SteveL Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Hey guys, Saw this a/c yesterday while traveling in Gallatin, TN. It's sitting at a small regional airport. Found this listing but I kinda know this already!! F-4C-20-MC NF-4C 63-7654 JUN97 Gallatin (TN) Regional Airport I can't seem to find any information on the history of this airframe! Anybody have info they'd like to share? Much appreciated!! Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 According to the F-4 Production & Operational Data (Peake): F-4C-20-MC 63-7654 c/n 0762 first flight 5 Nov 1964, flyaway date 21 Dec 1964; redesignated NF-4C ?; wfu 22 May 1992 to AMARC; to Gallatin TN 22 May 1996 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chek Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 I've got one photo of her active with the 6512 TES at Edwards in the same colour scheme dated July 1988, but the other two are of her on her display plynth like yours. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
falcon20driver Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 I hauled some freight in there one night and took time to walk around it. No info for your question, but if you get time theres a gate in the fence surrounding it and you can go in and crawl all over it if you want and grab some good reference photos. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SteveL Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 Well, thanks for the info. Was hoping for a more notable legacy. Being an early model Phantom, I was kinda hoping it had seen action in SEA. If only it could talk! 'preciate y'all's input. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Well, now we know it became an NF-4C before 1988. And Steve - it may well have seen action in VN! But - it survived without major incident (which is all what Peake lists). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SteveL Posted April 26, 2015 Author Share Posted April 26, 2015 I suppose it could've been a spectator and/or given chase to some pretty remarkable a/c such as the Stealth Fighter and Bomber, YF-17. Possibly even the XB-70? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 It may well have been involved in all sorts of interesting things! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 (edited) I know for sure she was an orange/white NF in 1984 when I photographed her at Edwards. The last flight of the XB-70 was in 1969, and I don't think AFFTC had any F-4s as "staff airplanes" at that time. We were using them (and losing them) heavily in Vietnam at the time. Edited April 29, 2015 by Jennings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevan Vogler Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 According to this, it was assigned to the 8th TFW at Ubon RTAFB in autumn of 1965: http://www.8tfw.com/pages/8thhistory1965.htm "Apparently the orders had already been issued for the 8 TFW to deploy to Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. On and about 2 September numerous 8 TFW F-4C, not from the 68 TFS, were listed at Ubon RTAFB: 63-7641, 63-7643, 63-7644 (Clark AB on 9/10), 63-7645, 63-7652, (6200 MW, Clark AB 2-26/9), 63-7656, 63-7654, 63-7665 (to Hill AFB depot on 22 October), 63-7673, 63-7680, 63-7683 (>Clark AB on 18/10), 63-7686, 63-7687, 63-7694, 63-7700, 63-7710, 63-7712, 64-0863 (6200 MW 1/9-), 64-0731 (> Clark AB on 9/10)." I've found a bit of conflicting information for when it became a test aircraft, but it was in the 1972 to 1974 timeframe and it remained a test aircraft until retirement. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SteveL Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 Jennings < Thanks for chiming in on this. Yeh, I figured the XB-70 was probably a stretch. Kevan < Thank you for digging up that information! Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevan Vogler Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Further reading of the 8 TFW page I linked to in my above post does not mention 63-7654 specifically in the many listings of wing aircraft movements, but does say that the wing's last F-4C, 64-0723, was transferred out in March of 1968. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
riffraff Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 (edited) The last flight of the XB-70 was in 1969, and I don't think AFFTC had any F-4s as "staff airplanes" at that time. We were using them (and losing them) heavily in Vietnam at the time. Who operated this F-4 then? I can't make out the printing on the tail. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/North_American_XB-70A_Valkyrie_in_formation_061122-F-1234P-036.jpg[/media] Edited May 2, 2015 by riffraff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 That's F-4B 150993 from the Naval Missile Center, at NAS Point Mugu. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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