[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by Llarry

, but I am discontinuing the regular Thursday posting.

You could do Phantom Phriday.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

You could do Phantom Phriday.

There have been many more variants and many more units that used the F-4, to be sure.

[ezaircon4jc]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EVsNqsoml68

https://youtube.com/shorts/EVsNqsoml...AU6EHsc2Jov0ba

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EVsNqsoml68

https://youtube.com/shorts/EVsNqsoml...AU6EHsc2Jov0ba

.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

You could do Phantom Phriday.

I sure could. And let's start with a lesser-known version of the Phabulous Phantom: The RF-4C reconnaissance version. In the early 1960s, the U.S. Air Force was looking for a successor for the RF-101 Voodoo and the F-4 filled the bill. They liked the two-crew configuration with the back seater handling recon systems.

The RF-4 recon versions (RF-4C for the USAF, RF-4E for foreign users and RF-4B for the U.S. Marine Corps) had a distinctive lengthened nose incorporating a small radar and a number of cameras.

While the primary mission of the RF-4C was unarmed recon, there was a secondary mission of nuclear strike carrying a single B28 tactical nuclear bomb on the centerline.

The USAF bought over 500 RF-4Cs and the timing was just right for the photo Phantom to make important contributions to the Vietnam War as deliveries to Air Force tactical recon squadrons started in 1964.

The Marines took advantage of the development of the RF-4C to buy a small number of RF-4Bs with similar recon gear. As did a number of other nations that operated the F-4E fighter version.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

.

I have one of these in my RC fleet of EDF jets. Haven’t flown it yet. The
RC EDF jets I have flown include A-10, A-4, F-22, T-33 and F9F Cougar.

EDF = Electric Ducted Fan.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

You could do Phantom Phriday.

Or I could do Myasishchev Monday, I suppose, but there would not be too many posts in that series.

64 years ago, the July 1961 Tsushino air show outside Moscow -- where the Soviets showed off their latest aviation developments -- was shocked by the appearance of the Myasishchev M-50 supersonic bomber. It turned out that appearance was the occasion of the last flight of the sole M-50, dubbed "Bounder" by NATO.

The M-50 was an interesting design. 57.5 m (186.6 ft) long! It had four jet engines; the inner ones had afterburners and the outer ones did not. It first flew in October of 1959. I do not know if it ever flew supersonically; its entire history was just 19 flights.

Today the M-50 sits outside corroding in the Monino Air Museum, as do many other artifacts of the era.

A few more details can be found at Wikipedia, but for a time it was thought to be a nuclear-powered bomber.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myasishchev_M-50

[Llarry]

Active U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps units have all transitioned to the improved C-130J model. Many Air National Guard airlift squadrons have upgraded to the J and the Marine Corps Reserve transition to KC-130Js is well underway. Two Air Force Reserve and the Navy's five small Reserve C-130 units continue to fly old C-130H aircraft -- C-130T in the case of the Navy Reserve. (There are no Navy active C-130 transport squadrons.)

The Navy C-130Ts were some of the last pre-J aircraft built, so they are likely to be last in line to upgrade, if they upgrade at all.

Here is a C-130T of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 55 (VR-55) from Point Mugu, California. preparing to land. Note that this aircraft has been fitted with upgraded 8-blade propellors. (The C-130J uses different 6-blade props.)

[Llarry]

The contract to convert two Boeing 747-400s into presidential air transport aircraft is not going well. <shocked!!> In 2018 two near-zero time airframes were purchased, and modifications began to make them into VC-25B VVIP transports. The aircraft were to be done by 2024. The project completion date has now slipped to 2029.

These projects never go well. I would not bet on '29 either...