Subject: New Fighter Series--McDonnell F-4 Phantom (49 of 50)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 13 Jul 94 16:33:05 GMT

>From [email-masked]

Between October 1971 and September 1972, Spain's Ejercito del Aire 
(EdA) acquired an initial batch of 36 ex-USAF F-4C Phantoms as 
replacements for the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter and the North 
American F-86F Sabre in front-line air defense fighter units.  The 
F-4Cs were designated C.12 in EdA service, the C standing for fighter 
(Caza) and the 12 indicating that the Phantom was the 12th fighter 
type to enter service since the Civil War.  They were serialed C.12-01 
thru C.12-36.  

Ala 12 (12th Wing) based at Torrejon was formed to operate the 
Phantom.  In support of Phantom operations, the EdA acquired three 
Boeing KC-97Ls midair refuelling tankers.  These were operated for 
four years until replaced by KC-130H tankers.  

In October 1978, the EdA acquired four more ex-USAF F-4Cs as attrition 
replacements, serial numbers C.12-37 through -40 being assigned.  At 
the same time, four ex-USAF RF-4Cs unarmed reconnaissance aircraft 
were acquired.  The RF-4Cs were known as CR.12 in EdA service, with 
serials CR.12-41 thru CR.12-44 being assigned.  

The Spanish F-4C Phantoms were replaced by McDonnell Douglas EF-18A/B 
Hornets in the late 1970s, the last F-4C being withdrawn from 
front-line EdA service in April of 1979.  Seven were lost in 
accidents.  

The Phantom had been out of front-line service with the EdA for nearly 
ten years when eight ex-USAF RF-4Cs taken from the 123rd TRW, Kentucky 
ANG were delivered to Spain in 1989 to form a new 123 Escuadron within 
Ala 12 at Torrejon.  These planes were acquired to fill in the void 
until the Spanish Hornets can be fitted with a reconnaissance pod.  
These RF-4Cs differed from the first batch of four RF-4Cs in being 
equipped with new radios, new radar warning equipment, new VOR/ILS 
equipment and KS-86 cameras.  They were powered by smokeless 
J79-GE-15E engines.  They have been fitted with several upgrades while 
in service, including AN/APQ-172 terrain-following radar, new ECM 
systems, a laser ring inertial naviation system, and midair refuelling 
probes permanently plumbed into the dorsal refuelling probe 
receptacle.  These planes are expected to serve until at least 1995.  

To support the new batch of RF-4Es, a single RF-4C from the first 
batch (CR.12-42) was retained.  Also retained were six F-4Cs from the 
original batch (C.12-09, -10, -14, -19, -37, and -20) for service as 
target tugs and weapons test platforms.  The last of these was finally 
retired in 1990.  

The following is a list of the USAF serials of the Phantoms that were
transferred to Spain, along with their equivalent EdA serials.

64-0738/0817	McDonnell F-4C-23-MC Phantom
 			0813 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-13 w/o 7/7/79)
64-0818/0881	McDonnell F-4C-24-MC Phantom
			0820 to Spain in 1978 (EdA C.12-37)
 			0846 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-12)
			0850 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-14)
 			0853 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-17)
 			0854 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-18)
 			0855 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-20)
 			0856 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-32)
 			0857 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-21, w/o 10/14/77)
 			0858 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-29)
 			0859 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-31)
 			0861 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-26)
 			0862 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-27)
			0864 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-36)
 			0866 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-15)
 			0867 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-09)
 			0868 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-16)
 			0870 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-35, w/o 4/25/83)
 			0871 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-11)
 			0872 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-19)
 			0877 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-23)
 			0878 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-30)
 			0880 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-28) 
 			0881 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-25, w/o 2/14/75)
64-0882/0928	McDonnell F-4C-25-MC Phantom
			0882 to Spain in 1978 (EdA C.12-38)
 			0884 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-01)
 			0886 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-06, w/o 2/7/85)
 			0887 to Spain in 1971 (EdA C.12-33)
			0892 to Spain in 1978 (EdA C.12-39)
 			0894 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-24, w/o 5/4/84)
 			0895 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-10)
			0896 to Spain in 1978 (EdA C.12-40)
 			0900 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-02)
 			0903 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-03)
 			0906 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-05, w/o)
 			0907 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-34)
 			0909 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-04)
 			0920 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-07)
 			0924 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-22)
 			0925 to Spain in 1971  (EdA C.12-08)
64-1062/1077	McDonnell RF-4C-23-MC Phantom
			1069 to Spain in 1989 (EdA CR.12-45)
			1070 to Spain in 1989 (EdA CR.12-46)
64-1078/1085	McDonnell RF-4C-24-MC Phantom
			1083 to Spain in 1989 (EdA CR.12-47)
65-0818/0838	McDonnell RF-4C-24-MC Phantom
			0822 to Spain in 1989 (EdA CR.12-48)
			0835 to Spain in 1989 (EdA CR.12-49)
65-0839/0864	McDonnell RF-4C-25-MC Phantom
			0841 to Spain in 1989 (EdA CR.12-50)
			0851 to Spain in 1989 (EdA CR.12-51)
65-0865/0901	McDonnell RF-4C-26-MC Phantom
			0873 to Spain in 1989 (EdA CR.12-52)
65-0933/0945	McDonnell RF-4C-28-MC Phantom
			0936 to Spain in 1978 (EdA CR.12-41)
			0937 to Spain in 1978 (EdA CR.12-42)
			0942 to Spain in 1978 (EdA CR.12-43)
			0943 to Spain in 1978 (EdA CR.12-44)

Sources:

  McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume II, Rene J.
  Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1990.

  McDonnell F-4 Phantom: Spirit in the Skies.  Airtime Publishing, 1992.

  E-mail from Ben Marselis

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