McDonnell F-4C (F-110A) Phantom II - Seattle, WA - Static Aircraft Displays on Waymarking.com

Located at the Museum of Flight are a large number of static aircraft on display. One of them is a McDonnell F-4C (F-110A) Phantom II. The Museum of Flight website contains a page devoted to this aircraft and it reads:

The F-4 Phantom II, with its harsh symmetry, swept-back wings, and drooping tail was called "brutishly ugly" by some pilots. But whatever the Phantom lacked in looks, it more than made up for with exceptional performance. When unveiled, the fighter was considered huge and immensely powerful. In 1958, the F-4 was selected by the U.S. Navy as a fleet defense interceptor. Soon, its remarkable capabilities led to use by the Air Force and Marine Corps as well. As the pre-eminent American combat aircraft of the 1960s, it fulfilled the roles of interceptor, air superiority fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft and became the standard by which all other fighters were judged for more than ten years.

The Museum's F-4C was built in 1965 and served in Vietnam. This plane shot down three North Vietnamese MiG-21 aircraft. After its active Air Force duty, this Phantom served the Oregon Air National Guard for nine years, flying tactical defense exercises from Portland International Airport.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force through the cooperation and assistance of the Oregon National Guard and the Oregon Military Museum.

A nearby placard highlights this F-4C in more detail and reads:

Flying by Team
Sophisticated radar and avionics on the F-4 require a two-man crew. American F-4 fliers in Vietnam soon found that in the high-speed world of jet dogfighting, the "backseater's" second pair of eyes also gave the F-4 distinct advantage over the single-seat MiG fighters. The team of Major Robert Anderson and Captain Fred Kjer scored this Phantom's first victory over a MiG-21 in April, 1967. A month later, Lt. Colonel Robert Titus and 1st Lt. Milan Zimer scored two victories over MiG-21s on the same day in this aircraft.

"Brutishly Ugly"
The F-4 Phantom II, with its harsh symmetry, swept-back wings, and drooping tail was called "brutishly ugly" by some pilots. But whatever the Phantom lacked in looks, it more than made up for with exceptional performance. When unveiled, the fighter was considered huge and immensely powerful. In 1958, the F-4 was selected by the U.S. Navy as a fleet defense interceptor. Soon, its remarkable capabilities led to use by the Air Force and Marine Corps as well. As the pre-eminent American combat aircraft of the 1960s, it fulfilled the roles of interceptor, air superiority fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft, and became the standard by which all other fighters were judged for more than ten years.

Have Gun. Will Travel.
The first F-4 Phantoms built by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation didn't have a gun. Many designers and military thinkers of the late 1950s thought that a fighter's supersonic speeds and the development of air-to-air missiles would make the trusty gun, affixed to planes since World War, obsolete. But over Vietnam, when a Phantom's high-tech missiles went "on the blink" or a MiG came in too close for comfort, a gun was a necessity. Some F-4s, like the Museum's C-model, were fitted with an external gun pod while later Phantoms had a gun built-in.

This F-4 C model is listed on the Warbird Registry website.

Type of Aircraft: (make/model): McDonnell F-4C (F-110A) Phantom II Tail Number: (S/N): 64-0776 Construction:: original aircraft Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Museum of Flight inside / outside: inside Other Information:: Not listed Access restrictions: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)

Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.

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