Marked the end of an era in the RN FAA, when the Ark Royal made her final cat launches with the flying off of her Buccs and Phantoms from the ship for delivery to RAF St.Athan.
The final a/c to launch was F4K XT870 flown off by an RAF exchange pilot, Flt.Lt Murdo MacLeod, and this F4 went on to serve with the RAF right up to the end of the RAF’s use of the Phantom and was scrapped at Leuchars.
Given the historic significance of the airframe to the RN, I never understood why the FAAM didn’t save this aircraft for display back in her final RN flight markings in the carrier exhibition……???
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November 27, 2008 at 11:09 am