Last F-4 Phantom set to become missile victim

The last F-4 Phantom produced has been converted to a "Q" series aircraft, and is set to be shot down sometime within the next year or so during training exercises.

RF-4C 68-0599 has been at AMARG since 1989. It was converted by AMARG, and went through testing April 17th. It's the 316th QRF-4C, and bears the name "Last One" now. The Air Force began transitioning to QF-16s earlier this year, using the initial Block 5/10 F-16s that were retired to the boneyard.

The QF series aircraft can be flown either manned, during training exercises, or even Heritage Flights, or unmanned. The advantage to them is that they can carry multiple forms of countermeasures, and react just like a manned aircraft would. They carry a self destruct charge, when flown unmanned, in case they go out of control.

The last of the produced F-4 Phantom jets has been converted into a flying dummy target-drone for missile training.

The plane was a part of 309th AMARG (Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group) based in Tuscon, Arizona and went through tests on Apr. 17.

The RF-4C, production no. 68-0599 is not a machine that is young or freshly retired, as it has been a part of the AMARG inventory since Jan. 18, 1989.

Just after being prepared for flying in a form of a target drone it was given a name Last One.

theaviationist.com...

It's not the last F-4. The Iranians have PLENTY of them.



More target practice.

reply to post by IRockTheBox


It's not the last F-4, it's the last produced. There are still several around, the Luftwaffe just recently started retiring theirs, the Iranians still have them, and a couple others only recently retired them.

Originally posted by IRockTheBox
It's not the last F-4. The Iranians have PLENTY of them.

More target practice.

Just how much war is enough? Seriously. Exactly what will it take for you to realize you're being played?

Libya should have been a (rather late) wakeup call. Fedgov supporting essentially Al Queda in Syria should be a wakeup call. Murdering civilians and US citizens via missile drones should be a wakeup call.

reply to post by Zaphod58


I miss those old beasts! Spent many a weekend morning on the beach crossover at the end of "02" at Patrick AFB. You could always tell when their roll began with the gout of exhaust. Crossing over SR A-1-A at ~75' in full burner caused many a retiree on their morning stroll to eat sand!

This is really sad... You'd think that one of the museums would have attempted to claim it as it was the "last F-4 ever made". It'd definitely be a one of a kind piece!!

To be used as target practice. What a shame.
I volunteer to make it a manned flight and given the chance I out perform the missile and get away. I get to keep the aircraft.