The F-4 Phantom Is About to Make Its Last Flight
The iconic fighter is retiring tomorrow after nearly 60 years of service.
By Kyle Mizokami
Dec 20, 2016
1.3k
The U.S. Air Force will hold a "final flight" ceremony tomorrow, December 21, to commemorate the end of the F-4 Phantom II fighter's service. The fighter, which was first introduced in the late 1950s, performed virtually every combat aircraft role imaginable during a storied career that stretched from Vietnam to the Middle East and beyond.
The F-4 Phantom II was originally conceived as a heavy, all-weather fleet air defense fighter. Yet with its two powerful General Electric J79 engines and a two-man crew, the large, fast aircraft proved endlessly adaptable. The F-4 expanded into the fighter-bomber, air defense suppression, reconnaissance, and close air support roles. It could even carry tactical nuclear weapons.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a24434/f-4-phantom-retiring/
