An inside look at an F-4 Phantom

In today's video, we're going to take a look at what goes on behind the panels of an F-4 Phantom. Our F-4D is undergoing its maintenance check and inspection. We are also changing the engine oil and filters, fuel filters, and hydraulic filters. Lot of things to do in order to keep her operational!
If you'd like to join the 62nd Virtual Fighter Squadron, please find us on our Discord:
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[@Mtlmshr]

Just a suggestion, if you could slow the movement of your camera/phone a bit and stay still for just a bit longer on each part your talking about it would probably make for a much better viewing experience. I almost got dizzy because you were bouncing around so fast. It’s fascinating stuff however I could not enjoy it as much as would have like to because of this reason. I hope you take this simply as constructive criticism. Otherwise good video about a aircraft that I find fascinating. Thanks

[@DieselThunderAviation]

A fair criticism, no offense taken. I was worried about that when I edited it together and got some of the worst of it out. I'm still new to doing live action camera work, so this will improve as I go. I also have planned to get a better camera that can do full HD, better image stabilization, and a wider lens. Glad you enjoyed the video otherwise! I'll be putting more videos of this up as we continue to do more work to the Phantom!

[@Mtlmshr]

@@DieselThunderAviation hey thanks for taking that the right way, I will look forward to seeing more about what you do. Being that I use to be a aircraft mechanic in the USAF on C5’s back in the late 70’s & early 80’s but at Sheppard AFB I trained on those along with F15 (that had just entered service at that point) heck the A10’s were still a top secret plane at that point but we would for a bit have a couple of them come by on Friday’s at Dover AFB all in black and they would do some fly by’s then scoot out! Oh those were the days!

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Wow, the C5! That's the big one! My dad flew as a loadmaster on the C-130. Thank you for your service!

[@evhvariac2]

I enjoy the quick action

[@Mtlmshr]

@@DieselThunderAviation The C130 is my favorite aircraft especially the Latest ones! They are just bad ass! The C5 in my time was a pig because they could hardly fly due to all the wing rote cracking issues and they were cracking carrying pillows ,blankets & the RV’s of the higher ups!

[@sharizabel2582]

I was a WSO/EWO in the F-4E and RF-4C. Fun to see a Rhino being serviced to fly. I do remember having to know many of those circuit breakers in back seat. One was for the pilots seat. We would prank a new pilot when flying by having them run the seat all the way down so that we could see the fuel gauge (none in the back). When they had it down we would pull the breaker. They’d start to get worried especially when approaching to land. And, we’d say, “Guess I’ll have to land this one.” The newbie got really nervous then and the jet would start wobbling as they tried to figure out how to see. Eventually, we’d reset the breaker. The relief was so evident. Lol.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

That's awesome with the backseat pranks! Thanks for sharing and thank you for your service!

[@agostonbazmajer1100]

Did you fly it after DMAS was added? If so, did you guys utilize the new bombing modes when dropping dumb bombs or did you still emphasized manual bombing?

[@sharizabel2582]

@@agostonbazmajer1100 I was in the last F-4 training class the USAF had. The only non ARN-101 Rhino I ever flew was in the RF-4 where I flew a couple pre ARN times but also the newer post ARN with GPS which the Boise Guard flew.

[@agostonbazmajer1100]

@@sharizabel2582 Thank you very much for the answer. I have a second question if you don't mind. By the time you got to your operational F-4E squadron, how much emphasis was put on using LGBs or the GBU-15?

[@sharizabel2582]

@@agostonbazmajer1100 I was never actually in an operational E squadron. We trained in the E then either went to G’s or RF’s. The last operational E Squadron closed 6 to 9 months after we graduated.

[@bceverly]

I was an F-4C and F-4E engine mechanic in the 80’s and this video sure brought back some memories. Freaked out a bit when I saw the drill lying in the open panel on the upper spine though. Almost shouted FOD! :)

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you for your service! It's awesome being able to work on the last flyable Phantom in the U.S! And that drill is no longer there!

[@carlparlatore294]

Was blessed to have flown the Double Ugly for over 2800 hrs. The AF maintenance troops that took care of my jets were the best in the world!- never had a serious emergency - well maybe once when I had to get an ops check on a MB-H7 - but that was due to some Ho Chi Minh lead.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you for your service! 2,800 hours is impressive!

[@carlparlatore294]

@@DieselThunderAviation Diesel - thanks for the kind comments - but it was my honor and privilege to serve my country, especially flying the top fighters of my day! Also had over 900 hrs in the Viper but my first love, don't tell my wife 🙂was the Phantom!

[@PhantomPhixer1]

8th FMS Phantom J-79 Engines Ubon 67-68

[@carlparlatore294]

@@PhantomPhixer1 Dan - it was troops like you who kept me flying and was able to bring the fight to the bad guys over and over again - what you did was VERY much appreciated by guys like me - something that probably hasn't been told to you enough!

[@PhantomPhixer1]

@@carlparlatore294 ,honored to do it!

[@curtisr8179]

Nice video, thought I'd never see the inside workings of an F-4 again... Brought back a lot of memories...some good,some not so... The F-4 would bite you if your not on your toes!

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you for your service! For sure, you have to be real careful walking around underneath her!

[@CVO_GUY]

Yes, you'd hear or see horror stories of guys in a rush using a high pack to inflate tires or an egress troop pulling a seat while stepping on the rocket lanyard and going for a ride into the hangar ceiling. I had a lot of respect for that seat while pulling safety pins or installing them.

[@ecleveland1]

After reading several comments I bet you would have former F-4 mechanics and crew lining up to volunteer to help you work on that airplane and get her back in the air. The absolute wealth of knowledge not being used in this country is astounding. The military spent tons of cash to teach people how to work on and maintain these magnificent machines that would only hold the job for a few years.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

That would be awesome if we could get extra help!

[@trespire]

@@DieselThunderAviation Where do I sign up ? If you put up food and lodging I'll fly over from Israel !!

[@CVO_GUY]

It was the start of my career, allowing me to both get my A&P at no cost and get an aircraft maintenance technician job with a major carrier working on many different aircraft. My heart though is still with the F 4.

[@retiredatc8720]

It amazes me that all those systems, woven together throughout the airframe, were designed, fabricated, and built, without CAD and CFD. Those folks at MD were geniuses.

[@jimr7154]

My cousin flew F4s in Vietnam He was my hero and I loved that bird Remember as a kid watching him come in to Otis down the Cape ( Massachusetts) I’d have given my right arm for a ride or privilege to fly one Anyway Thanks for the video and good luck with the old girl

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you! And thank you for sharing your story!

[@72151]

I was a crew chief on the RF-4C at Bergstrom AFB in Austin Tx in the 80's. The thing you said is a big oil filter is actually where a "cart start" attached. This is a coffee can gun powder cartridge used to start the engine without a -60. Also the wing hard point is not where drop tanks mount. They're two 370 gallon fuel tanks on the wings (1 on each). Panel 23....omg.... utility hydraulic pump, air pump... always an oily mess. That air conditioner vent is where the 10 liters of LOX is contained. Leading edge flaps reveal the BLC (boundary layer control) where exhaust glasses from the 17th stage of compression is used to reduce the air pressure on top of the wing is slow flight.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Awesome, thank you for your service! And thank you for the insight on the tanks. I think I had it mixed up with another aircraft in being able to carry two on each wing.

[@crash4687]

While I flew F-4D’s at Holloman AFB in the mid 70’s, the rear BLC was capped off. I heard that it was to save the maintenance required for the rear BLC. We increased the final approach speed by 10 kts. The real purpose of the BLC system was to achieve the lowest approach speeds for carrier landings. It did not have anything to do with accelerated stalls.

[@dannysnyder4035]

Would love to work on the F4 again. Spent 3.5 years as a hydraulic specialist. Mcdill and Da Nang. Great airplane. Still have scars in my back from landing gear doors.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you for your service! I've been bit twice so far, and I pretty sure one of them was the right gear door.

[@paulzaborny6741]

Got my scars too. 4 active & 9 ANG, crew chief D's & E's. One HAD to develop Phantom sense. The ability to just feel that a part of the plane was Just inches from you before it bit you. Had a love-hate relationship with the pig.

[@CVO_GUY]

@@paulzaborny6741 Yes, and you better keep away from the aux air doors on engine shut down. They would slam shut on engine shutdown and the main gear doors and other panels would develop sharp edges over time and could become very sharp.

[@paulzaborny6741]

@@CVO_GUY Oh ya, as a "pig farmer" as I referred to myself. (The F4 was pig for maintenance) we know full well the Phantoms bite. Back in Germany, a radar crew brought a small HYD, power unit (1500psi) was setting up to work on the plane. I and my buddy were doing inspections on it. My buddy had his arm up in the left Aux air and the Idiot crewman only checked HIS people and hit the power on causing a power interruption on the aircraft. Door slammed down on his arm. He screamed louder than the powerpack. Fortunately, it didn't break his arm just bad bruising. The radar guy got an Official chewing out by our section.

[@trespire]

@Danny Snyder I don't have scares to show, but those heavy doors got me a few times, ouch. Structural technician & mechanical fitter, 3 years IAF on F4-E, MD500, F-16C/D.

[@SunRedRX7]

Excellent video. I grew up watching Phantoms at the Niagara Falls Air Force base. As a car guy, very interesting to see the inner workings of a Phantom(Something you never see despite how many Phantoms out there on static display). Subscribed to see more! Thanks!

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the sub! More videos will be forthcoming in the future!

[@bradleycass11]

Brought back some memories. I was an E model crew chief at George 87-91

[@ak-northman726]

AWESOME! For such a big bird all that stuff looks just stuffed in tight. That just gives me more mad respect for the mechanics keeping her flying, and cursing the engineers.

[@CVO_GUY]

As a crew chief, I had to open many panels for the specialists with a speed handle. Some panels had A LOT of screws in them and you hoped you could get them out without stripping the head or breaking a nut plate. The term or reason for panel removal was "FOM " or facilitate other maintenance.

[@paulzaborny6741]

@@CVO_GUY Thats why we were called screw chiefs. Pull panel, replace panel. Remember panel 101 and 102? on the wing? Over a hundred screws each of #2s & some #3 's and hoped none got stripped. Oh, and those HI torque screws....don't over tighten!

[@bobtis]

Hands down my favorite Jet Fighter. Old 1960's tech but such a beautiful air craft.

[@CVO_GUY]

Old technology but look at the B-52 about the same age and look at it. It still has a lot of countries shaking in their boots!

[@bobtis]

@@CVO_GUY so true I do wish they could update the F4 but I'm afraid the new Jets are just light years better. The F4 is still considered fast I'm sure but the electronics are just too old. If I were so wealthy that I could burn money I would buy one. I love the look of this aircraft it is bad ass

[@CVO_GUY]

@@bobtis I just read a story of a F-22 that was able to sneak up on a couple F 4's of the Iranian air force and actually fly beneath them without them knowing they were there. Big difference in technologies.

[@bobtis]

@@CVO_GUY for sure the F4 is like being interested old muscle cars. 🥹

[@Pop-8041]

50 years ago, working on F-4C at Kadena & CCK. My knees and back have never recovered. On one of my last nights at work, I changed batteries on 2 birds....so many memories.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thanks for sharing, and for your service!!

[@penguin2ab]

Thanks. My father worked on the rf4-c camera and radar equipment and some other models at various bases england, okinawa, etc. often talked about the aircraft and systems and its great being able to see this type of video actually showing and talking about systems versus all the other videos and documentaries that focus on pilots and missions.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

That is awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. I'm planning on doing a better version of this video since I can do 4K. I'm going to script it a bit better too!

[@paulpeacock5079]

Ya got a lot to learn about the best F-4. Good luck and thanks!

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I sure do, thank you for the insight on the fuel lines!

[@lewisway6811]

@@DieselThunderAviation Also the generators were not located in the front of the engines, they were aft on the constant speed gear boxes.

[@willhill9241]

@@DieselThunderAviation m

[@christopherpeters5916]

My all-time favorite bird. Thanks for the tour

[@DieselThunderAviation]

My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it!

[@Airpaycheck]

The BLC system was great, especially when you had rain the night before and an unsuspecting new guy helping launch. I'd have him stand behind the wing to monitor the flight controls and when the pilot dropped the flaps, the new guy guy a bath 😂 On those hot Florida days, I made sure I got the shower! Fun times.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Is that the bleed air system for the wings! Sounds like a fun (and harmless) prank!

[@mikejacobs2886]

With so many critical parts congested into tight spaces, it's easy to see how one errant lucky round of small arms fire could cause a major catastrophic failure and lead to the crew having to eject with no other options left. Also putting the refueling probe aft of the cockpits must have made mid air refueling a real bear in this beast

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I can only speak from my experience from doing simulated aerial refueling in DCS World. The F-16 has the refuel socket in a similar position as the F-4, though its refuel door retracts down instead of the refuel socket popping up from the airframe like the F-4. The bottom of the tanker has positioning lights that the pilot references to maintain their position while the boom operator on the tanker does the rest of the work. In another one of my videos where the Phantom was started up and taxied, the last segment of that video is a conversation with a real F-4 pilot where aerial refueling was discussed.

[@jackallison7540]

A hydraulic fuse helps

[@jcheck6]

Mike, most pilots would lower their seat when air refueling as the canopy bow was in the way. It was awkward but doable.

[@mikejacobs2886]

@@jcheck6 thanks for the info

[@jaysonpida5379]

Since the re-fuel was far behind the pilot, the pilot would use positioning lights on the belly of the tanker while the wso (the boom was right over his head) would look up at colored marking on the boom itself and call out position and rates-of-change. Practice makes perfect > day-or-night, VFR was quick......IFR was a pain-in-the-butt.

[@paulzaborny6741]

What you call an air condition vent @9:45 is the LOX servicing door. @11:13 the large panel with the small missing panel: pull that and or the top large panel @12:06 and the plane will sag its tail just enough to mess up the alignment of the screws to put them back in. We had to once use a 20 ton jack under the tail hook base to get it done or place one there to brace it.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Learning more and more everyday about this amazing airplane!

[@lambdacalculus8316]

It is nice to see a legend up close! Thanks for the great video!

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it, more Phantom videos are in the works!

[@ryansta]

Thank you, much appreciated, you see those schematic drawings in the books where they name hundreds of parts, but still mind blowing to see how much is crammed in under the skin and how advanced engineering / machining wise it all is.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it! And I agree, the engineering behind these amazing aircraft is mind blowing sometimes!

[@paulzaborny6741]

@3:40 the large socket next to the pneumatic starter motor is the cartridge start receptacle where a large bell shaped cartridge full of a slow burning gunpowder like charge is placed, the receptacle lid is missing. Set it off from the front cockpit and gas is produced to spin up the starter (and a crap load of thick black smoke) and get exhausted out the exhaust port. Same system as used on the B-52. We had to watch the burn as flame sometimes comes out of the port and sometimes goes in the aux air door. If a flame came back out of the aux air door, RUN!! If the crew chief running this is the que for the crew to bail too.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I had wondered what that socket was for. I had asked our crew chief about that, and it seems he really did not like those. He said while they generally worked, they did make an awful lot of smoke and made the jet dirty in the process. Thanks for the insight!

[@CVO_GUY]

There was a regular schedule for doing cart starts. Usually worked as advertised.

[@paulzaborny6741]

@@CVO_GUY I participated / saw only 3-4 and only in Germany. We were told that the carts were getting old and had to be used. That was in '79. Never later in Nellis AFB or my ANG unit.

[@paulzaborny6741]

@@DieselThunderAviation Oh ya, one cart start that went wrong. Crew chiefs fault. His start has a flame come out buried in all the smoke. Didn't see where it went (nowhere). He panicked and ran. The crew saw him run and pulled their ejection seat harness guillotines and front went down the nose and WSO over the side. Got chewed out for causing the loss of a launch and 2 harnesses, @ 1979 $$, $900 each

[@CVO_GUY]

@@paulzaborny6741 I'm talking mid 70's so that may be why they were used pretty regularly.

[@simonnomis5302]

still working on this horse here in Greece F4 AUP...reliable like a toyota...a technicians plane for sure.

[@kinch613]

Was an old egress troop. Most of my coworkers came out of F-4s and had a bunch of stories about that MB system. Mist didnt end well. Love the Phantom and just missed working on them.

[@richardwalling9695]

Interesting video. I had the pleasure of working on F-4D's and E's as a weapons mechanic at Eglin AFB and Korat, Thailand. At Eglin, I had the opportunity to actually fly in the back seat of a D model. I never heard the term "wizzo" during my time in the AF. The term GIB was used for the back seater (guy in back) as he was a trained pilot.

[@arturodelagarza9028]

WIZZO = WEAPONS SYSTEMS OFFICER, I USED TO HEAR THAT TOO. GIBC= GUY IN BACK. BEST OF LUCK

[@CVO_GUY]

I never heard that the back seaters were trained pilots but I was at MacDill AFB, which was a training base for pilots. The IP sat in the back seat with the student pilot up front. I remember the IP in the back seat would pull and rotate the selector valve so that if the front seater were to punch out he wouldn't go too.

[@arturodelagarza9028]

@@CVO_GUY WHEN I WAS STATIONED AT BERGSTROM AFB TX. TWO SQUADRONS THE 45TH, AND 62ND. WERE BOTH TRAINING SQUADRONS. WHILE THE 12TH, AND 91ST WERE COMBAT SQUADRONS.

[@sloppydog4831]

Cool. What a great opportunity that is to be able to work on a bird like that. Very interesting to see things very close.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

It sure is an awesome opportunity! Stay tuned as she will get featured more on the channel!

[@funkyzero]

I really hope you do this video again with better lighting and better camera control. I couldn't tell where I was looking a lot of the time and was just trying not to get dizzy. Sorry, don't mean to be overly critical, I just really wanted this to be a good video when I saw the title. Thanks for sharing your stuff with us.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

No worries, it's a fair criticism and was one I was worried about when I edited this together. I plan on getting a better camera that can do full HD and has a wider lens. The lighting can be difficult as most of the time I'm in the hangar, even with the doors wide open. Once I have the new camera, I do plan to revisit this one!

[@shadovanish7435]

Your videos of the F-4 are awesome! The F-4 is one of my favorite aircraft. It seems amazing (perhaps, rather unbelievable) that such a complex machine, designed by aerospace engineers (who might also have designed spacecraft) could be maintained & repaired to the required standards for near optimal performance without excessive downtime, by high school kids. Perhaps the greatest challenge (aside from creating the staggeringly complex aircraft) was for the engineers to determine how the aircraft could be maintained & repaired to the required standards by people that might have had very limited technical backgrounds, let alone aerospace engineering experience. I've used T.O.'s; they're very comprehensive, & tell exactly how a procedure should (must) be done, & I can imagine the endless hours it must have taken to draft, revise, & draft again the T.O. information until it was considered accurate (enough) for release & publication. Just my thoughts, speaking as a pilot, mechanical engineer, & 30 year Air Nat'l Guard member.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you, glad you enjoy the videos! The engineering that goes into these is amazing. And I've heard it joked before that it takes a college education to fly them, but a high school diploma to fix them. Thank you for your service!

[@CVO_GUY]

We did have technical schools in the Air Force to provide the basics prior to actually working on an aircraft plus you did get OJT from the more experienced troops while at your first base assignment.

[@arturodelagarza9028]

BRINGS MEMORIES BACK AS A YOUNG AIRMAN I WORKED ON DOG MODELS, E, G, RF 4C GREAT GIRLS, THEY COULD BE REAL BITCHES. THEN WENT TO F, 16, 15, A 10 ( BEST ) , KC 135 C 130 H, AC 130'S ,OV 10'S, OA - 37 USAF RET .

[@aghostofrazgriz5137]

In DCS he Says. I love this Guy. Instant sub. Since your a DCS Player, i can imagine your ecstatic of the Heatblur F-4. This is Awesome.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I was happy when I saw the initial announcement video they put out. Even more excited now that I get to put my hands on a real one too!

[@Cubrooski]

Bluto! Great dude. I got to know him when he flew the QF-4. I'll have to watch that video

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I had a pleasant conversation with him, and he was happy to share his experience on camera!

[@Cubrooski]

@@DieselThunderAviation Bluetooth has been retired from active duty for some years now. He's still a topic of some our conversations. His fini flight was legendary.

[@ocnlltgic]

On the USS America CV66... we always knew when a Phantom launched... We were over 1000 feet long and 260 feet across... we were a floating Airforce... the Phantom shook the entire ship... from bow to stern. Shook it. It felt like an earthquake.

[@madatlas3806]

I'd never heard the term "hard wing", probably because I'm 28 and started working in aerospace on the F/A-18C/D Hornets 😂 had to look that one up. That got me to subscribe, looking forward to more videos!

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you, more videos on the way! I think the term "hard wing" was used mostly inside the F-4 community as a way to differentiate them as there were a lot of variants. The A through D models did not have slats and are the ones usually referred to as hard wing. Starting with the E model the Phantom had leading edge slats, giving them better maneuverability over the earlier versions.

[@jamessnyder1175]

What a beautiful mean machine.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

It sure is!

[@MsRifle]

0:52 That tail cone looks to be quite happy just be attached the mighty F4 Phantom. lol

[@DieselThunderAviation]

My wife liked that it looks like a smiley face when you look at it!

[@trespire]

That tail cone is spring loaded and pops open to one side on a hinge. We were often called out for loose rivits, but never EVER forget to open a NEW log for the systems guys to reload and reset the parachute + drogue chute. I used to leave to door open.

[@arturodelagarza9028]

THOSE ARE CALLED PHANTOM 👻 BITS. WHEN YOU HIT YOUR FORHEAD, TOP OF YOUR HEAD OR YOUR BACK ON THE SHARP CORNERS PANELS. I HAVE GROUPS OF SCARES

[@drianmortiz9375]

i am just wondering if the J79 turbofan jet engine, from the F-4 Phantom and the RD33 turbofan jet engine, from the Mig-29 Fulcrum, has some similarities in terms of diameter, sizes and even mechanism that could possibly compatible, to both air frame of one another.

[@walkenn]

Brilliant, loved it.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Glad ypu enjoyed it!

[@schmeardo]

Thank you Rob Riggle.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

LOL! First time I've heard that one!

[@rael5469]

At 3:40 that looks like the place where the cartridge starter would be installed. Looks similar to what's on the B-52.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I always wondered what that was for, thank you for the insight!

[@pugloverg6671]

Removed many of those backbone panels in the summer heat at George…..

[@PhantomPhixer1]

I'm assuming this is the Collings Phantom.I was a J-79 Engine Troop.Plenty of scars to prove it

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Yes, this is the Collings F-4D. Funny story on the engines I had heard about for this bird, is that one of the engines had a problem some years ago and needed to get pulled. The backup engine was installed but it was an older one. For a while, she had one smoky engine and one non-smoker installed!

[@PhantomPhixer1]

@@DieselThunderAviation ,do you know Bob Schuler?

[@DieselThunderAviation]

No, I don't.

[@johnpeters9793]

I was at GAFB where I was a Jet Engine Mechanic for my one and only tour....worked on both E's and Wild Weasels. As an 18 year old E-1, back in 1980, I "think" I was on the crew that installed the 1st pair of smokeless J-79's. At least that was what the troops at the AMU I reported to were saying. Literally the 1st plane I wrenched on out of tech school. I have a blurry memory of a jet going down in Phelan ....I don't recall if it was that plane..It was hydraulic failure. Thanks for the video.

[@gregorpajdlhauser2850]

I was always wondering, why doesn't the Phantom and even the Tomcat have an on board starter and has to use external power? Doesn't that slow down scramble situations?

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I don't think APU's of the time when they were designed were small enough to put into a fighter. One of the smaller airframes that I can think of that did get one was the C-130, which uses the same engine package as what's in a -60 start cart (it's installed near the left main gear). With the Phantom and Tomcat operating from ships, there's plenty of ground power (and crew) to go around for engine starts. Air Force added both a battery and a cartridge start capability to their Phantoms specifically so they could scramble without needing ground power at airfields.

[@rael5469]

I would expect a fighter aircraft flown in civilian times to be in much better shape than this one appears to be in. I once had the opportunity to step onboard Clay Lacy's DC-3 which he has painted in United Airlines colors and I can tell you without a doubt that it is in WAY better condition than when it was brand new out of the factory. It was pristine. It would be nice to see this aircraft restored from a bare metal frame up. Everything pristine.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Pristine is more for museum pieces and hangar queens, plus costs an awful lot of money. We're keeping this one flightworthy, and she'll get a good washing once we complete the maintenance/inspection and get all of the panels put back on!

[@rael5469]

@@DieselThunderAviation Don't get me wrong, I envy the work you guys do to keep em flying. I wish I could be involved in restoring such an aircraft. My favorite aircraft is the F-15. I wish I could help restore an F-15 in retirement. What about an F-14......is anyone working on one of them? Should be plenty in the desert.

[@rael5469]

@@DieselThunderAviation For the record, Clay Lacy started out with a cherry DC-3. He claimed it was the lowest time DC-3 in the world when he bought it from some State, where it was the Governor's plane. He said the Governor never used it. Amazing find.

[@CVO_GUY]

I worked on F4's at MacDill AFB and I would see Marine and Navy F4's on transient alert ramp on a visit and for whatever reason, would be pretty dirty in the gears wells as well as streaks of dried hydraulic fluid on the wings and flight controls. We did have a wash rack so that might explain our planes being cleaner.

[@rael5469]

@@CVO_GUY I know exactly what you are saying. I remember going to tech school and there was an old B-52 used for training. Non-flyable. It looked a mess and dirty and hydraulic leaks. You know. Then I went to my base of assignment and started working on line aircraft. They looked WORSE than the training aircraft. Looking back, none of us were A&P mechanics and so didn't have much of an appreciation for the intricacies of aircraft and safety of flight. Hydraulic leaks all over. Things in general not in very good shape. I see these modern videos of B-52s and they look much better than when I worked on them in the early 80s. I'm glad to see that they take better care of them. When I was assigned to an aircraft the Crew Chief (my supervisor) was almost immediately made a temporary office supervisor. I was virtually on my own on the aircraft. Well......I went on a beautification campaign and started clearing deferred items in the log book and changing the carpet padding and all sorts of things. Paint, you name it. The guys in Job Control let me know they would support me in any deferred I wanted to get cleared. I pushed until my supervisor told me to quit ordering parts. LOL. It paid off because my aircraft became the #2 on-time aircraft. Thanks for your service David.

[@DamianDibuja]

Exlellent, F 4 is my favorite,is the best !

[@pugloverg6671]

The high pressure air is pretty much for the canopies to open and close….

[@hermes2686]

Amazing!

[@Nghilifa]

Nice! That "HUD" is more like a gunsight rather, a radar/gyro gunsight much the same as the one in the F-86. I don't think the USAF/USN/USMC ever upgraded their Phantom fleet with HUDs.

[@Apr1L-j7u]

F4S

[@chrishuber3814]

Right behind your hand @ 3:39; is that a cartridge starter?

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Yes, that is the starter. It's a combination unit that can use the pneumatic hose from the start cart, or you can screw in a cartridge to the large socket and use the hot gases from that to spin the starter.

[@chrishuber3814]

@@DieselThunderAviation thanks for the reply! Reminded me of the cartridge starters that we had on TF-33’s that I used to work on at my first base. Kinda neat to learn something about the Phantom engine that I’ve never seen.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

My pleasure! As far as I'm aware, the cartridge start capability was unique to the Air Force, which is why the USAF Phantoms also had a battery, in order to do scramble/alert takeoffs. Navy/Marine Corps Phantoms did not have a battery, or the cartridge start.

[@chrishuber3814]

@@DieselThunderAviation That's interesting, I would have expected the same for both, but learning that's not the case is quite interesting. I'm sure it was for good reasons like corrosion and what not.

[@pugloverg6671]

My radar bros have many hours in that rear cockpit running bits….Rich Skripek knows this from Osan ……

[@jameslane8364]

🤓 awesome video the tail hook is called a noodle

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I did not know that, learned something new today!

[@Snugggg]

where did you find the 90s camcorder to film this on? 😛

[@DieselThunderAviation]

A better camera is in the works, just don't know when I'll get it. For now though, I am using what I have available, an older Sony Handycam that does 720p.

[@agostonbazmajer1100]

@@DieselThunderAviation Tbh, the quality adds to the overall charm and feel of this.

[@ecleveland1]

It would be awesome to own your own F-4 fighter! I wonder if you saw the Air Force practicing refueling exercises if you could just fly up to the formation and get in line for a quick fillup? I wonder if anyone would even question it or just fill-er-up? I bet no one has ever tried and there is no SOP taught to the tanker crews.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

As far as I know, the refueling socket is fully functional, so it is plausible to do some aerial refueling.

[@paulzaborny6741]

@16:04 Just fwd of the Generator switches and under the panic lights & by the pedal is the aircraft battery. Change out every 90 days......OH What PIA to do even with the seat out.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you for pointing all of that out!

[@CVO_GUY]

That could have you crying like a baby trying to get it out!

[@paulzaborny6741]

@@CVO_GUY Let see, You First lift up a couple of rt instrument panel boxes for access for your hand. Then while on your knees, with the seat out and with the stick in your chest or left shoulder lower the rt pedal, then lower the C/B panel down there, remove the sheet metal cover panel to the area, undo the copper safety wire on the battery connector and its screw tie down brace, disconnect the hook up cable and while hunched over in a that small area lift a 45-50 lb. nicad battery out of the hole. Now figure out how to move back and stand up with the battery. Oh ya, the new one goes in now all in reverse steps. Usually, 2-3 hours if not so limber and good at it. I knew only one man who was in my ANG unit of F4E could do it with the seat in and about an hour. Would never disclose how either.

[@pugloverg6671]

Seen them hump a many CSD and Generators in those intakes for generator. Us toe lights……

[@dondaigle1822]

Stationed at Udorn 1974 432nd avionics maintenance squadron ecm tech on d e and rcs than went to Bergstrom in Austin great memories a lot better than working on b52s Anderson Guam 1973

[@DieselThunderAviation]

That's awesome and thank you for your service! I too was stationed on Guam, and we loved it out there!

[@F-4E-58-MC]

What Block is this machine?

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I’m not sure what block she is. I’ll ask Crew Chief Al next time I’m at the hangar.

[@F-4E-58-MC]

@@DieselThunderAviation Alright thank you! Lovely gal!

[@briancooper2112]

Great video 🇱🇷

[@snwilliam6886]

Question, if you were to have her as the private owner, can you guarantee to do all the maintenance work yourself? or it must be done by multiple people? I'm planning to own military warbird someday in the future

[@DieselThunderAviation]

It depends. For here in the U.S. if you are a licensed A&P (Airframe and Powerplant mechanic), who also holds an IA (Inspection Authorization) certificate, then yes you could do all of the work yourself. Something like this would be an awful lot of work for one person though. I too would like to own a warbird one day, either a C-47 or P-51!

[@snwilliam6886]

@@DieselThunderAviation cool thanks dude 🙏

[@dcsheinlein]

how do you guys get parts for the aircraft? 3D printing and hand making??

[@DieselThunderAviation]

A lot of parts are leftovers from the Air Force and Navy. As I understand it, once an aircraft series is retired from service, they want to get those parts out of their supply systems. No reason for them to hang on to parts that they don't need. Some stuff is still obtainable, especially common stuff like O rings and most filters.

[@terryfrymire2705]

You're missing the aps-107 screen

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Up in the front seat? I'll ask about that, we may still have it. I think it was removed in order to fit the GPS COM/NAV display.

[@regsmith7604]

Didn’t know it was that many knobs, buttons and levers in a F4. I felt dumb just looking at all of them controls

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Just wait until the F-4E is released for DCS World! You'll be able to operate all of them buttons, switches, knobs, and fly the jet too!

[@regsmith7604]

@@DieselThunderAviation Ok 👌🏽

[@pjrebordao]

Not many people have an F-4 to play around and show it to us. It would be good if you could up your game regarding video quality.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

It’s quite a privilege to be able to work on her. About a month or two after publishing this video I did buy a nice GoPro camera, so all of my live action videos are in 4K now 🙂

[@FlightSimHistorian]

I haven't seen this particular airplane fly in about 10 years or so.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I'm not sure when the last time she flew. She's still airworthy and we're trying to keep her that way!

[@dannymathews475]

CADC 17:41

[@paulpeacock5079]

They are lines and manifolds , not pipes.

[@Mike-zf4xg]

Did you film this with a 1960s camera?

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Not quite. I'm using a digital camcorder, though the best it does is 720p. I am planning on better cameras in the future.

[@Mike-zf4xg]

@@DieselThunderAviation It was a joke. cool vid.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

No worries, and thanks! :)

[@spacedreamz3820]

Will she ever fly again

[@DieselThunderAviation]

She is still flightworthy but hasn't flown in a couple years. We want her back in the air again!

[@spacedreamz3820]

@@DieselThunderAviation last I heard she was having a complete overhaul

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Definitely not an overhaul. What we're doing is a big inspection, and since the panels are all open, servicing all of the filters mounted all around the aircraft, oil, fuel, and hydraulic. Also on the list is changing the engine oil and hitting all of the lubrication points. This include both ejection seats too.

[@danwaldie4661]

Don’t be so fast with your panning. It’s hard for your iPhone to focus. Maybe invest in a small gimbal mount. They are cheap.

[@lorinkramer1524]

No disrespect intended but I agree with the previous commenter. You should preface your video with, "Take motion sickness medication before watching." Subject matter is potentially very interesting but very difficult to watch. WAY too much jumping around. Nothing personal, consider this a learning lesson.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

No worries, and no offense taken. Am still a bit new to doing live action, so I anticipate that this will improve the more I do this. Also have a new camera in the works so I will be revisiting this video so you guys can have the experience in Full HD!

[@lorinkramer1524]

@@DieselThunderAviation Looking forward to your new video. Great job!!

[@ocnlltgic]

No one likes an accelerated stall.

[@georgevprochazka5316]

Nice jet, bad vid.

[@gregboren]

Poor video. Too much jumping around I’m dizzy and nauseated

[@esphilee]

I am going to puke….

[@techstepman]

anyone else want to throw up? camera work needs a lot of improvement.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I'm still somewhat new to the live action side of things, though I imagine the camera work will improve as I go!

[@debbiestimac5175]

You need to mix in some wide shots into this maze of continuous close ups, it is dizzying to watch and quite disorienting. Watch Longshot on KZbin and his camera work, picking scenes to tell the story of the mission he is flying in DCS. His camera work is a joy to watch in it's finished form, whereas yours feels like it is only for people that have worked on a Phantom themselves and know exactly where on the jet that close up is located.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

A fair criticism. I am new to doing live action, so I anticipate that this will improve the more I do this. I also plan on buying a better camera with better resolution and a wider lens. Thanks for the comment!

[@debbiestimac5175]

@@DieselThunderAviation No problem, I like your content very much and the F-4 is a beloved jet by many aviation enthusiasts. Lead Sled video? Yes please! Good luck in this new endeavor, I'm sure you will get the hang of the story telling skillsets and especially editing. One long take is very difficult to pull off, the audience simply loses track and gets exhausted with trying to figure out what is going on in the video. It's why comedic moments and B roll showing what is going on around the action are so important. Especially with today's TikTok short attention span audiences. Luckily aviation audiences are more willing to invest in a video about subject matter they are personally passionate about, like F-4 Phantoms! 😉

[@f4cphantom2]

Is this the Collins Foundation Phantom?

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Yes, it sure is!

[@f4cphantom2]

@@DieselThunderAviation That's awesome! I wish I could afford a ride in it.

[@bulldog282]

Thanks for the walk down memory lane. My Phantom bites hurt. (F-4E/G Crew Chief)

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you for your service! She's bit me a few times, all of it by not paying attention walking underneath with the panels and access doors down.

[@jackallison7540]

I got my start in hydraulics in the navy on nuclear submarines. I later joined the air force and got my hands on F4s. Cs and Ds.loved it all

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you for your service! If you did hydraulics, the next video I have for the F-4 deals with a particular piece of ground servicing equipment for the hydraulic system.

[@hawkertyphoon4537]

One of the most impressive planes ever. The Truck. the Flying Brick. Look at all that hardware. Mindboggling!

[@larrythorn4715]

Big Iron. Rhino. DUFF. Eisenschwein (Iron Pig). Luftverteidigungsdiesel (Air Defense Diesel). The only airplane so legendary that it might actually be able to just almost replace the A-10 by carrying a cannon in a pod.

[@F-4E-58-MC]

Good old Lead Sled

[@peckerwood780]

I can smell it from here

[@freegw1]

I flew the RF-4C and F-4D. Glad I didn’t have to work on them. Good luck!

[@jcheck6]

How were you able to go from Recce to fighters?

[@trespire]

I worked on E's and RFs. Would have loved to go up in one, allas, never to be !!

[@Marie579]

First job I had as a airman in the RAF on tombs jet blast panels and shingle panels then stripping the arresting hook to replace the dampers, and my poor mum was so proud I wasn’t a car mechanic anymore so I would have clean hands at work…… bless her xxx 🤣🤣🤣.talk about bringing back memories! I used to completely build the hydraulic driven compressor in door 21?? And RAT not sure if American F4s had a RAT come to think of it…..

[@CVO_GUY]

Yes we had the RAT on the F 4 but I don't ever remember it seeing it deployed.

[@trespire]

@Muzfuz 57 Those shingle panels, were you refering to the trapezoid overlapping titanium panels aft of the engines ? Every Phantom that came in to B-Check had at least one that needed attention.

[@charlesblithfield6182]

Very interesting. While I know the F4 was a good design this tour highlights a subtle design philosophy that has been improved and can be improved. A smallish team was responsible for the overall metrics but many many engineers designed all subsystems. Given the task then off to the drawing board. The overall design was trying to meet some standard. It wasn’t designed backward and as an integrated whole from first principles hence a very complex design with many jigs here and there to solve problems that come up. Cool design though.

[@CVO_GUY]

Sometimes while removing the ship's battery you thought the aircraft was designed around it. A real bear sometimes to get it out of its compartment.

[@randypoe618]

I was an engine mechanic on D models at Phu Cat RVN. War but an amazing experience!

[@arturodelagarza9028]

IS SHE A STATIC AIRCRAFT OR SHE ACTUALLY FLYS? REMEMBER, GOD CREATED AIRCRAFT MECHANICS SO PILOTS COULD HAVE HEROS TOO🦈🇺🇸🦅🚀🧢🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@DieselThunderAviation]

She's flightworthy, definitely not a static display!

[@arturodelagarza9028]

@@DieselThunderAviation THANKS MR THUNDER. FOR GOOD, AND BAD MEMORIES 🤪, SHE'S A GREAT AIRCRAFT

[@RandyL.Roberts-qn3lw]

Thanks. F4D radar tech.69-73. Thailand & England.

[@shreddinjoe]

Wow...there's some serious engineering and manufacturing involved in the F4.,.quite impressive considering it was concieved in the 1950s

[@andrewbartczak5941]

Awesome video. (Another former E model crew chief)

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Thank you! And thank you as well for your service!

[@RLD_Media]

7:10-7:17 or so - AC unit. Is that a turbocharger? Looks like a big ol one too!

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Sure looks like one and was my thought when I first saw it too.

[@SPANKA.]

Is that bird airworthy? If so, how big of a team is required to keep it airworthy? I bet the FAA would be on my ass if I had one of those.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Yes, she is airworthy! Not sure how large the team is altogether; all I've shown so far are the maintainers. There's also some logistics involved (parts, fuel, etc) and admin (donations/funding, hangar space, etc)

[@davidcarper5411]

Heavy Beast

[@knskumo]

In the RIO's cockpit, in the left side panel (at the front) there are those 2 big green tubes stacked in the panel one next to the other, like a kind of giant fuses or batteries. What are those for?

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Those are likely test connections for one of the systems (likely armament or radar). I can take a closer look this weekend.

[@knskumo]

@@DieselThunderAviation Thanks, I'm curious because I have a very alike container (chained cap included) but I never knew where it came from. But it looks (externally at least) like those tubes in the panel.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Those aren't specific to the Phantom. Most of the time they are just a simple protective (weather tight) cap for the connector that it is screwed onto. Sometimes they are a wired loopback connector that needs to be installed for that system to work correctly. There's one on the right side of the WSO cockpit that's a loopback plug and ties into the electrical system, but can also be connected to a test set if it's removed.

[@tankerman135]

Hmmm, 82nd ATTARS patch in the wheel well-was she supposed to be a drone? I do not think they used the D's-and for the record-I have completely forgot how to run a mule....when the fluid is milky, means a lot of air....

[@DieselThunderAviation]

I don't know the detailed history of this one in particular, but Collings Foundation did pick her up from the Boneyard. She may have been earmarked to be a drone, I don't know for sure. And I agree, hydraulic fluid should not be foamy!

[@tankerman135]

...and I do not remember how to get the air out of the fluid-bleeding somehow should work-If memory serves me, you need to ensure there is no air in the hydraulic fluid, prior to running it thru an aircraft-maybe the mule got too hot???

[@trespire]

All I could look at were the solid rivits, Jo-bolts, pop-nites, anchor nuts and quick screws. I was a structural technician, I used to live under Phantoms. And yeah, those heavy panels can bite it you're not careful.

[@CVO_GUY]

You had to love those hi-torque screws in some of the panels. Sometimes a bear to get out and had to call in reinforcements in the form of a machinist to get them out.

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Not fun for sure! We've had a few that we had to drill out.

[@pugloverg6671]

Steve Ritchie killed 5 migs with that D model…..

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Not this one, not as far as we know anyway. From her history, she never saw combat or went to Vietnam. Most of her life was spent doing the nuclear alert mission, before she came back stateside and served with two Guard units. Her real tail number is 65-0749.

[@timbarnett3898]

I was never in military, I just taught school educating future soldiers. But I get too see this view in person, when brother was crew chief on F-4A while on Enterprise aircraft carrier an Miramar San Diego while on shore. Brother put me in cockpit of his F-4 while on "Top Gun" base. An I know a real top gun graduate from top gun school, cool!

[@Meow-pe2dz]

Does it have an air conditioner (AC) ?

[@DieselThunderAviation]

Yes, she does have an AC. Two of them in fact, one for colling the avionics, the other for crew comfort and cabin pressurization.