In May 1958, the McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II prototype was rolled out of their facility at Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri. It was a very large aircraft for a fighter and it was not very pretty by aviation standards. It looked like some giant had stepped on its nose and kicked it in the tail; however, it flew on the 27th of that month and is still flying today, 5,195 Phantoms later. From these beginnings until well into the 1970s the F4 Phantom II would be the primary fighter aircraft of the free world.
By 1982 the F4 had fought in 5 major conflicts, nine years in Southeast Asia, twice in the desert of the Middle East and against each other at one time. It was used in every role; Fighter interceptor, Fighter-bomber, Reconnaissance, Tanker, and Drone. They specialized in attack roles as Wild Weasel defense suppression and laser designator bombers. They also defeated the best aircraft that the opposition could put against it. The only time it lost was when pitted against another F4, during the Greek-Turkey conflict. With the U.S. Navy in the headlines every day with this new interceptor, the American Defense Department ordered competitive tests to be flown against the best aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory. Convair's F-106 Delta Dart was selected to fly against the Navy's Phantom II, and the Phantom easily won top speed, low-level speed, altitude, plus the unrefueled range and radar range. Following this fly off, much to the disgust and embarrassment of the Air Force, it was decided that the next Air Force fighter would be this U.S. Navy design. It would at first supplement, then totally replace the Air Force F100; F102; F104 and F105 strike and interceptor aircraft. Under the designation F110A, the Air Force Phantom II was basically a Navy-4B airframe with changes made to meet Air Force requirements. Following the F-4C, which was essentially the same aircraft as the designated F110A, the F-4D version was more closely tailored to meet the requirements of the Air Force. With these two versions, the Phantom II established its unparalleled esteem in the U.S. Air Force.
The F-4's in the U.S. Navy had numerous variants through its career to fulfill various requirements from the Navy as well. Following the F-4G, which was developed as a trial, the next variant was designated the F-4J to avoid confusion with the original F4H-1 The F-4J was designed as the follow-on to the original F-4B, correcting some of the deficiencies which had become apparent in service. Its maiden flight was made on 27th May 1966, and mass production started shortly after. As the F-4J was developed for the U.S. Navy in parallel with the F-4D of the Air Force, they had a few differences. The new J79-GE-10 powerplant was further improved from the previous J79-GE-8 to yield more power. Internally, upgraded radar, with an improved fire-control system and a new missile-control system, were fitted to earn even better interception and ground attack abilities. In addition, a fixed inboard leading edge along with a slotted tailplane contributed to better maneuverability at low speeds. Lift at low speeds was further enhanced by furnishing 16.5 dropped ailerons. As a consequence of these alternations, its approach speed was reduced by 20km/h. A further noticeable difference from the previous variants was the bulged inner wingfoot to accommodate the larger wheels employed to cope with its increased weight. Armament was also bolstered. AIM-7 Sparrows and AIM-9 Sidewinders were equipped as the main weapons for air-to-air combat, and a wide variety of bombs, missiles, rockets, and explosives could be fitted according to the mission. The maximum load of armament was 5 tons which made the F-4J's attack capability outstanding. Further changes were introduced during the course of production, such as a provision of Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mode (SEAM) and the addition of various dogfight-capable computers.
It was in March 1967 when the F-4J's delivery to the corps started. U.S. forces were in the midst of the hard-fought conflict against North Vietnam. Back in 1961, the U.S. government decided to send their troops to Vietnam to support the South Vietnamese government, and the conflict kept spreading day by day. Under these circumstances, the Phantom II played a main role in the sky. The Navy's Phantom II's were flown from aircraft carriers, and the Phantom II's of the Air Force and the Marines were flown from their bases in South Vietnam and Thailand to engage in North Vietnameses's MiGs. It was the end of May 1968 when the F-4J's carried on the aircraft carrier "America" first appeared over the Vietnamese sky. On 21st July, an F-4J shot down a MiG 21, which was recorded as the first kill by the F-4J. F-4J's streamed to the battlefield, and achieved outstanding military results against MiG's especially after resumption of the North Vietnam bombing. The only "Ace" status in the U.S. Navy during this conflict was attained by an F-4J on 10th May 1972. Lt. Randy Cunningham and Lt. William Driscoll, who had already shot down a MiG 1 and MiG 17, gained three MiG 17's on the day, making themselves the first aces. However, their "longest day" was not concluded. Soon after their fifth kill, on their way back, their F-4J was tagged by a missile from the ground and the pair ejected and were rescued at sea.
Shipping:
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We ship via USPS, UPS or FedEx. At this time, we do not offer shipping to addresses with an APO/FPO or outside the continental United States.
Shipping Time:
Orders are normally shipped from our warehouse within 24 - 48 business hours of order placement. Please allow 7 - 10 business days for delivery after your order has shipped. Delivery times are estimated and we do not provide money-back guarantee for any shipping option other than FedEx Express or UPS Next Day.
Terms of Use and Security
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We use cookies to store visitors preferences, record session information, such as items that consumers add to their shopping cart, record user-specific information on what pages users access or visit, alert visitors to new areas that we think might be of interest to them when they return to our site. If you do not want to receive e-mail from us in the future, please let us know by sending us an e-mail. If you supply us with your postal address on-line you may receive periodic mailings from us with information on new products, special pricing and services or upcoming events. If you do not wish to receive such mailings, let us know by sending us an e-mail. Please provide us with your exact name and address. Persons who supply us with their telephone numbers on-line will only receive telephone contact from us with information regarding orders they have placed on-line. With respect to security: We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of information that we have collected from you at our site. If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us at your discretion.
Returns & Replacements
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We accept returns within 30 days of the date of purchase unless otherwise stated on the item's page. In order to return an item, please contact us for a Return Authorization Number. Once the Return Authorization Number is acquired, you have 30 days to return the item(s). All returned items must be unused and in new condition in their original packaging including all hardware and instructional components. Items are subject to a 20% restocking fee on opened or used items. Although if you are a repeat customer who purchased from our website before, we are happy to waive the restocking fee.
Once your return has been inspected please allow 7 days for the credit to be applied to the credit card used for purchase. The initial cost of shipping is not eligible for a refund, if applies. Buyer pays for return shipping. To request your Return Authorization Number, please follow these steps:
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1. Read and agree to the Returns Policy and Procedure above.
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2. Email us at cs@phenomstores.com. We will need your order number and the Item ID number of the product you wish to return.
Refused Orders - Should you decide that you wish to refuse receipt of an item when delivered by UPS, USPS or any other common carrier and legitimately ordered from us, credit will be issued for the item, minus shipping and a restocking charge of 20%.Exchanges - In order for us to do the exchange we would need to refund your payment, then you would need to make another purchase transaction with us for the item that you like within 7 days of your exchange request. We're asking that you return the item you bought from us within 30 days along with a tracking number so we both know that your return reached us. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. All returned items must be unused and in new condition in their original packaging including all hardware and instructional components. Any returned item deemed not to fall within the preceding criteria will be returned with no credit issued at the customer's expense. You are responsible for the return shipping cost. We also charge a 10% restocking fee for exchanges. Once we received and inspected the item we will credit** your payment. Please take note, our inventory changes constantly so the item may not be available at the time of your request.
**A store credit will be issued on orders returned totaling less than $5.
Damaged, Defective and Wrong Item(s) - It is your responsibility that the item(s) you received are undamaged and the correct item(s). Please examine the shipping box and all contents immediately upon receipt for any signs of damage, defect or wrong item(s). All claims must be initiated within 7 days of delivery and send us an email so we can further assist you.
Still have questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us by sending us an email to cs@phenomstores.com or by phone at 608-571-7033.
FAQ
When do I expect my order to ship out?
Our normal shipping lead times can take up to 72 hours after your order is received. However, delays due to inclement weather and carrier delays outside of our control can lead to extended shipping times. Rest assured, we're doing everything we can to ship your order as soon as it's received.
How will I know my order has shipped?
As soon as your order is packed and labeled, we will email you a shipment confirmation with the tracking number so that you're able to track your order. You can look up the status of your order by entering the tracking number found on the bottom of our web page under "Track Order Status". You can also look up the shipment status of your order by entering your shipment tracking number at USPS.com, UPS.com or FedEx.com.
How much does shipping cost?
Our shipping costs vary depending on the item you're purchasing. Most items are eligible for our FREE shipping if your purchase totals $59 and over. And for items that are excluded from FREE shipping, we offer FIXED shipping rate or prevailing market prices.
Some of the items I ordered are missing. What should I do?
Please reach out to us when you have items that are missing when you originally placed your order. This happens either because,
1. The missing items are on backorder or
2. The missing items are still on its way but due to service delays from our shipping carrier (ie UPS, FedEx) your package may take longer than expected.
How soon after can I cancel my order?
Unfortunately, we cannot cancel an order once an order is placed. This is because your order is automatically placed in queue to ship out once an order is received.
What is the best way to reach you when I have a question?
Our customer service phone and chat lines are normally open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm CST. However, there are times when we can't be reached because all our customer service agents are helping other customers. If this happens, please leave us a voicemail at 608-571-7033 or write us a message on our "Contact Us" page and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens when I "Pre-Order" an item?
When you "Pre-Order" an item that is out of stock, you will be notified when we have the item in stock again. Our "Pre-Order" (or Wait-List) doesn't guarantee that your order will be fulfilled but we will do our best to make that happen.
You're also under NO obligation to purchase when you sign up for "Pre-Order".
