One of the most famous and easily recognized fighter aircraft of the post-WWII era was the
McDonnell F-4 Phantom II. This aircraft was developed as a private venture by the aircraft
company but was soon ordered by the USN as a carrier-based attack aircraft. Its first flight took
place on May 27, 1958 and it entered active service in December 1960. It wasn’t long after the
F-4B appeared that a fly-off was set up with USAF front-line fighters. It was no contest, the F-4
performed so well that the USAF ordered their own variant, the F-4C. As time went on, the F-4
evolved into well over a dozen variants.

In 1965 VMFA-122(AW) returned to their base at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro and
transitioned to the F-4B Phantom II and were re-designated VMFA-122 Crusaders. In August
1967 they deployed to Danang Airbase, Vietnam for five months. During this time the squadron
flew 2,540 sorties and delivered 4,800 tons of ordnance. February 1968 saw VMFA-122 fly 629
sorties and drop 1,300 tons during the Siege at Khe Sahn. The squadron left for MCAS
Iwakuni, Japan in September 1968 only to return to Vietnam in the summer of 1969.

Specification of the F-4B Phantom II
Number of “B” variant built for USN and USMC - 649
Engines – 2 x General Electric J79-GE-8A/-8B/-8C turbojets, 10,900 lb.s.t. dry, 17,000 lb.s.t.
with afterburner
Performance
Maximum speed
@ Sea level - 845 mph
@ 48,000 ft - 1,485 mph
Initial climb rate - 28,000 fpm
Service ceiling - 62,000 ft
Combat ceiling - 56,850 ft.
Combat range
Normal - 400 miles
Maximum range – 2,300 miles with maximum fuel load
Weights
Empty - 28,000 pounds
Gross - 44,600 pounds
Combat - 38,500 pounds
Maximum take-off - 54,600 pounds
Dimensions
Wingspan - 38 ft 5 in
Wing area - 530 sq. ft
Length - 58 ft 3.75 in
Height - 16 ft 3 in
Fuel
Maximum fuel load
Internal in fuselage – 1,358 U.S. Gallons
Internal in wings – 630 U.S. Gallons
Total external fuel load – 1,988 U.S. Gallons
Maximum external fuel load
In center-line tank under the fuselage - 600 U.S. Gallons
In 2 x under-wing tanks - 740 U.S. Gallons
Combined fuel load – 3,328 U.S. Gallons
Armament
4 x AIM-7D or -7E Sparrow semi-active radar homing missiles in under-fuselage recesses
Inner under-wing pylons could each accommodate an additional Sparrow or a pair of AIM-9
Sidewinder infrared homing missiles
In ground attack mode, could carry up to 16,000 pounds of ordnance on centerline pylon
underneath the fuselage and on four under-wing hard-points

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