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USAF Phantom Identity Crisis


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  • allthumbs changed the title to USAF Phantom Identity Crisis

Hmm, I didn’t think they changed the serial numbers when they did the conversions, and this has two serial numbers listed.  The second from 1969 is way too early to be related to the F-4G conversion.  History of the two S/N:

 

https://www.airhistory.net/photo/287024/69-0236/236
 

https://www.airhistory.net/photo/290686/66-0284/AF66-284

 

I would have guessed that one of the planes was wrecked and rebuilt with parts of the other, but the histories, if correct, don’t say anything about than.

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I followed the same route as Dave, and came out with pretty much the same outcome. I found the following histories for these aircraft here:

 

http://www.forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-4USAF.html

 

McDonnell F-4E-31-MC Phantom II/66-0284
  • 6/30/1967: First flight.
  • USAF 3246th TW.
  • 1978: ADTC, AFSC.
  • 1985: AFFTC.
  • 1988: AFFTC.
  • 1989-90: USAF 6512th TS.
  • 3/1992: Put into storage at the AMARC bone yard.
  • Currently preserved at Cleveland-Burke Lakefront APT, OH.

 

 

McDonnell F-4E-42-MC Phantom II/69-0236
  • Delivered to the United States Air Force.
  • USAF 353rd TFS (401st TFW).
  • 1972: USAF 401st TFW.
  • 1976: USAF 22nd TFS (36th TFW).
  • 1977: USAF 10th TFS (50th TFW).
  • 4/1981: Upgraded to F-4G.
  • 1985: USAF 480th TFS (52nd TFW).
  • USAF 3rd TFW.
  • 1/1991: Put into storage at the AMARC bone yard.

 

It looks like 66-0284 pretty well spent its whole life as a development or test aircraft. 69-0236 was definitely modified to F-4G WW V standard, so perhaps a good part of 66-0284 is incorporated into the airframe of 69-0236?

 

Derek

 

Edited by Derek B
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Not heard of this particular Frankenphantom, but there's a possibility the formerly test status F-4E 284 received some proper operational E leftover parts after 236 was gutted going through the Class V sex change to an F-4G at Ogden in 1978. 

 

Tony 

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1 hour ago, Tony T said:

Not heard of this particular Frankenphantom, but there's a possibility the formerly test status F-4E 284 received some proper operational E leftover parts after 236 was gutted going through the Class V sex change to an F-4G at Ogden in 1978. 

 

Tony 

 

But why should it need to have two identities? One aircraft was scrapped and no longer exists, parts are transferred to the other aircraft which keeps it's original identity

 

Richard

Edited by RLWP
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Odd. Wonder what the tail was marked as - 284 or 236 or both too?  

Looks like with the histories above that both s/n's went into the boneyard within a year of each other (90 and 91) so they existed separately at that time or at least up to the first one going there in 1990, but that pic showing both s/n's I assume means it was taken in 1983 - when both existed and in service?

I assume that must've been a loggie nightmare having two s/n's for one a/c.

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42 minutes ago, ziggyfoos said:

Odd. Wonder what the tail was marked as - 284 or 236 or both too?  

Looks like with the histories above that both s/n's went into the boneyard within a year of each other (90 and 91) so they existed separately at that time or at least up to the first one going there in 1990, but that pic showing both s/n's I assume means it was taken in 1983 - when both existed and in service?

I assume that must've been a loggie nightmare having two s/n's for one a/c.

 

It appears that 66-0284 still exists and is publicly displayed at Cleveland-Burke Lakefront as a Thunderbirds aircraft, which it never was (but how much of it is original is anyone's guess!).

 

Derek

Edited by Derek B
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On reflection, that pic looks like it was taken much later than 1983: the paint looks like Hill Gray II semi-gloss gunship gray, which came in around 1985+, and it's likely a QF-4 drone from the late 'nineties or 'noughties made up from both airframes from the boneyard. 

 

More airframe in view would help.

 

Tony

 

 

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2 hours ago, Tony T said:

...More airframe in view would help.

 

Tony

 

 

 

I went back and looked at the caption for the cropped image that appears in the first post. Oddly, it states 74-1639, a late model Echo. A mistake? Perhaps, but if not, then this particular airframe has a third identity!

 

Here's a link to the first picture, where you can view said caption...click here


And here's a link to another picture (of 74-1639) from the same Keith Svendsen photo stream entitled Gunsmoke 1983...click here

 

Is it possible we're looking at the same jet? I can't quite make out WSO Denny's name in the second photo.

 

Curiouser and curiouser.

 

 

Edited by allthumbs
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I can see the smidgen of green now, so it's most likely European One after all, new in 1983.  F-4E 74-1639 is quite possible, but why the weird hybrid data plate stencil? 

This must be some in-joke at Spangdahlem air base, based on spares poached from other jets so it could make Gunsmoke-83, or some such thing.

 

Tony 

 

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