Developed by the American aircraft company McDonnell Douglas the F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, all-weather, supersonic fighter-bomber. It entered service during the sixties and it is one of the most famous airplanes of the military aviation history. In the original project, it was specifically designed for U.S. Navy but it has been used by all U.S. forces and it obtained a significant commercial success around the World. The F-4E version, specifically developed for the U.S. Air Force, adopted a M61 Vulcan cannon in the nose and it could be armed, to perform air-superiority missions, with AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-9 Sparrow air-to-air missiles. Thanks to its two General Electric J-79 powerful jet-engines, the F-4E was able to reach the top speed of 1,240 Knots. Speed, thrust and reliability were the Phantom II strengths able to successfully counterbalance the reduced manoeuvrability due to its big dimensions.
