F4 flying into UK?

Dazza -I think you have to throw a President Carter into the mix as well!!!

True, he had his part to play as well i guess!

-Dazza

Can’t comment as regards any proposals to bring an F-4G to the UK but, as to the problem of anyone operating F-4’s outside of US support, I heard that the US deliberately witheld the overhaul of J-79 turbine assemblies and F-4 tyres from agencies/firms outside of the US, just in case things turned sour.

There is/was a J-79 overhaul plant located in either Greece or Turkey and turbines would always be supplied by the US. Tyres would also be a problem if you didn’t have any and couldn’t make them. It doesn’t need to be a high-tech (at least with the tyres) solution to ground a highly technical piece of kit such as the Phantom and render it impotent.

Anon.

Can the Iranians sell back some bits to put the historic ones back in the air over here 🙂

I think if you have some gifted artist in Great Britain, who make some cartoons they will bring their F4´s earlier than you would like. And best of all, they will be for free.:)

Can the Iranians sell back some bits to put the historic ones back in the air over here 🙂

Dazza -I think you have to throw a President Carter into the mix as well!!!

Kenneth -I was under the impression that two machines were going to be kept airworthy for a little longer on test and evaluation duties?

AFAIK correct, but it was not for long as their last flights were on July 29 and 30, respectively.

Dazza,
Part of the reason the US govt is sooooo sensitive is that a large chunk of the Iran/Contra debacle was the supply of F4/F14 spares and weaponry BY the US Govt! Yes, the IRIAF has proven very adept at reverse-engineering components to keep the aircraft viable; there’s also a lot of ‘dual use’ tech out there which is why the USML is so draconian.

Reagan and Oliver North have got a lot to answer for!:highly_amused:

-Dazza

Kenneth -I was under the impression that two machines were going to be kept airworthy for a little longer on test and evaluation duties?

Dazza,
Part of the reason the US govt is sooooo sensitive is that a large chunk of the Iran/Contra debacle was the supply of F4/F14 spares and weaponry BY the US Govt! Yes, the IRIAF has proven very adept at reverse-engineering components to keep the aircraft viable; there’s also a lot of ‘dual use’ tech out there which is why the USML is so draconian.

The last German F-4F flight took place on July 30, 2013. Ten flying F-4F’s remained in the Luftwaffe inventory on the date of the official retirement of the type on June 29, 2013; two of those will become gate guards in Wittmund and Neuburg and the remainder were flown to Jever in July for scrapping. So it looks doubtful that any will be heading for preservation in the UK, and if so, it won’t be flying in on its own power.

Which government has prevented civilian ground running of Phantoms??

Evalu8ter, whilst your comments are entirely true, if the various government bodies that have so far prevented civilian ownership/operation of even a ground running F-4 (Collings Foundation excepted…) by a heritage group on the basis that it might enable the Iranians to keep their fleet airworthy by being a potential source of illicit spares, then i despair at the stupidity of that assumption! (by the gov, not you! 🙂 ) The Iranians, i suspect, are a little bit more savvy than that! There has been a number of reports over the years of them receiving spares clandestinely, not to mention the fact that i imagine they have managed to reverse engineer some of the spares they need…

-Dazza

F4s are also a touchy subject with the ITAR community; the Iranians still fly substantial numbers of F4s and the illicit transfer of spares/parts to that regime is one of the major reasons for the restrictions on, particularly, F4 and F14s…..

I guess by ‘ridiculous restrictions’ you mean the ‘Conventional Forces Europe’ Treaty that saw the dismantling of large quantities of hardware and verification by either sides ?

Yes…

-Dazza

I guess by ‘ridiculous restrictions’ you mean the ‘Conventional Forces Europe’ Treaty that saw the dismantling of large quantities of hardware and verification by either sides ?

A fully de-militarized F-4F was offered for sale a few months back so, i guess German F-4s aren’t subject to same (ridiculous) restrictions that ex-RAF F-4s were. If the rumours are to be believed then it could well be 38+48… As ever, until it happens take everything with a large pinch of salt!

-Dazza

Are German F4s exempt from the restrictions that UK ones are? With various ex RAF ones around there has to be a serious reason to bring in a German one!

Hope so.

If the rumour is true then Brunty has to be the venue.

Anon.