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The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
Volume 4: British Versions
by Andy Evans

As part of a Phantom sales promotion, McDonnell allowed a Royal Navy pilot to fly their F4H-1 demonstrator during 1960, and the following year another Phantom, which had been on show at the Paris Air Salon stopped off at RNAS Yeovilton on its way back to the United States. During the next two years the company offered a number of Phantoms to the UK in order that they could carry out trials and demonstrations for the Admiralty, but sadly little interest was shown. Eventually, despite McDonnell’s best efforts, in 1963 it was announced that the Hawker P.1154 would be the next Royal Navy and RAF supersonic fighter. However, by the following year the idea of a single fighter type for both services had raised sufficient problems for the Admiralty to opt instead for a Spey-engined Phantom. The Spey engine was selected because it already powered the Buccaneer S.2 and dealing with a single type of jet engine aboard ship was seen as clear advantage. By the May of 1964 it had been decided that the first flight of the prototype British Phantom would be in June 1966, and that deliveries to the Fleet Air Arm would begin in April the following year. Two prototypes based on the latest F-4J were ordered in July 1964, along with two pre-production development aircraft. This fourth book in the Phoenix Phantom series has background details, walk arounds, colour profiles and how to model the Phantom in popular scales.

84 PAGES
RRP: £15.99