McDonnell F-4S-44 Phantom II

The Museum's F-4S-44-McDonnell Douglas Phantom II, Bu. No. 157307, was accepted by the Navy on December 18, 1970. By June 22, 1971, it was assigned to Fighting Squadron 31 (VF-31) stationed at the Naval Air Station (NAS), Oceana, Virginia. Early in 1972, VF-31, (with F-4 Bu. No. 157307) went aboard USS Saratoga, and by April en route to the western Pacific for duty in the Vietnam War. On May 18, 1972, the squadron started combat operations on Yankee Station, off the coast of Vietnam. While on a flight on June 21, 1972, its last day on station, F-4 Bu. No. 157307 (Squadron No. 106) made its mark. It was launched that day on a MIGCAP (MiG Combat Air Patrol) with VF-31's Executive Officer, Cdr. S.C. Flynn, USN, as pilot, and Lt. W.H. John as the Radar Intercept Officer (RIO). This was not their regularly assigned airplane. They spotted 3 MiGs and in the ensuing engagement shot down one MiG-21 with a Sidewinder missile (AIM-9). This action marked a first for the Saratoga Air Wing and for an East Coast fighter squadron.

After the kill, the Museum Phantom's tour in Vietnam continued and was expanded to include support missions for B-52 raids on Hanoi and Haiphong. VF-31 completed its deployment to southeast Asia early in 1973, and returned to its home port at NAS, Oceana, Virginia.

The Phantom remained assigned to VF-31 until September 12, 1975, when it was transferred to VF-33. After a series of deployments aboard USS Independence, it was assigned to VF-74 on May 6, 1977, also based at Oceana. It left VF-74 on September 17, 1979, for VF-103, then to VF-171 on October 21, 1981. On April 8, 1983, F-4J Bu. No. 157307 was inducted into the Naval Air Rework Facility at North Island, California, for conversion from a J model to an S model.

The S conversion was an extensive modernization and service life extension overhaul for 250 F-4Js. It consisted mainly of modernizing the hydraulics, electronics, and wiring, and later included installation of leading edge maneuvering slats (like those on the F-4Es and F-4Fs), radar homing and warning (RHAW) antenna and formation tape lights on the fuselage and vertical tail.

When conversion was completed on December 27, 1983, F-4S 157307 joined Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 101, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona. It remained there until May 11, 1987, when it was transferred to VFMA-232, Honolulu on its last squadron duty. On November 28, 1988, it left the Marines for the National Air and Space Museum, at which time it had amassed a total of 5,075 hours flight time with 6,804 landings (1,337 were arrested), and 1,163 catapult shots off the deck of a carrier.