F-4B/N Phantom II Book Review

By Stephen Sutton

Review

Steve Wiper of Classic Warships has released another book in a series of aircraft pictorial books, this time he brings us the F-4B/N Phantom II Aircraft Pictorial number 6.  Author Pete Clayton, CDR USN (Ret) is one of the leading authorities on his long serving US Navy aircraft carrier and a major photographer and contributor to the US Navy Tailhook Association Newsletter.  He has put together a history of the McDonnell F-4B and F-4N Phantom II Fleet Phantom Squadrons.  Covered are the histories of the development aircraft, and the production F-4H-1 Phantoms from VF-74 when they completed carrier qualifications.  The F-4H-1 later became the F-4B.  Did you know Phantoms aboard the Coral Sea wore special stripes during the Iran Hostage Rescue?  You will find never before published photographs showing those special marking in this book.

This book includes Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Phantom II Aircraft:

• Atlantic Fleet Air Wing One – AB – VF-14 & VF-32
• Atlantic Fleet Air Wing Three – AC – VF-31 & VF-103
• Atlantic Fleet Air Group / Wing Six – AF /AE – VF-33 & VF-102
• Atlantic Fleet Air Wing Seven – AG – VF-41 & VF-84
• Atlantic Fleet Air Wing Six – AE – AF-41 & AF-84
• Atlantic Fleet Air Wing Eight – AJ – VF-74
• Atlantic Fleet Air Wing 17 – AA – CF-11, VF-74 & VMFA-531
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing Two – NE –VF-21 & VF-154
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing Five – NF- VF-151 & VF-161
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing Nine – NG – VF-92 & VF-96
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing 11 – NH – VF-114 & VF-213
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing 14 – NK – VF-142 & VF-143
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing 14 – NK – VF-21 & VF-154
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing 14 – NK – VMFA-233 & VMFA-531
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing 15 – NL – VF-151 & VF-161
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing 15 – NL – VF-51 & VF-111
• Pacific Fleet Air Wing 19 – NM – VF-51 & VF-111

Plus this book includes photographs and descriptions of the Marine Corps F-4B's.

This book is jam-packed full of 113 color and 25 black and white photographs, the most color photos of any Classic Warships aircraft pictorial books published to date  This book also has the Classic Warships signature 4 color photographs contained in the front and back covers of the book.

CDR Pete Clayton has more Phantom photographs to offer, this book and more like it are a great resource for the new 1/48 Academy F-4 Phantom II kits.  Highly recommend this reference book for detailed markings a fleet weathering as they looked during operations in Vietnam and Arabian Gulf War's.

Thanks goes out to Steve Wiper of classicwarships.com for the review sample!