McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

Updated: October 2026 – A black smoke trail, deafening noise and a silhouette that looks as if someone had bent the wings afterward: the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was the workhorse of Western air forces for over four decades. In Germany it flew from 1971 to 2013, for more than 42 years. Today you can almost only experience it in a museum, and that is exactly why it is worth knowing it well. Here you learn how to recognize the Phantom, which versions there were, how its time with the Luftwaffe (the German Air Force) went, who still flies it and where preserved examples stand in Germany.

What is the F-4 Phantom II?

The Phantom is a twin-engine, two-seat fighter jet of the second generation of jet fighters. McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis originally designed it as an interceptor for the US Navy’s aircraft carriers. The prototype F4H-1 took off for the first time on May 27, 1958, and operational service began at the end of 1960. It quickly became clear that the heavy jet could do more than air defense: it carried large bomb loads, flew reconnaissance and was later also used to suppress radar sites. The US Air Force and the Marine Corps adopted the type, and numerous allies followed.

By 1981, 5,195 Phantoms had been built, 5,057 of them in St. Louis and 138 under license at Mitsubishi in Japan. US production ended in 1979. With these numbers, the F-4 is among the most-built Western supersonic combat aircraft of all. After the merger of McDonnell and Douglas in 1967, it ran under the name McDonnell Douglas, whose legacy now lies with Boeing.

The Phantom is powered by two afterburning General Electric J79 engines. These engines are known for the dark smoke trail that gives Phantoms away from a great distance. A crew of two sits one behind the other: the pilot in front, and behind him the weapon systems officer, who operates the radar and navigation.

Record-setter of the early 1960s

Before the Phantom became a workhorse, it collected records. In the Top Flight operation on December 6, 1959, a Navy Phantom zoom-climbed to around 30,040 meters. On August 28, 1961, in Sageburner an F4H-1 flew over a short measured course at an altitude of less than 40 meters at around 1,453 km/h. And in Skyburner, on November 22, 1961, a Phantom averaged around 2,585 km/h over a 20-mile course. Aerobatic teams also relied on the type: the US Air Force Thunderbirds flew the F-4E from 1969 to 1974, and the Navy’s Blue Angels the F-4J in the same period.

The most important versions

With more than 5,000 aircraft there were many variants. For spotters in Europe, these are the most relevant:

Version	Role	Typical operators	Recognizable by
F-4B / F-4J / F-4N / F-4S	Carrier fighter	US Navy, US Marines	Short nose without a gun, arresting hook, reinforced landing gear
F-4C / F-4D	Strike fighter	US Air Force, Spain, South Korea, Iran	Short nose without a gun
F-4E	Multirole fighter	US Air Force, Israel, Greece, Turkey, Iran, South Korea	Long nose with a built-in 20 mm gun underneath
F-4F	Simplified F-4E for Germany	Luftwaffe	Like the F-4E, German serial 37+ / 38+
RF-4C / RF-4E	Reconnaissance aircraft	US Air Force, Luftwaffe, Greece, Turkey, Japan	Long, angular camera nose, no gun
F-4G Wild Weasel	Radar suppression	US Air Force	F-4E airframe with antenna fairing instead of a gun
F-4K / F-4M	British version	Royal Navy, RAF	Rolls-Royce Spey engines, wider air intakes, thicker rear fuselage
F-4EJ	Japanese F-4E	Japan Air Self-Defense Force	Partly built at Mitsubishi

Particularly exciting for German spotters are: the RF-4E of the reconnaissance wings, the F-4F of the fighter and fighter-bomber wings, and the F-4G Wild Weasel, which the US Air Force had stationed at Spangdahlem until 1994. The British Phantoms with Spey engines flew with the RAF in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s, at Brüggen and Wildenrath, among other places.

How to recognize the Phantom

The Phantom is an aircraft you hardly mix up anymore after the first deliberate look. It looks bulky, angular and a little patched together, which earned it nicknames like “Double Ugly.”

In the end the serial confirms the version. German RF-4Es carry numbers with 35+, while the F-4Fs ran under 37+ and 38+. How the German serial system works is explained in the article on markings of German armed forces aircraft. For US aircraft, the serial numbers on the vertical stabilizer help – more on that in the guide US military serials.

Phantom, Starfighter or Tornado?

In museums, Phantoms often stand next to other Luftwaffe jets. With three questions you can narrow it down quickly.

You can find further distinctions from jets of East and West in the overview Recognizing fighter jets in Europe. Its direct successor in the US Air Force, by the way, was the F-15 Eagle, which emerged from the experience with the Phantom as a pure air superiority fighter.

The Phantom in the Luftwaffe

The Luftwaffe brought the Phantom into the country in two steps. The reconnaissance aircraft came first: 88 RF-4Es, the first entering service in January 1971 at Bremgarten, with deliveries ending in 1972. They replaced the RF-104G Starfighters in Reconnaissance Wing 51 “Immelmann” at Bremgarten and Reconnaissance Wing 52 at Leck. The fighters and strike fighters followed: 175 F-4Fs. The first German F-4F flew on March 18, 1973, and deliveries ran until the mid-1970s.

To save costs, Germany ordered a stripped-down F-4E, designated the F-4F, which weighed around 1,500 kg less. For training German crews in the USA, the Luftwaffe additionally bought 10 F-4Es, which stayed there.

Wings and locations

Location	Period	Version	Unit
Bremgarten	1971–1992	RF-4E	Reconnaissance Wing 51 “Immelmann”
Leck	1971–1993	RF-4E	Reconnaissance Wing 52
Wittmundhafen	until 2013	F-4F	Fighter Wing 71 “Richthofen”
Neuburg an der Donau	until 2008	F-4F	Fighter Wing 74
Hopsten	1975–2005	F-4F	Fighter-Bomber Wing 36, later Fighter Wing 72
Pferdsfeld	from 1975	F-4F	Fighter-Bomber Wing 35
Laage	1997–2002	F-4F	Fighter Wing 73
Manching	–	RF-4E / F-4F	Technical Services Center 61 (flight testing)

The F-4F was modernized twice: first in the “Peace Rhine” program between 1980 and 1984, then from 1991 in the ICE combat upgrade. By 1996, 110 aircraft had received a new APG-65 radar and the ability to employ AMRAAM missiles. This kept the Phantom the pillar of German air defense until the introduction of the Eurofighter.

The reconnaissance aircraft went first: after the end of the Cold War, the two reconnaissance wings were disbanded, 32 RF-4Es went to Turkey and 20 to Greece. For the F-4F, the switch to the Eurofighter followed wing by wing, and Fighter Wing 74 in Neuburg said goodbye to its last Phantom in 2008.

The farewell in Wittmund

The final point was set by Fighter Wing 71 “Richthofen” at Wittmundhafen. On June 29, 2013, the Luftwaffe’s last Phantom landed there, the F-4F 37+01 in a special livery. The farewell event ran under the motto “Phantom Pharewell.” The next day the type was officially retired. In this period 27 F-4Fs were lost in accidents; the accident rate was thus only about a fifth of the Starfighter’s.

Among crews, the loud, sooty jet was considered robust and reliable, if anything but elegant.

Who still flies the Phantom?

Most operators have retired their Phantoms in recent years. The overview shows the status based on the latest available information; for October 2026 the following applies: inventories change quickly, so check current reports if in doubt.

Country	Status	Note
Turkey	active	Modernized F-4E 2020 “Terminator”; use planned until at least 2030
Greece	active	F-4E with the 117th Combat Wing at Andravida; the RF-4Es were retired in May 2017
Iran	active	F-4D, F-4E and RF-4E from the time before 1979; number unclear, reportedly fallen further due to combat in 2026
Egypt	reserve	According to reports in storage or reserve since around 2018
South Korea	retired	Last F-4E on June 7, 2024 after around 55 years
Japan	retired	RF-4 in March 2020, last F-4EJ in March 2021
USA	retired	Last QF-4 target drones at the end of 2016
Germany	retired	Last flight on June 29, 2013
United Kingdom	retired	RAF Phantoms until the early 1990s
Israel	retired	Retired in 2004

For you as a spotter that means: if you want to see a flying Phantom, you have to travel. Greece and Turkey are the most realistic, occasionally also exercises or airshows in which these countries take part. Which events are worthwhile for this is covered in the overview Airshows in Europe. How to follow military flight movements online and why many jets stay invisible is explained in the guide Tracking military aircraft online.

Where to see the Phantom in Germany

Since the Luftwaffe only gave up its Phantoms in 2013, a surprising number of examples stand in German museums and at former locations. A selection of well-documented addresses:

Place	What you see	Tip
Luftwaffe Museum Berlin-Gatow	An RF-4E and an F-4F	Largest Bundeswehr collection, plus Starfighter, Tornado and MiGs for comparison
Flugausstellung Hermeskeil	Several Phantoms in the outdoor area	Good for detail shots of the landing gear and air intakes
Flugwerft Schleißheim	An F-4 Phantom II in the exhibition	Hall with even light, ideal in bad weather

The Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow is the most important stop: here you can compare reconnaissance aircraft and fighters directly side by side. Exhibitions are occasionally rebuilt, aircraft restored or loaned out; before a targeted visit, ask whether the aircraft is currently accessible.

Phantoms abroad

If you are traveling anyway, you find Phantoms in many large aviation museums:

• The Museo del Aire in Madrid-Cuatro Vientos shows a Phantom of the Spanish Air Force, which was designated the C.12 there.
• At the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton stands a Royal Navy Phantom FG.1 – the British version with Spey engines.
• In the USA, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton and the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson have Phantoms in their collections.

Photo tips for museum Phantoms

The Phantom is big, angular and often stands tightly among other exhibits. A few tricks help:

How to identify historic types reliably in general is shown in the guide Recognizing historic aircraft. And if you want to lend a hand yourself: many museums look for volunteers for restorations – more in the article on volunteering in aviation museums.

Common mix-ups and how to rule them out

Conclusion

The F-4 Phantom II accompanied the Luftwaffe for over 42 years: from the first RF-4Es in 1971 to the last F-4F flight on June 29, 2013, at Wittmund. Its silhouette with upturned wingtips and a drooping horizontal stabilizer is recognizable anywhere at first sight. You only see it flying today with a few air forces such as the Turkish and Greek. In Germany it is well represented in museums like Berlin-Gatow, Hermeskeil and Schleißheim.