YES!
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Jesus, I did not realize you‘re all massive phanboys, lol.
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It’s sweet isn’t it. I love it when events like this make everyone happy
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Everybody loves a flying brick!
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Phantastic news. I never was a massive fan of the F-4, but if Heatblur is behind it I’m in.
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WHAT???
Late to the party…out of town with limited internet
Is this REALLY a Thing???
O M G!!!
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That answered some of my questions. It appears at least initially the E is the USAF model they will pick and then move on to USN and USMC. No direct mention of later USAF variants, UK, or other non-US models. Not that they won’t, but they’ve not promised them either.
So, you know…temper expectations.
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I think the E is the best choice for the first variant. It is by far the most built one (1400 or so), and IIRC most of the export versions are based on the E as well (for example the slightly downgraded German ones as they couldn’t be trusted with the AIM-7).
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I wonder what the actual reason was the -F didn’t get sparrow. They later retrofitted them for AMRAAM…
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I am fairly sure it was political.
The US shares its most advanced military technology only with its most trusted allies. Germany was not a member that group in the 1970s (and possibly isn’t even today).
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Most of the results from a quick google tell me that they required a light, quick fighter like an F-5 and cheaped out by taking a lightened F-4. Eventually they ended up with a rhino that was on a par with the others but still lacked the nr 7 internal fuel tank.
Trust or the lack thereof did not factor into it afaik. West Germany was as least as trustworthy as Greece, Turkey or Iran if not way more, and those all got regular -E models.
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That sounds familiar- friend of mine did her test pilot school thesis on their F-4s and something specifically regarding that lighter weight requirement. It’s been a while since we talked about that, and there was a lot of beer involved.
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Also first version with an internal gun, IIRC?
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Correct.
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Could of Vietnam Map be imminent???
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Here’s hoping…!
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They’re about to take a LOT of my money
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Well, this just got interesting.
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