USAF Phantoms on deck?

WaltBJ wrote:
As for the F4C/D/E landing on a carrier - they sure couldn't use the
meatball - my outdated E dash-1 gives the limit sink rate of 720 fpm
at 33000 pounds. 122 KIAS was the basic fence speed on a D before they
axed the BLC. Using that as the minimum coming-aboard speed and 720
fpm gives a glide slope of 3.34 degrees. USN standard is, I believe, 4
1/2 degrees.

3-1/2 degrees.

As for the BLC-less E model, the lowest practical 'on-speed' (19.2
units AOA) was 145 KIAS @ 32000# right off the graph in the dash-1.

I never even sat in a Phantom, dammit, (missed a chance while stashed
at Top Gun to catch as many rides as I wanted with the Reserve
outfit there at Miramar, to this day I can't explain why I didn't grab that
with both hands!), but I recall the F-4 guys talking about 145 or so
being their approach speeds to the boat. All I can say is that from
Vulture's Row them little birdies got bigger awful fast!

USN practice is to carry a hell of a lot more tire pressure at the ship
than they do ashore.


Jeff