A genuine Thunderbirds machine, immaculately prepared by the Pima team. Served with the aerobatic team from 1970 to 1972 then the 35th TFW from 1975 and with AFFTC at Edwards from 1978-1990 as an NF-4E

Built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, MO and delivered to the USAF on December 16th 1967. Markings: USAF Flight Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds," Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 1973. It was flying in the Thunderbirds sqdn. from 1969 to 1974

In AFFTC colours

Completely contrasting with the white/red F-4Es at the Edwards flightline was this Vietnam camo F-4E. Nice to know is that this Phantom once flew with the famous Thunderbirds flight demonstration team in the seventies. After that, it was transferred to an operational squadron and was selected for flight tests from Edwards. The F-4 was stored at Davis Monthan as FP0629 from March 1992 and then... became a Thunderbird again!! The Phantom was repainted in the right colours, but never took the skies like that, its is now preserved like that in the Pima Air museum (AZ).

The USAF Thunderbirds team flew the Phantom for only a short period. In this livery it was flown from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in 1973