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Rather than trying to slim down the reconnaissance pod, the original goal of the General Dynamics team was to improve the performance of the Phantom that was carrying it. The improved performance was to be obtained by using water injection for pre-compressor cooling, which would provided increased engine thrust at high altitudes. A similar system had been used successfully in the past in various F-4 record attempts. The water was to be contained in a pair of gigantic 2500-gallon tanks which were to be attached conformally to the intersection joints of the fuselage spine and the engine nacelles. The water injection system promised to give a 150 percent increase in engine thrust at altitude. In order to accommodate the increased engine thrust that would now be available, new air intakes had to be designed. The area of the intakes was to be made much larger and they were to contain a sophisticated system of internal cowls, splitter plates, vortex generators and bleeds. With the new intakes and the water injection system, it was anticipated that maximum speeds of up to Mach 3.2 and cruising speeds of up to Mach 2.7 could be attained. The project came to be known as the F-4X, although this was not an official USAF designation.
Israel was clearly very interested in the F-4X, as it promised a a performance which would approach that of the USAF's SR-71. This would enable it to fly unimpeded anywhere it wanted to. However, the advanced performance of the F-4X clearly made it a possible candidate for a new interceptor. Consequently, the US State Department became more than a little worried about the export of such advanced technology overseas, since it promised to give Israel a potential interceptor which was more capable than anything currently in the US arsenal, one which might one day pose a threat to the SR-71. In addition, the Air Force was itself rather nervous about the F-4X project, since it might threaten to divert support away from the F-15 program which was just then getting underway. As a result, the State Department decided to disallow export of this technology to Israel.
as posted by sminkeypinkey
I couldn't see any pics and I wonder if any Phantom nuts have anything to see on this rarity?
The most dramatic proposed modification of the Phantom was a "swing wing" or "variable geometry" derivative of the F-4J, designated the "F-4 (FVS)", promoted in the mid-1960s by McDonnell. The wings would be shoulder-mounted and would be able to sweep from 23 to 75.5 degrees. The Navy was very leery of this idea, since the service wanted a new fighter rather than an updated version of an older one, and lobbied for the Grumman F-14 Tomcat instead.
Originally posted by Browno
Howabout an F-4 Phantom with diamond shaped 'butterfly wings' like the
F-35, F-22, and YF-23?.
I sound mad asking this becouse it is quite an old airframe but if this idea was true, It would be called the F-4Z Phinal Phantom!
Originally posted by vorazechul
Waynos,
It's not the first time you speak of that TSR 2 with VG and I'm really curious what that would have loocked like so if you have any pics....
you'l make the thread a lot more interesting