Fast, loud, brutal, and 100% awesome.
Used to love seeing them perform at airshows as a kid. The ability of the E model to accelerate in vertical flight was always the most impressive to me.

It's pure sex with a smokin' ass!

Nah, it's like the WS6 Trans Am, bulgy and swoopy at teh same time...

1980, Land of the Morning Calm…our CAV squadron headed up to Rodriquez for aerial gunnery…our OV-10 guys came with us as well….before long we were putting zoomies in the left seat of our 58s calling in fire and then a few got front seat G model rides to fire rockets and turret..the key was the PIC (old terminology) had authority for front seat rides…..and all we wanted in exchange was a bunny ride in a F4 from Kunsan….kept getting pushback….finally our OV-10 “friends” fessed up….bunny ride approval authority was the 4 Star PACAF CG…..damn, rooked again…..

Pure sex.

Long, long time Phantom nerd here, I have dozens of books on this aircraft and built god only knows how many models of this plane for as long as I can consciously remember. It has always been one of my most favorite aircraft and I have studied it voraciously since childhood. I wanted to fly Phantoms off carries for the Navy.

The Navy/Marine versions of the F-4 the B,J,N and S were all "short" nose Phantoms that never had a gun mounted internally. Some people have mistaken the IR sensor under the nose of the B and N as a gun fairing. N models were rebuilt B models and S models were rebuilt J models.


The Air Force C and D models were also "short" nose variants also without an internal gun and almost all had the same or similar IR sensor under the radome as the Navy B/N. The E was the first version to have an internal mounted gun and the German F model did as well. The Air Force Wild Weasel F-4G replaced the gun with electronics in a fairing in place of the gun for the dedicated electronics and sensors to support the mission so they did not have a gun mounted either, but it looked like they did and that is understandable since they were rebuilt/modified E aircraft.

The Phantoms used by the RAF and RN were short noses as well.

I have always thought the Phantom was a beautiful aircraft in it's own unique way that really isn't matched by any other before or since. It shows purpose and skill in it's design,  American know how and a no nonsense approach to achieve a solution in a direct, but powerful way. It exudes intent and menace with it's lines, the angles of the outer wings combined with the stabs added to the intakes and splitter plates just say to any and all, I may not be the best, but I am not to be trifled with. Finesse is not it's strong point, it simply muscles it's way to accomplish it's mission with a no holds barred, no fear, lets just get this done with the appropriate amount of violence needed!

One of history's great aircraft.  

Not ugly, a highlight of my childhood was going to Atlantic Beach NC and seeing F4’s flying over, l loved the sound. I still go there often and always look up for military traffic!

Hell, yes, it's ugly AND it's coming to fuck you up!

Original Wild Weasels were the F105. Just saying.

It's no F14 but it's still sexy as fuck.

Only gay USAF F-4s got a gun. Real manly short nose Navy Phantoms didn't get no stinking gun.

The F-4 screams "AMERICA"  That alone makes it beautiful.

Nope, pretty airframe honestly.

anybody that flew an F4 was a dude, man...
this dude flew them with just cameras

Attached File

It's ugly. If you think it's a sexy airplane, then

Form follows function

It is ugly.

But it was designed for purpose, with brutal practicality in mind.

Which makes it not ugly.

I always thought it was ugly but functional for its time.

It was always a POS mx nightmare.

The F16 is a much better aircraft in appearance and function.

The F35 is better than the F16 in functionality but is a fat Amy.

I've never thought it was an aesthetically pleasing airplane. I felt bad calling is ugly because its not. Its just a very function driven airplane.

To me the later Spitfires and  P-51s are examples of good looking airplanes.

The F-4 is as ugly as a bucket full of fresh cut hemorrhoid's that were going Mach 2 when they hit the wall.

Now, on the other hand, the sexy, sleek and racy KC-97L stratotanker sophisticated war machine that I refueled them with is an aeronautical beauty!

Love them in the camo paint.

DCS F-4 trailer.

Kind of a butterface.  I think it looks the best from the back

It was a flying brick. Until they put guns on it, it was only half a fighter. and a filthy one at that. The Sparrow missile in Vietnam had a probability kill of 10%. The F-4 only carried 4. Until they put guns on it, it took a brave soul to go into combat with it.

It looks "muscular"

Off Vietnam in the mid 60's our Destroyer had a number of high speed, just above the wave tops, fly overs by them.
Even knowing the direction they were coming from there was scant visual , radar, or audible evidence of their approach until
just before they went roaring overhead.