Thursday, July 4, 2013

Germany bids farewell to the F-4 Phantom


On June 29th, the Luftwaffe retired its last F-4F Phantom jet fighters after flying them for almost 40 years.  To commemorate the occasion, one was painted in a special livery and labeled 'Phantom Pharewell'.




Here's a video clip of the specially-painted jet performing a flying display prior to the end of Phantom operations.





The Phantoms have been replaced in Luftwaffe service by Eurofighter Typhoons.  The F-4 is still operational with the Egyptian, Greek, Iranian, Japanese and Turkish air forces, and with the USAF as a radio-controlled pilotless target drone.

Peter

EDITED TO ADD:  Thanks to links provided by others, I've found some more photographs of the 'Phantom Pharewell', as well as some great shots of other Luftwaffe F-4F's.  Click on the links to view them at Picasa.

'Phantom Pharewell' Image 1, 960x640 pixels;
'Phantom Pharewell' Image 2, with 4 Phantoms in all Luftwaffe paint schemes, 1024x682 pixels;
'Phantom Pharewell' Image 3, with air superiority gray F-4F, 1600x1067 pixels (wallpaper size)
Luftwaffe F-4F Phantom 1, 2048x1366 pixels (wallpaper size);
Formation of 4 Luftwaffe F-4F Phantoms, 2048x1365 pixels (wallpaper size)

The wallpaper-sized shots are great for screen backgrounds.  I've already put one up.

6 comments:

  1. Not just one special scheme but 4. The last remaining Phantoms were painted in the 3 major colours schemes worn by Phantoms during their service with the Luftwaffe, including khaki/grey, two tone grey and air superiority grey.

    Beautiful aircraft that will be missed by all concerned.

    Some more information and pictures here.

    http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=48057

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  2. Living proof that if you add enough power a brick can fly!!! :-) And he really didn't do much in burner, because he'd have had to land in about 9-10 minutes!!! Still the most prestigious flight orders in the JMSDF!

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  3. Stuart Garfath. Sydney, Australia.July 5, 2013 at 8:51 AM

    Fabulous, simply fabulous!.
    At 1:38 and 1:51, I discerned the UNMISTAKEABLE sound of either a Packhard Merlin, or a Rolls-Royce Merlin, (I lean towards a Packhard, in a P-51D).
    Many, almost too numerous to mention stories, (will someone put them into a hardbound, lavishly illustrated with b/w and colour shots) are both the history, and still current words that the F-4 is yet to write.
    What a bird.
    The Tomcat is well named, but it's Daddy, the F-4 did it all before. F-4, F-14, nice Family.
    In both cases, in answer to the question, "How fast, High and Hard", the only answer is, "Balls to the wall".
    Nothing less was acceptable.

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  4. My only up close encounter was with some Texas Air Guard F4's in the 80's. We were having a staff picnic in a meadow by the Guadalupe river. I heard them pass by a mile or so away..... Then a couple minutes later they blew over us at 500 feet or so.... The JP4 exhaust was like a blanket!!!!! Too funny! The sound was like a solid wall. I love American Airpower....

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  5. @ Stuart Garfath

    You are right about the Packard Merlin. I was there that day and it's the sound of the Dutch P-51 Mustang 'Damn Yankee'.

    It was a suprise visit from the P-51 pilot and he made a few rounds before landing his plane.

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