[Development] F-4C Phantom II: The Record Breaker - News - War Thunder (2024)

Briefly: A 1950s American jet interceptor and fighter-bomber, capable of carrying an enormous payload, while also being able to reach speeds in excess of Mach 2!

F-4C Phantom II, jet fighter, USA, VI rank.

Pros

• Top speed over Mach 2
• Perfect climb
• Deadliest and heaviest payload in the game for fighter aircraft

Cons

• Lack of offensive cannons or MGs

In War Thunder, the F-4C Phantom II will be the first aircraft coming to the game, capable of surpassing speeds twice that of sound. This new American top tier aircraft, coming soon to War Thunder with update 1.91, will also be among, if not the most heavily armed machine of its class in the game thanks to the sheer number and variety of its weapon loadouts!

One of the first things that made the F-4 Phantom II stand out from contemporary, and indeed upcoming aircraft designs, was its outstanding flight performance. Namely, the F-4C could reach a maximum top speed of 1460 mph (2350 km/h, Mach 2.1) at an altitude of 37,000ft (11,300 m), while still managing to get up to a more than respectable speed of 845 mph (1360 km/h, Mach 1.1) at sea level. The ‘Phantom’ is able to reach such mind-boggling high speeds mainly thanks to its two General Electric J79-GE-15 turbojets

As such, the ‘Phantom’ will become one of the first aircraft in War Thunder capable of reaching and surpassing Mach 2 speeds. While this ability will certainly allow pilots to explore, develop and take advantage of new tactics and strategies for aerial combat, it’s also worth noting that the F-4C can only reach such high speeds at high altitudes, and more importantly, only with little to no ordnance on board.

Fun Fact: Starting with its introduction and throughout its service life, the F-4 ‘Phantom II’ set a number of world speed records, including one for absolute altitude of 30.040 meters.

Speaking of onboard ordnance, there is a double dose of news for WT pilots. First, there is no pre-built directional offensive armament at all, no cannons, no machine guns. Second, the Phantom II carries the greatest payload of different types of armament amongst all fighter aircraft in the game! Just listen to this: up to 228 Mighty Mouse rockets, or 48 Zuni rockets, or bombs available in sets 12x750 lb, 18x500 lb, 18x250 lb or 8x1000 lb! 3 gunpods with rapid-fire 20mm Vulcan cannons are also available for nailing down light targets or helicopters, and of course missiles - AGM-12B and much more devastating AGM-12C Bullpup for ground targets, and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for anything that flies.

The tactics are obvious - use your speed to reach any target, use your mounted weapon to kill any target, do not engage with a target you are not prepared for. And of course - have fun with this perfect lightning-fast jet fighter!

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