Israeli F4 Phantom - The bottom line: This is not the first time that designers of new jet fighters have resisted continuing to upgrade older models already in service.
In 2018, it was revealed that the Pentagon was looking to purchase advanced F-15X fighters to replace its aging fleet of F-15C air superiority fighters. Rightly or wrongly, proponents of the F-35 stealth fighter fear that the F-15X could affect F-35 purchases, even though the F-35 is not intended to replace the F-15C. This is not the first time that manufacturers of new jet fighter designs have resisted upgrading older models already in service.
Israeli F4 Phantom
The F-4 Phantom was a beast of a World War II two-seat jet fighter that could fly twice the speed of sound and carry a heavier bomb load than the four-engine B-17 bomber. The jet, equipped with advanced radar, entered service with the Air Force, Navy and Marines in the 1960s, designed to engage enemy fighters with air-to-air missiles at visual range.
Israeli Idf F 4e Phantom
However, both design flaws and conditions conspired against the Phantom in its first major combat test of the Vietnam War. Early air-to-air missiles were notoriously unreliable, and the rules of engagement required American pilots to make visual contact before firing. In addition, the "Phantom" was less maneuverable than the opposing MiGs, and American pilots were not trained to fight at visual distances. As if that wasn't enough, the Phantom also lacked a gun!
However, many of the Phantom's shortcomings have been fixed. The F-4E added a 20mm Vulcan cannon and greatly improved missile technology. In addition, Phantom pilots were trained in aerial combat maneuver theory, and special wing plates were added to improve the Phantom's considerable speed displacement to improve maneuverability. With a kill ratio of better than 3:1 over Vietnam (150 kills to 41 losses in air-to-air combat), compared to the Iran-Iraq War and the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Phantoms marked a unique overseas battle. record in shots. About one hundred and fifty more planes were shot down and batteries of deadly surface-to-air missiles were launched.
In the mid-1970s, the U.S. military began replacing the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and FA-18 Hornet with new fourth-generation Phantoms. They used turbofan engines that were more efficient than hydraulic controls, fly-by-wire aircraft, Doppler radars that remained effective against low-flying aircraft, and airframe/engine pairs that balanced speed and maneuverability for long- and short-range combat.
However, many of these technologies can be retrofitted to the Phantom. In the 1980s, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) developed a three-part upgrade of the Phantom called the Kurnas ("Heavy Hammer"). The first phase of these upgrades included new radars, head-up displays, cockpit instruments, and anti-missile capability. But IAI is considering a more ambitious upgrade with the domestic light fighter Lavi ("Lion") project.
Israel Air Force Mcdonnell Douglas F 4e Phantom Ii Fighter Jet Editorial Photography
In 1980, IAI selected engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney to develop a smaller version of the F100 turbofan that powered the F-15 for use in the Lavi. The resulting PW1120 turbofan was significantly smaller and smaller than the F100, but produced nearly as much power and had 70 percent more interchangeable parts.
In 1983, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney introduced an upgrade to the Super Phantom powered by the PW1120, which was more fuel efficient and produced about 30 percent more thrust than the Phantom's J79 turbojets of the 1950s. The Boeing Super Phantom also came with aerodynamically conformal fuel tanks that doubled the range with less drag than wing-mounted fuel tanks. However, the Air Force cut funding for the project in 1984.
Later in July 986, as IAI moved forward with Lavie's development, F-4E Phantom #336 was modified to serve as a testbed, replacing its starboard J79 engine with a PW1120, possibly with Boeing assistance. A year later the port engine was also replaced and the fully re-engined Phantom made its maiden flight on April 27, 1987.
By all accounts, the Phantom's performance with the higher engine was exceptional, increasing the F-4E's power-to-weight ratio from .86 to 1.04. (A jet with a power-to-weight ratio of 1.0 or greater can fly straight at a 90-degree angle and accelerate.) As a result, the Super Phantom climbs 36 percent faster and turns 15 percent faster. Combined with winged slings. It is equivalent to the fourth-generation F-15E Strike Eagle and can increase speed by 27 percent and take off on a 20 percent shorter runway. Because the engines are lighter and more fuel efficient, the Super Phantom can also fly significantly further.
Phantom Israel 69 Squadron 2 By Claveworks On Deviantart
Most importantly, the Super Phantom is capable of supercruise, meaning it can achieve supersonic flight without the use of afterburners. To this day, the United States has only one operational supercruiser fighter, the F-22 Raptor.
A few months later at the 1987 Paris Air Show, veteran pilot Adi Benaya took the Super Phantom (exhibit #229 produced) for a spin in an impressive display, which you can see here and here . Donald Fink wrote for Aviation Week that it was "an astonishing display of brute force in a series of tight, high-G turns and vertical maneuvers that were completely out of character for the aging F-4."
The aerial demonstration of the Super Phantom gave the impression that IAI was going to upgrade the PW1120 and sell it overseas. However, the super-cruising Super Phantom did not - and why remains controversial.
According to some sources, the Super Phantom upgrade will be very expensive, combined with Kurnas' advanced avionics as well as proposed airframe modifications, including fins, canards and special fuel tanks, totaling $12 million per aircraft. It is also important to remember that the Israeli Phantoms are well past their airframe life.
Ed Okun \
Meanwhile, the Lavie fighter was canceled two months later, in part due to pressure to avoid competition for the United States' fourth-generation fighters. As the PW1120 turbofan was not used by other aircraft, this increased the unit cost of assembling them for the Phantoms.
However, McDonnell-Douglas, the Phantom's original manufacturer, is rumored to have stepped in to prevent IAI Super Phantoms from disrupting foreign sales of its new F FA-18C/D Hornet. Combining upgraded engines and modernized avionics, the Super Phantom equals or exceeds the $29 million FA-18C Hornet in several performance parameters. Hundreds of Phantoms served in Germany, Greece, Japan, Israel, South Korea, Spain, Turkey and Great Britain.
So, legend has it that IAI quieted the power of the McDonnell-Douglas PW1120-powered Super Phantom to prevent its new fighters from selling a more cost-effective competitor. However, while rumors are widespread, confirmation from primary sources is not proof.
The IAF continued to upgrade the avionics to the 55 Kurnas Phantoms, including an integrated throttle/joystick, APG-76 Doppler radar and support for surface-to-surface attack missiles. When the Kurnas Phantoms were retired in 2004, IAI introduced a similar upgrade, or Terminator 2020, to the Turkish Air Force's F-4s, which saw extensive action in Syria.
F 4e Phantom Ii
Japan will retire its license-built F-4EJ Phantom fleet in 2019, while Greece, Iran, South Korea and Turkey will be flying upgraded Phantoms in the 2020s, but not super-cruise Phantoms.
Sebastian Roblin holds a master's degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in France and the United States on education, editing, and refugee resettlement. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Not Fun. It appeared last year. Here's what you need to know: In the 1980s, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) planned a three-part modernization of the F-4 Phantom.
In 2018, reports emerged that the Pentagon was looking to purchase dozens of upgraded F-15X fighters to replace its aging F-15C air combat fleet. Rightly or wrongly, proponents of the F-35 stealth fighter fear that the F-15X could affect F-35 purchases, even though the F-35 is not intended to replace the F-15C. This is not the first time that manufacturers of new jet fighter designs have resisted upgrading older models already in service.
The F-4 Phantom was a two-seat jet fighter that could fly at twice the speed of sound and carry heavier bomb loads than the four-engine B-17 bomber of World War II. The jet, equipped with advanced radar, entered service with the Air Force, Navy and Marines in the 1960s, designed to engage enemy fighters at visual range with air-to-air missiles.
Mcdonnell Douglas F 4 Phantom Ii
However, both design flaws and circumstances conspired against the Phantom in its first major combat test of the Vietnam War. Early air-to-air missiles were notoriously unreliable, and the rules of engagement required American pilots to make visual contact before firing. In addition, the "Phantom" was less maneuverable than the opposing MiGs, and American pilots were not trained to fight at visual distances. As if that wasn't enough, the Phantom also lacked a gun!
However, many of the Phantom's shortcomings have been fixed. The F-4E added a 20mm Vulcan cannon and greatly improved missile technology. In addition, Phantom pilots were trained in aerial combat maneuvering theory and special wing panels were added to improve the Phantom's considerable speed displacement to improve maneuverability. In addition to scoring, a
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