F-4 Books: Aerial Combat in Southeast Asia

USAF F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1972-73 by Peter Davies (Author) & Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

The F-4 Phantom II was the USAF workhorse fighter-bomber for the Linebacker campaign of the Vietnam War (1955-1975), which eventually saw US forces withdraw from Vietnam 'with honour' in 1973. This book covers the F-4 attacks on numerous targets in North Vietnamese cities such as Hanoi and Haiphong, as well as its engagements with Vietnamese MiG-19s and MiG-21s hell-bent on defending the north from 'Yankee air pirates'. The USAF's only ace crew, which scored their five kills during 1972, is also covered in a book containing many detailed photographs, a large proportion of which haven't been published before.

F-4 Phantom II vs MiG-21: USAF & VPAF in the Vietnam War by Peter Davies (Author), Jim Laurier (Illustrator) & Gareth Hector

From difficult weather conditions to unreliable missile armament to unequal rules of engagement, this book tells the story of the challenges faced by the F-4 and MiG-21 pilots. Using first-hand accounts wherever possible the author draws us into the dangerous world experienced by American and North Vietnamese pilots. Influential leaders and tacticians will be profiled to provide a comparative evaluation of their contrasting skills. This book will also reveal the technical specifications of each jet with an analysis of the weaponry, avionics and survival devices of the Phantom and MiG-21. The fighters' strengths and weaknesses will be compared also, including turn radius, performance at altitude, range and structural integrity. This was an intense and deadly duel between vastly different rivals. In the Phantom, a second crewmember and good radar compensated for the difficulty of providing command and control at long distances from the targets. However, the F-4's smoky engines and considerable bulk made it visible at much further distances than the small, clean MiG-21 and Phantoms were often hit by unseen MiG attacks. On the other hand, the F-4s eight-missile armament compared favorably with the two-missile provision of the MiG. Often pilot skill, if not luck, would be the determining factor between the smaller, faster MiG and bigger, better-gunned Phantom. First-person extracts will reflect on the dangers of these aerial duels while graphics based on records of engagement and technical manuals will illustrate the experience of air combat as they struggled to overcome their shortcomings and survive their deadly duels.

US Navy F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers (1) 1965-1970 by Brad Elward & Peter Davies

For every American fighter pilot involved in the Vietnam War (1955-1975), the ultimate goal was to 'kill a MiG'. In eight years of conflict 43 Vietnamese Peoples Air Force aircraft were claimed by US Navy and US Marine Corps Phantom II crews, and one single ace crew produced. Navy Phantom IIs scored the first kills of the Vietnam War, in April 1965, as well as scoring the last in January 1973. This volume charts the successes of the navy fighter crews as they encountered 'MiGs, Missiles and AAA' over the jungles of North Vietnam.

McDonnell F-4 Phantom, Vol. 2: US Air Force and Export Versions by Gerard Paloque

With more than 5000 examples built, some of them under license, the McDonnel F-4 Phantom is considered as one of the most characteristic fighters of the sixties and seventies.

The thirteenth publication of the Planes and Pilots Series, this second volume dedicated to the Phantom presents the versions providing the USAF and the Air Forces of several foreign countries as Israel, Japan, Western Germany, Egypt...

Shortly after the US Navy put the F-4H-1 Phantom II into service in 1960, the US Air Force in turn took an interest in it. After a successful comparison with the best machines of the period, it was decided at the beginning of 1962 to use it as the standard tactical fighter. It was in May 1963 that the first USAF F-4C, overall similar to the Navy version, made its first flight and exceeded Mach 2. Several versions and variants of the twin-engine fighter were produced over almost ten years, taking advantage each time of the progress made in avionics, power plants and armament, with the original "all-missile" concept being eventually put aside in the light of the fighting in South-East Asia in which the aircraft took an active part, in exchange for an on-board weapon which turned out to be very effective both in the aerial combat and ground attack roles.

Apart from the USAF and the various units of the Air National Guard, or the United States Reserve which used the 2 600 F-4s up to the middle of the 90s - especially for recce or electronic warfare - the Phantom IIs were also very successful in the export markets since more than 1,200 examples were flown by ten or so countries, especially NATO ones. Some, like Japan, even built them under license in large numbers and many, like Israel and Iran, often used them successfully in combat.

Smoke Trails: The Last of the F-4 Phantoms by Jaimie Hunter

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II remains one of the most popular and charismatic fighter aircraft in the world today. Though its long and distinguished service career is almost over, the type remains operational in modest numbers and in various roles at air forces around the world. This book takes the reader to the last operational locations of the F-4 for a look at its current activities. With a particular emphasis on recent air-to-air images of the remaining operational Phantoms shot by the joint authors, Katsuhiko Tokunaga and Jamie Hunter, the book also includes interviews with and information about the pilots and those still associated with the popular type. It will take the reader behind the scenes of the last Phantom squadrons and into their ops rooms. It is now almost exactly 50 years since the first F-4 Phantom flew. With the type now entering the twilight of its career in active service, interest in an already highly regarded aircraft has grown significantly.

F-4E Phantom II - Walk Around by Larry Davis

F-4E Phantom II Walk Around. One of the most famous and versatile combat aircraft of the 1960s. With a range of 1,401 nautical miles and the capability to carry up to 16,000 pounds of external stores including nuclear and conventional bombs, the F-4 served in many guises, from fleet interceptor to fighter-bomber to reconnaissance aircraft to MiG killer. While F-4s ruled the skies over Vietnam and the Middle East, it also served with both the US Navy's Blue Angels and Air Force's Thunderbirds, the only aircraft to do so. Illustrated with over 150 color and b/w photos, 12 color profiles, and line drawings; 80 pages.

F-4 Phantom (Combat Legend) by Martin Bowman

The Phantom was developed for the US Navy as a long-range all-weather fighter and first flew in May 1958. It became operational in 1961. The US Air Force then realized that the Navy had an aircraft that was far better than any tactical aircraft in their inventory and ordered 543 F-4C variants. There then followed a spate of overseas orders from around the world. In Britain, it was ordered for the Navy and Air Force, but was modified to take the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan. One of the Naval Phantoms stole the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, a record that stood until taken by the remarkable Blackbird. Phantoms have been used in combat in many conflicts throughout its long service history. It was one of America's most utilized aircraft during the long Vietnam War and has flown in anger in the Middle East for several air forces. The F-4 is still operational with several air forces but is now coming to the end of its long and successful period as a front-line combat warplane.

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Gun Nosed Phantoms by Kris Hughes & Walter Dranem

Big, smoky, with twin engines and two aboard, gun nosed Phantoms roamed the skies of Vietnam in search of the enemy. Now, take a look under the skin of one of these monsters. Tech manual extracts, vintage photos, exploded views, etc.

USAF Phantoms in Combat - Vietnam Studies Group by Lou Drendel

USN Phantoms in Combat by Lou Drendel

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II by Chris Chant

Modelling the F-4 Phantom II by Geoff Coughlin

The 'Phabulous' Phantom first took to the air on 27 May 1958 and has been in service around the world for many decades. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Turkey have all operated this powerful aircraft. The Phantom starred in both the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, and in its service career has flown every traditional military mission. With many F-4 variants in service (from FG.1s to 'Wild Weasels'), and some 25 scale model kits currently available, the possibilities for modelling this subject are endless. There are few guides currently available to the F-4 modeller: this book seeks to redress the imbalance, providing an in-depth and step-by-step approach to modelling this plane across a variety of scales, types, and national schemes.