Argentine F-4U Cherry Box Phantom II

[comrade harps]

Canadair Cherry Box F-4U Phantom II
a/c 4-A-105, Fourth Escuadrilla, Argentine Navy, ARA Veinticinco de Mayo,
19 September 1980
Aircrew: Lt. Andres D'Alessandro (Pilot) and Lt. Emiliano Buendia (Radar Intercept Officer)



The F-4K (CF-4K, codenamed Pink Dream, in Canadian service) version of the McDonnell Douglas Phantom II was designed specifically for use on QE2/Albatross Class carriers. Built by Canadair, the F-4K replaced the F-4's usual J-79 turbojets jets with Rolls Royce Canada Hudson low-bypass turbofans. These were more powerful than the J-79 at sea level, enabling take-off from the short flight deck of the QE2/Albatross carriers. The turbofans required significant changes to the fuselage; other changes to adapt the F-4 included an extendable nosewheel leg and a folding nose cone. However, to keep costs down, most of the internal equipment was common to the contemporary F-4J of the US Navy. Fire control radar was based on the F-4J's AN/AGW-10, using Canadian co-produced AN/AGW-11 (F-4K) or AN/AGW-12 (F-4M). The Canadair Teal Swan F-4M (CF-4M) was a land-based variant of the K for use by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Both versions were equipped with American ECM, initially of the Sanders ALQ-51 series and later the ALQ-100.






From 1975, the F-4K and M were replaced on the production line by the naval Cherry Box F-4U and land-based Mindaro Purse F-4V. These versions featured numerous upgrades including more powerful Hudsons, revised cockpit displays and the AN/APG-63 radar, as used by the McDonnell Douglas F-15A/B Eagle. This was a controversial selection in Canada, but contemporary domestic airborne radars of similar performance were years away from service. In 1979-80, most in-service F-4U and V aircraft had their radars upgraded with programmable signal processor software. The U and V models replaced the American-supplied ECM and RWR gear with kit produced by Canadian Marconi (respectively codenamed Manila Disco and Peach Deer); these installations gave the U and V variants a distinctive rectangular fairing on the tail fin. The Naval F-4U maintained the wing of the F-4K, but the F-4V added the clawed leading edge slats of the F-4E.




The navies of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India and Mexico flew the F-4K and F-4U from QE2/Albatross carriers. The Royal Australian Navy was the odd one out, flying F-4Js from its Forrestal Class aircraft carrier and F-8E Crusaders (later, F/A-18A/B Hornets) from its QE2 ships. The final F-4Us on active duty were those of Argentina, which were retired in 2003.




This Argentine Navy F-4U was photographed on the Albatross Class carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo on 19 September 1980. A component of Task Force 50 (TF50), and active in the UN's Operation Just Defence, the Argentines were part of the UN's massive aerial intervention against the Southern African Union (SAU): Anzania, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. TF.50 included vessels from the navies of Argentina, Australia, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, New Zealand, Tanzania and the US. In addition to ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, TF.50 included aircraft carriers from Australia, India and the US. The Argentine carrier group came to be in this Indian Ocean armada because they had just come from Exercise Red Ochre, an air/land/sea exercise in and around Western Australia. The aircraft's disruptive application of camouflage over the overall air superiority grey was adopted during Red Ochre. Throughout Just Defence, the Veinticinco de Mayo's Phantom IIs conducted air defence, attack and offensive counter-air missions. The carrier's Canadair Orange Kite Buccaneer GR.3s, meanwhile, flew bombing and photo-reconnaissance missions. Also on board were S-2H Trackers, E-1C Tracers, KC-1B Traders and SH-3H Sea Kings.



Just Defence brought the Argentine  F-4U crews into several engagements with SAU aircraft. Pilot, Lt. Andres D'Alessandro and Radar Intercept Officer, Lt. Emiliano Buendia achieved 6 confirmed kills in August, all whilst flying the F-4U 4-A-105. Early combat sorties carried three external fuel tanks, four Phillips Canada Blue Way Skyflash SARH missiles and four Brazillian-made DF Vasconcellos SA  MAA-1A Piranha IR-guided missiles. However, the Piranha soon proved to be unreliable due to rocket motor quality control issues, leading to many crews adopting the SUU-23 Vulcan cannon pod (as seen here). Their victory tally is summarised below.

• 4 August, Anzanian F-104G Starfighter with Skyflash neat Pretoria
• 7 August, two Mozambican EMB-91YPs, one with Skyflash and the second with cannon fire near Maputo
• 9 August, Anzanian F-104G with Skyflash near Durban
• 12 August, Mozambican EMB.326GP with Piranha and EMB.91YP with Skyflash west of Beira

By mid-August, SAU airpower was mostly destroyed or grounded, the Argentine Phantom IIs using rockets and bombs to hit ground targets until 9 September. Indeed, the double victories on 12 August were made during a bombing mission, 4-A-105 having dropped four 1,000 lb Mk.14 bombs on a "regime target" before engaging two Mozambican aircraft at low altitude. This was the last time any aircraft from TF.50 encountered any aerial opposition.




On 9 September 1980, the UN called off Just Defence, moving on to Operation Righteous Deliverance, the large-scale evacuation of "at risk" Africans and non-African civilians. The Argentine F-4Us provided air defence for Righteous Deliverance without incident until 19 September, when the UN officially withdrew from Africa. 4-A-105 is modelled here as photographed on 19 September, armed with four Skyflash, four Piranha and an SUU-23 Vulcan pod.

[Wardukw]

Love the F-4 Harps mate 👌 👍
Some day I'll have a 48th F-4 again ..one way or another 

[Old Wombat]

Lovely build!

Given the trouncing they gave the Southern African Union air assets, I'm a bit confused as to why the UN pulled out?

[zenrat]

Nice job Comrade.

Are those Israeli colours making up the camo?

[Dizzyfugu]

Are those Israeli colours making up the camo?

Looks rather like Hellenic "Ghost scheme" tones to me? 

[SPINNERS]

Lovely. Phantoms Phorever!

[zenrat]

Are those Israeli colours making up the camo?

Looks rather like Hellenic "Ghost scheme" tones to me? 

Same neck of the woods.

[Pellson]

Are those Israeli colours making up the camo?

Looks rather like Hellenic "Ghost scheme" tones to me? 

Same neck of the woods.

The "downwind of the volcano"-hood? 

Great build and backstory! What kit is it?

[comrade harps]

Lovely build!

Given the trouncing they gave the Southern African Union air assets, I'm a bit confused as to why the UN pulled out?

You can win the battles and loose the war.

In my scenario, the UN have already pulled non-African ground troops from Africa by 1980. They've been there since 1950. All the Southern African Union has to do is go on a ground offensive from the south whilst the Moscow Pact goes on the offensive from the Maghreb and the African UN states crumble. Mutinies, desertions, defections, strikes, coups, protests, revolutions and it's a rout. What happens in the air doesn't matter.

[NARSES2]

Neat build 

[comrade harps]

What kit is it?

Airfix Phantom FG.1 1/72nd.

Expect another Phantom II soon!

[Vulcan7]

Great build, cool camo   

[DogfighterZen]

I like that a lot!   

[thundereagle1997]

It's a great aircraft although I wish it had an internal cannon.