The first of 583 F-4C ordered by the USAF began delivery in late 1963. They basically were F-
4Bs that had been refit for ground operations. The F-4C arrived in Southeast Asia in early 1965
and by 1966 equipped 7 squadrons in Vietnam and 3 in Thailand. The early F-4Cs lacked guns
and relied totally on missiles but it wasn’t long before the addition of SUU-16A gun pods with M-
61AI-20-mm guns were put to use to compensate for the lack of internal guns. The addition of
these gun pods gave the pilot gun fire but degraded the performance of the aircraft. The first F-
4Cs suffered from many defects such as wing tanks that would spring leaks and require
resealing after every flight. Many had cracked ribs on outer wing panels. It wasn’t too long
before the F-4D made an appearance.

On July 10, 1965 F-4C 64-0693 from the 45th TFS 2nd AD crewed by Capt. K.E. Holcombe and
Capt. A.C. Clark using the callsign “Mink 03” shot down a Mig-17 using AIM-98 missiles. The
normal procedure was for a flight of F-4s to fly ahead of a flight of F-105s and clear they way.
The MiG-17s would wait for the second flight comprised of the F-105s before they would attack.
The Vietnamese People’s Air Force knew that by waiting the escorting F-4s would be low on fuel
and couldn’t stay to protect the F-105s. On July 10, 1965 things were different; there were no F-
105s in either of the two flights. Four F-4Cs with call signs Mink 01 through 04 departed 20
minutes after the first flight and flew at 20,000 feet and mach .85 to simulate the characteristics
of a flight of F-105s. Once the Minks arrived at the target area VPAF Mig-17s arose to the
occasion only to find F-4Cs instead of the usual F-105s. After being drawn into a turning fight
Mink 03 dived and climbed and managed to get behind the MiG-17. Mink 03 fired an AIM-9B but
missed due to a radar malfunction so they immediately fired 3 more. Two of the missiles were
fired without lock-on but exploded close enough to reduce the MiG-17 to a fire ball. This action
made Capt. K.E. Holcombe and Capt. A.C. Clark the first crew to shoot down a MiG-17. On July
30, 1967 F-4C 64-0693 and crew now assigned to the 559th TFS were lost over the southern
panhandle of North Vietnam.

Specification of the F-4C

Manufacturer: McDonnell-Douglas

Role – Fighter

Performance
Engines - (2) General Electric J79-GE-15 turbojets, 10,900 lb.s.t dry, 17,000 lb.s.t. with
afterburner
Maximum Speed – 1,433 mph @ 48,000 ft, 826 mph at sea level
Initial Climb Rate - 40,550 fpm
Service Ceiling - 56,100 ft
Combat Ceiling - 55,600 ft
Combat Range - 538 miles
Maximum Range – 1,926 miles with maximum external fuel

Weights
Empty - 28,496 lbs
Gross - 51,441 lbs
Combat Weight - 38,352 lbs
Maximum Take-Off Weight - 58,000 lbs

Dimensions
Wingspan 38 ft 5 ins
Wing Area - 530 sq ft
Length - 58 ft 3 3/4 ins
Height - 16 ft 3 ins

Fuel
Maximum Internal - 1,986 US gallons (1,343 gallons in fuselage, 630 gallons in wings)
Maximum External - 600 US gallons in centerline tank underneath the fuselage and 740 US
gallons in (2) under-wing tanks / total fuel to 3,313 US gallons

Armament
(4) AIM-7D or -7E Sparrow semi active radar homing missiles in under-fuselage recesses
Inner pylons could each accommodate (2) AIM-9B/D Sidewinder infrared homing missiles
Ground Attack Mode – able to carry up to 16,000 pounds of ordnance on centerline pylon
underneath the fuselage
Plus
(4) under-wing hard-points

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