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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

Fighters For The Missile Era

F-4B, F4-C, F4-D

Page 3

Two YRF-4Cs with cameras in a longer nose were converted from F-4Bs in 1963 to provide TAC with a supersonic tactical reconnaissance type. The 503 RF-4Cs delivered from June 1964 to January 1974 replaced missiles with cameras, photoflash cartridges, and APQ-99 radar, but retained the nuclear bomb provisions. They entered operational service in September 1964, the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron becoming the first to be combat ready in August 1965, and served 12 TAC and three ANG squadrons throughout the 1970s. McDONNELL RF-4C

Flyaway cost was 2.3 million dollars each, but when service life-cycle is considered, the Air Force did well. From October 1965 to April 1973 the RF-4C flew vital reconnaissance missions in Southeast Asia. Many improvements in radar, ECM pods, infrared and optical sensors extended service life. As late as February 1991, six ANG RF-4Cs flew 103 combat sorties into Iraq from Turkey.

The Phantom at War
When Navy F-4Bs began missions over Vietnam, there were no enemy fighters present, so only bombs were expended on early sorties by VF-96 and VMFA-531. But in April 1965 the Americans were challenged by a VPAF fighter regiment’s MiG-17s. McDONNELL F-4D

Four of those fighters attacked A-1H Skyraiders from the Midway on June 17, but Sparrows from two VF-21 F-4Bs shot down two MiGs. By 1968, ten MiGs had been downed in air combat in exchange for four F-4Bs.

War brought F-4Cs of the 45th TFS squadron to Thailand early in 1965, but two MiG-17s downed with Sidewinders on July 10 were their only success that year. Ten F-4C squadrons were in SEA by April 1966, and six victories that month included a MiG-21.

The Phantom’s missiles had been designed with bomber interception in mind, and often were evaded with a sharp turn by an alert target. When a gun was desired for close-range work, the 20-mm M61 SUU-16 1,200-round gun pod was introduced in May 1967, but it degraded performance. The F-4Cs downed 42 MiGs; 22 with Sidewinders, 14 with Sparrows, four with gun pods, and two with “maneuvering tactics.” Most of the 54 F-4Cs lost in 1965/66 were lost to ground fire.

While the F-4D looked like the F-4C, it was intended for hitting ground targets with a wide variety of attack stores guided by APG-109A radar. The usual four Sparrows could joined by four AIM-4D Falcons, but these were replaced with more reliable Sidewinders. First flown on December 9, 1965, 793 F-4Ds were delivered to the Air Force from March 1966 to February 1968 for 1.7 million dollars each.

F-4Ds replaced the F-4C in SEA squadrons, and were credited, beginning on June 5, 1967, with 44 victories: 26 with Sparrows, six with gun pods, five each for Falcons and Sidewinders, and two with maneuvers. F-4D combat losses by June 1973 were 170, including 127 to AAA, 17 to MiGs, 17 unknown, and 9 to SAMs. Another 24 were lost in accidents.

The F-4D also introduced new ground attack methods with various rockets and missiles, including the AGM-62A Walleye on August 24, 1967, the GBU-10 laser-guided bomb on May 23, 1968, and widespread enemy SAMs also led to the addition of various ECM devices.

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