful lady tells the story of the Phantom better than any American documentary on Military channel does. Imperial War Museum knows their history well.

The Brits loved it because it could go brrr? 😂

They would have preferred the British TSR 2

Why they loved it? Because it could do everything the planes they had couldnt.

I'm pretty sure the F-86 had already mostly been replaced by more modern fighters in frontline service when the F-4 was introduced ; also, the F-86 is called the sabre, the super sabre is the F-100.

It's sexy not ugly. The p38 lightning is ugly. The f4 is still being used today.

My brother was F-4 fighter plane captain on Enterprise aircraft carrier during VN! He loves this plane!

Effective fighter, but ugly as sin.

One of the best multirole aircraft ever built . Miss the F4 .😢❤

The Wild Weasels are the best :-)

Forget about the look if it's ugly or not, just think about its capabilities. Very good jet.

While in the U.S. Navy I worked on the radar for it, the AWG-10. That plane was awesome.

Good content well delivered. No silliness.

I worked on F-4s in 1983 and 1984 at George Air Force base California when I was 19 &20 years old. I had a great time

Well, it wasn't a F104 Starfighter, so it wasn't trying to kill you
...So that was a plus

Your editor has forgotten to grade some of the Log int clips. Great vid feature though.

What about the Mig 15 ?

For the same reason ALL pilots love the F-4.🤪

How did th RR Spey do in the F4?

I presume that when you said, "air to ground combat missions", you meant to say "unlimited warfare against civilian women, children and old people including using napalm to burn them alive, and Agent Orange to destroy their farmland for generations." 

The Phantom really was a terrific tool for that role, one that led the way for the US to enrage the population of Vietnam into a level of resilience, resistance against their oppressive, US-propped up corrupt puppet government and resourcefulness that makes the Brisish Blitz fade into insignificance, and set the pace of a pattern of US blowback that continues to this day.

No, America's most produced jet fighter was the F-86, followed by the F-84.

Huge....weird looking....stupid fast....able to carry ridiculous amounts of ordinance.....what's not to love? Pretty is as pretty does.
And yea, not a great close in dogfighter, but one that continued US
fighter usage doctrine: engage at best possible range with missiles;
if in close activity is still needed: boom and zoom, guns active.
Worked just fine with P47s in WW2....

❤ F-4 Phantom

I love the Brits loving our planes, they love our helicopters too. It was awesome to see Brits purchasing Apaches but I do love the Puma and the Tornado so we have mutual respect and admiration for each other equipment.

F-4 Phantom II: Still the world’s greatest distributor of MiG parts