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The F-4 Phantom, a fighter bomber par excellence developed by McDonnell Douglas, has a storied past marked by exceptional performance and wide-reaching adoption.
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Entering service in 1961, the Phantom was a powerhouse with record-breaking altitude and speed milestones.
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It demonstrated versatility across various branches of the U.S. military and found a home in the air forces of 11 other countries, including Israel.
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The F-4X is a proposed high-speed reconnaissance variant of the F-4 Phantom intended for the Israeli Air Force.
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This ambitious program aimed to endow the F-4 with greater thrust and reduced drag, pushing it to speeds that could rival or even surpass the fastest aircraft of its era.
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The F-4X genesis is traced back to the reconnaissance challenges faced by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in the early 1970s.
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Soviet MiG-25 Foxbat overflights, performed at altitudes and speeds unattainable for the IAF’s then-current arsenal, sparked a dire need for a high-speed reconnaissance platform.
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This pressing requirement led to the exploration of advanced technologies and the eventual conceptualization of the F-4X.
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The F-4X was not merely an incremental update but promised a transformative performance leap.
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Demineralized water would be used for pre-compressor cooling (PCC) of the General Electric (G.E.) J79 engines, which, without getting into excessive technical detail, were calculated to increase the engines’ thrust by 50%.
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On paper, the F-4X was a marvel that would cruise at Mach 2.4 and sprint at a staggering Mach 3.2.
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However, challenges soon emerged as is often the case with cutting-edge aerospace endeavors.
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General Dynamics, tasked with the project, realized that water injection could lead to engine compressor blades’ expansion, risking catastrophic engine failure.
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Additionally, the changing strategic landscape, including the looming introduction of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, began to overshadow the F-4X’s promise.
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Lastly, the U.S. State Department feared that the IAF would use the F-4X to shoot down a Soviet reconnaissance plane and create an international incident. Quoth Petrinic one last time: “Thus signaled the death knell for the F-4X.”