McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II: books - Royal Air Force (RAF)

Phantom in the Cold War : RAF Wildenrath 1977 - 1992

The McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom was a true multi-role combat aircraft. Introduced into the RAF in 1968, it was employed in ground attack, air reconnaissance and air defence roles. Later, with the arrival of the Jaguar in the early 1970s, it changed over to air defence.

In its heyday, it served as Britain's principal Cold War fighter; there were seven UK-based squadrons plus the Operational Conversion Unit, two Germany-based squadrons and a further Squadron deployed to the Falkland Islands.
"Phantom in the Cold War" focuses predominantly on the aircraft's role as an air defence fighter, exploring the ways in which it provided the British contribution to the Second Allied Tactical Air Force at RAF Wildenrath, the home of Nos. 19 and 92 Squadrons during the Cold War.

As with his previous books, the author, who flew the Phantom operationally, recounts the thrills, challenges and consequences of operating this sometimes temperamental jet at extreme low-level over the West German countryside, preparing for a war which everyone hoped would never happen.

The Phantom in Focus - a Navigator's Eye on Britain's Cold War Warrior

The Phantom is the original multi-role combat jet and one of the world's most iconic aircraft. Life in the Phantom squadron was fast, fun and exhilarating, but without the glamour portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster Top Gun.
This is the inside story, told by a veteran RAF navigator, of what it was actually like to fly in the cockpit of a Phantom at the height of the Cold War, when it stood as NATO's first line of defence with a record of 280 MiG kills.
The mighty Phantom has an unrivalled service history. Fast, durable and deadly, it was a test bed for missile technology and held five speed records for an impressive thirteen years. But that is not to say it didn't have its faults - it was know (affectionately) among its crews as the 'Rhino', 'The Spook', 'Double Ugly', the 'Flying Brick' and the 'Lead Sled'. But despite this, its sheer power and lethal payload could never be ignored.

This new paperback edition of a hugely popular hardback features hundreds of spectacular, previously unpublished photographs - several taken from inside the cockpit - and many illuminating anecdotes that capture the truth behind the Hollywood glamour, "The Phantom in Focus" is a unique, honest and compelling tribute to a legendary aircraft.