The following table lists books I recommend that contain pictures and information about the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
| The Modern Phantom Guide: The F-4 Phantom Exposed by Jake Melampy | 1069 full-color images illustrate the latest installment in The Modern Guide series. This is the largest Modern Guide yet, weighing in at 228 pages. For over 50 years, the mighty McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom has been at the forefront of air forces around the world. Although no longer in service in the United States' military, it plays a vital role in several nations' air forces. No corner of the F-4 is left untouched in this volume, covering literally every inch of the jet from nose to tail, as well as describing each version of the jet that has taken to the skies over the years and modifications performed to keep the jet viable into the 21st Century. Specifically, the F-4C, F-4D, F-4E, F-4F, F-4G, RF-4C, RF-4E, QF-4E, QF-4G, and QRF-4C are all thoroughly covered in this book. Appendices cover the F-4F ICE, F-4E AUP, ARN-101/DMAS F-4E & RF-4C (including Pave Tack and GBU-15). Complete cockpit coverage is included for each version of the jet. A future Modern Phantom Guide is already in the works to cover the US Navy, US Marine Corps, and British F-4s. |
| 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. |
| USAF F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1965-68 by Peter Davies (Author) & Jim Laurier (Illustrator) | The USAF introduced the F-4C Phantom II into the Vietnam War (1955-1975) in April 1965 from Ubon RTAB, Thailand. The F-4C/D soon became the Air Force's principal fighter over the North, destroying 85 MiGs by the close of 1968. This book describes how the USAF turned a gunless naval interceptor into an opponent to the more nimble VPAF MiGs. It explains how the Air Force gradually followed US Navy initiatives in the use of the F-4's missile armament but employed very different tactics and aircrew training. The roles of key personalities such as Col. Robin Oldany are discussed, together with armament and markings, crews and engagements. |
| 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. |
| USN F-4 Phantom II vs VPAF MiG-17/19: Vietnam 1965-73 by Peter Davies (Author) & Jim Laurier (Illustrator) | The Vietnam War placed unexpected demands upon American military forces and equipment, which had been focused on the probability of tactical nuclear warfare. The principal US naval fighter, the McDonnell F-4 Phantom, had originally been designed to defend the Fleet from air attack at long range. However, its tremendous power and bomb-carrying capacity made it an obvious candidate for the attack mission in Vietnam from 1965 onwards. Its opponent was the MiG-17, a direct descendant of the MiG-15, which had given USAF Sabre jets a hard fight in the Korean War. This book brings to life their dangerous duels and includes detailed cockpit views and other specially commissioned artwork to highlight the benefits and shortcomings of each plane type. It was in the skies over Vietnam that many of the techniques of air combat evolved as pilots learned how to use and to defeat supersonic fighters for the first time. |
| 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. 1: US Navy and US Marine Corps by Gerard Paloque | Designed originally as a carrier-borne interceptor armed only with missiles, its beginnings were so promising that the USAF adopted it as a tactical fighter ands was quickly followed by an impressive number of other air forces around the world which explains why certain examples are still in service today. The evolution of the Phantom goes back to the summer of 1953 when McDonnel gave one of his engineer teams the task of modernizing one of its earlier creations: the F3H Demon. In July 1959, the F4H-1 was officially christened Phantom II as a tribute to the McDonnelL FH-1, the first American jet plane designed in 1953 and intended for carrier-borne from the outset. |
| 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. |
| McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II: Production and Operational Data by William R. Peake | The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an aircraft with a long history and global presence. Although the F-4 is no longer in production, the 5,000+ airplanes have yet to be accurately chronicled on an individual basis. This book lists each airplane in production order, as well as listing block number, serial number, attrition date and circumstances, aerial 'kills', retirement date and circumstances, tail codes, and other essential details. Photo enthusiasts will be able to use the book as ready reference to update their collections, and spotters will want a copy to keep track of the many F-4s in their logbooks. This book is almost exclusively tabular, with only small text summaries to serve as introductions to chapters or explanatory material in a similar manner to Midland's very popular Vietnam Air Losses, with which it has quite some affinity in the style of its content and treatment as a reference work. Because the F-4 has such a global presence, the many 'Phantom Phanatics' worldwide will find this book of unequalled value. |
| 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. |
| MiG Killers: A Chronology of U.S. Air Victories in Vietnam 1965-1973 by Donald J. McCarthy, Jr. | A Chronology of U.S. Air Victories in Vietnam 1965-1973 tells the dramatic story of U.S. Air Force and Navy flight crews who battled the Soviet-built enemy MiGs in the war-torn skies over Southeast Asia. Readers will learn new information on this subject from vivid and detailed narrative describing all 202 MiG kills made by six different aircraft types, and with every engagement arranged in chronological order. This book also features the most complete photo documentation on this subject ever assembled. By using outstanding original and military photography, much of which has never before been published, this book shows 169 of the 174 U.S. aircraft credited with MiG kills during the Vietnam War. It describes each aircraft with serial number, tail code, operational unit, crewmember names, call sign, and specific weaponry and tactics used in accomplishing each and every MiG kill made from April 1965 through January 1973. |
| 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. |
| And Kill MiGs, Air to Air Combat From Vietnam to the Gulf War by Lou Drendel | And Kill MiGs-Air To Air Combat From Vietnam To The Gulf War," by author Lou Drendel, features real-life stories of pilots who were there! INCLUDES: One 8.25" X 11" paperback book - 104 Pages FEATURES: Includes information on the following; in addition to the real life stories- Top Gun Aircrafts, US Navy MiG Killers, and Sukhoi Killers Illustrated with black and white and color photographs and color diagrams |
| 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. |
| F-4 Phantom II Pilot's Flight Operating Manual | One of the great aircraft of the Cold War era, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was the most heavily produced supersonic, all-weather fighter bomber. Capable of a top speed of Mach 2.23, it set sixteen world records including an absolute speed record of 1,606 mph and an altitude record of 98,557 feet. The F-4 flew Vietnam, in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Gulf War and amassed a record of 393 aerial victories. F-4s also flew as part of the USAF Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration teams. Originally printed by McDonnell and the U.S. Navy in the 1960s, this flight operating handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "restricted", the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text. |
| 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. |
| McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Manual 1958 Onwards (all marks): An Insight into Owning, Flying and Maintaining the USAF's Legendary Combat Jet by Ian Black | First entering service in 1960 with the US military, the F-4 Phantom remained at the forefront of US air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It saw extensive action during the Vietnam War as the principal air superiority fighter for both the US Navy and Air Force, as well as in the ground-attack and reconnaissance roles. The F-4J, K and M also played key roles with the RAF and Royal Navy in the same period. Former RAF Phantom navigator Ian Black gives the F-4 the Haynes Manual treatment. |
| USAF Phantoms in Combat - Vietnam Studies Group by Lou Drendel | |
Wrecking Crew: The 388th Tactical Fighter Wing in Vietnamby Jerry Scutts | ||
| USN Phantoms in Combat by Lou Drendel | |
| USMC Phantoms in Combat by Lou Drendel | |
| McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II by Chris Chant | |
| US Navy F-4 B/J/N/S/Q Phantom by Danny Coremans | This book uncovers in full photographic detail the five different F-4 Phantom types (F-4B / F-4J /F-4N /F-4S / QF-4S) which served in the US Navy. Consists of 176 pages, with a complete walk-around of the fuselages, the cockpits of the various types in full detail, pictures of the QF-4 in flight (without pilots), maintenance pictures and a nice selection of the armaments carried by the US Navy Phantom during all the years of its service. |
| 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. |