I do recall an article in Time magazine that had an interview with a
West German pilot, shortly after the two Germanies rejoined. They had
just been doing air combat trials between their Phantoms and East
German Fulcrums. Despite all the confidence they had in the
superiority of Western technology prior to this event, he was most
relieved that these combats were not in earnest, as he believed that
had they been, the Phantoms would have been swept out of the skies
easily.

I realise that by that time the Phantom was hardly the pick of the
bunch anymore, but the sense of superiority still prevailed, wrongly,
as these tests showed.


Actually from an article I recall reading back then, quoting accounts
from the pilots who actually participated, the F-4s *did* win. I
specifically remember the laments of East German pilots of getting
waxed by "lousy Phantoms".





I hope that we will never really know the answer to which is better.

Rob