The F-14 Tomcat probably set the record for the largest number of patches made, but they obviously learned that from the Phantom boys!
I remember seeing the f4 at various airshows when she was still in service. That plane was the loudest thing I ever heard next to the British Tornado. The thing seems to rip the air behined it. Such a cool aircraft. However, from what I have heard..they were a bit of a pig to fly.
I remember a quote from an F-4 pilot back in my teens "The F-4 is proof that with enough thrust you can make a brick fly!!"
I remember in 1990 when the Russians were here and one of their pilots was given a chance to fly an F-4. His comment, " Fly like milk truck!"
The F-4 was actually a lot of fun to fly and just about the last fighter where you could really feel the air loads on the controls as you moved them. Everything later had more computers between you and the stick, so you felt the response, but not the actual air loads. The F-4 was very responsive, with a lot of rudder authority. Rudder rolls were actually smoother than aileron rolls and she was easy to loop and perform other aerobatics. Back seater could not get the throttles into afterburner and that changed in the F-15B/D and F-16B/D.
Will- Has been a while since I flew back there, so I guess I got it confused with the F-15D, where you definitely can use the burners in the back.
I don't know about the F-15, I've only flown that a few times, and only from the front where AB works for sure. The Viper wont cutoff or go into AB from the pit...to shut it down from the pit you have to break the wire on the shutoff selector and rotate it off. If you think about the mechanics of what it takes to have working AB/Shutoff detents in both the back and the front, it would be quite a monumental undertaking...
Will- Affirmative, the F-15 was pretty analog compared to the F-16. Was still my favorite to fly of them all. Felt like an F-111 with all the mass removed. Much more sensitive on the controls.
Interesting, no mention of being able to land/T.O. on a flat-top as an option First thing that came to mind
She would have fully navalized when new. Built before the AF versions (F-110A) saw the light of day and before McNamara and the Whiz Kids screwed up the aircraft numbering system. The Navy numbering system was actually pretty good. F4H-1 told you it was McDonnell's (H) 4th fighter design for the USN and that she was the first version built. Built way before McDonnell merged with Douglas in 1967.
