Tag Archives: QF-4

Loyal Wingman, 1974 Edition

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Of course, you have probably seen this, the first successful mid-air refueling of an F-18 from an MQ-25 UAV in naval history, which occurred 4 June. The fact that this could eliminate tying down tactical aircraft as buddy stores refuelers is huge for the use of carrier air wing tactics. 

The current “Loyal Wingman” or “Airpower Teaming” concept– matching up high-performance UAVs with a manned aircraft in a single flight– is seen as revolutionary to the future of naval warfare, and it is, but keep in mind that it is not wholly unheard of/unseen in the past with more analog technology.

Check out this Naval Missile Center (NMC) Point Mugu Vought DF-8F Crusader drone controller (BuNo 145528, NMC-105) in-flight with its unmanned McDonnell QF-4B Phantom II NOLO (no on-board live operator) drone (BuNo 149466, NMC-41) in 1974.

Beautiful picture.

These QF-4s could often prove death-defying. 

Either way, interesting concept, then and now.

Pharewell Phantom

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Hattip The Aviationist: You get double sonic booms from the last U.S. F-4, flown by the last official American Phantom phlyer, Det. 1, 82nd Aerial Target Squadron commander Lt. Col. Ronald King, USAF

Skyes9: In an attempt at documenting the last USAF F-4 Phantoms in flying service, I flew to Holloman AFB, NM. They’ll be used as ground targets from now on as the QF-16 takes over. In this video you will see the start up, taxi out, and phly by of the F-4s, followed by water cannon salute and then shut down of the USAF McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.

Pharewell robo-Phantoms

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qf-4-aerial-target-002

Flight Global reports the last 22 QF-4 Phantom aerial targets, currently part of the 53rd Wing’s Detachment 1, 82 Aerial Targets Sqn, based at Holloman AFB will be out of service by the end of 2016.

When they are expended, they will end the U.S. military’s 58 year love affair with the big smoky J79-engined F-4 whose first flight was 27 May 1958.

Which in the end is rather poetic.

Old F-4 Bounces off Highway 98

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The drone drivers at Tyndall lost a QF-4, a converted F-4 Phantom modded to fly as an unmanned drone for target practice. Said robot plane wound up crashing near Highway 98 just outside of PC. Its  large target indeed at 68-feet long and 38 feet wide, they could take off weighing as much as twenty tons. The 1958-designed Phantom is still in service with Greece, Turkey and Japan while Germany just retired thier last models in the past few months. The German F-4s were so smokey that they called them Luftverteidigungsdiesel (“Air Defense Diesel”) fighters.

Well the one in Bay County sure is smokin baby Boom!

This is not a manned fighter bomber any more. It is a remote control drone..and sometimes they go slightly off course

This is not a manned fighter bomber any more. It is a remote control drone..and sometimes they go slightly off course