I know many of us (recently) picked up the fully discounted (SimWorks Studios) F-4 Phantom...in any case, please, find, here, a collection of images, from this SIM, of McDonnell's (original) masterpiece fighter jet...

“All we had to work with at the beginning was a gleam in the customer’s eyes,” had said James Smith McDonnell, founder of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, in 1954, on the Phantom’s inception. The F-4 then went on to establish fifteen world speed, altitude and time-to-climb records! The very first F-4 production models to roll off McDonnell’s assembly line came standard with Mach 2 (speed) capability as specification - a testament to its designers of the time! In its first few years, the Phantom set eight new aviation records, among them altitude (98,557 feet), speed (1,390 mph), and time to climb (9,000 feet in 34.5 seconds) etc.. This was breathtaking performance for any plane of its era. The original Phantoms were also known for their (hallmark) smoke trail visible 25 miles away -  that would be eventually engineered out, after 2 decades, with the arrival of the more advanced (J) Model smokeless (GE) engines. A total of more than 5000 units of this A/C would be built...

[Final Note: Aviation is Aviation, civil or military, but, myself, being more of a civilian Simmer, I wish to note, here, the following fact(s): F-4 Phantom II had first flown on 27 May 1958, and, coincidentally, (the future partner of McDonnell) Douglas Aircraft will fly its own (masterpiece), the DC-8, just 3 days later, on 30 May 1958. The 2 companies were probably cautiously eyeing each other already, and would later merge, in 1967, to form McDonnell Douglas. After all, it's the same folks, that also gave us the "MD-11", that many of us, here, are passionate about, and enjoy flying, in the sim!]

Hope you enjoy these pictures taken near the Hawaiian islands - in the skies and over the waters. Please notice the "OVERSPEED" indication on one image (maybe), when I (inadvertently) exceeded the max speed limit, which is quite high, for me, if you ask me,....Oh well...(Now, I need to look for that "Piper Super Cub", in my hangar, that I was (recently) sightseeing the Bornholm Islands with...🙂...)

Thanks for viewing!! Comments are welcome!

[SimWorks(F-4B Phantom II)/MSE(Hawaii)/REX]

Great pics, P_7878 and story, as always. I remember my days as officer in the Luftwaffe many moons ago. When the RF-4E and F-4F arrived, we came from the F-104G Starfighter and many of us thought: ok, here comes the truck 😊

Always had a soft spot for the F-4 Phantom II. 😎 Lovely set. 🙂

****Amazing**** Phantoms Phorever!!!!!!  

Excellent set. Thanks. I'm going to be a teesny bit picky with simworks in that they didn't give us the E variant withe the Vulcan cannon under the nose. 

Bernd: Thank you. Great recollections!!

Ed: Thanks!! Yes, true, a soft spot...this A/C had and will have for many...!

Patrick: Appreciated the comments...Not sure why, but I'd a vague inkling...🙂...you might like these images..... [More seriously...I've a question: Whenever (i.e. not too often) I fly a military jet, in the SIM, I always take a bit of time, to see what's happening (over the fence) in the DCS world, for that plane,....So, do you already have a Phantom, yet, in DCS? My search indicates, the project was started, but delayed/deferred in favor of other jets, but I could be wrong...just curious...(DCS without a Phantom, I cannot imagine)...!]

Mark: Glad you liked the set! I'd read the early F-4's had no guns either...and the pilots in F-4s had good reason to wish for a gun....and it was added into the later (RW) models...so, your wish, here, has some validity...🙂...(btw, this is my first ever SimWorks SIM A/C...)

Sadly The Phantom which was being developed from a sub-division company called "Belsimtek" Who brought to DCS The Mi-8,Huey,Mig-15 ,F-86 Sabre and F-5 Tiger II has been put on hold till DCS Finish The F/A-18 Hornet and F-16 Viper.The current list of Active Projects From DCS and 3rd Party Developers include.....

P-47D....shoud become available next month

Mi-24P Hind Gunship

OH-58 Kiowa Warrior

F-15E Strike Eagle

Eurofighter Typhoon 

A-7 Corsair

There are various other aircraft and maps pn development some of which have not been approved for a DCS Lic.

***BTW*** DCS has offered the majority of their modukes to fly for FREE This Month!!!

 

 

15 hours ago, P_7878 said:

...the early F-4's had no guns either...and the pilots in F-4s had good reason to wish for a gun...

Mods - if I may be permitted to post this picture, if not then please revert to a link:

For when the pilot of an early F-4 (C version I believe) REALLY... REALLY wants a guns kill! 5x SUU-23/A pods (one's on the centreline pylon)  So many Freedoms!

Patrick, Mark: Thanks for the additional comments!

[And, Patrick, appreciated the detailed status report....and I do understand the limited resources, involved, especially having to come up with such extremely realistic aircraft in the SIM! And, yes, DCS is in my mind, as they say...🙂....BTW, I'm also keeping track of your involvement in that "P-47D" project....wonderful stuff...! Thank you.]

I worked on F4-B/C/J Phantoms when I was a AME (egress mechanics) at Patuxent River, MD in the mid 1970s.  I also had the good fortune to get several backseat rides in them.  It was awesome!!!!  Chief

Great set off shots - both thumbs up !!

 

cheers 😉

10 hours ago, pmplayer said:

Great set off shots - both thumbs up !!

Appreciated, pmplayer...!!

 

10 hours ago, retnavycpo said:

I worked on F4-B/C/J Phantoms when I was a AME (egress mechanics) at Patuxent River, MD in the mid 1970s.  I also had the good fortune to get several backseat rides in them.  It was awesome!!!!  Chief

Such a pleasure to read your comments, Sir...!

While I, here, merely pretend flying the real thing from the armchair...🙂...!

Thanks for catching this old post...!!

Very nice shots!