Book Review: U. S. ANG Phantoms: The F-4D/E in Service with the New Jersey Air National Guard 1980 – 1991
Book Review: U. S. ANG Phantoms: The F-4D/E in Service with the New Jersey Air National Guard 1980 – 1991
ISBN 978-3-935687-38-6
© 2024 DoubleUglyBooks & Decals, this is the sixth edition of the Fox Two Camo Aircraft Finish and Markings series
Authors: Don Linn with Barry Roop
This book covers the eleven years of service that the McDonnell Douglas F-4D/E Phantom II was assigned to the 108th FG and its subordinate, the 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron of the New Jersey Air National Guard.
There are a handful of sharp archival pictures in the book’s first sixteen pages, which contain a short history of the Air National Guard in the Garden State. The 141st TFS F-4Es proudly carried various “Princeton Tiger” aircraft markings first used during the First World War by Princeton University graduate Hobart “Hobey” Baker, once the 141st Aero Squadron’s commander. The artwork is highlighted throughout this volume.
Prior to the F-4s covered in this volume, the Squadron operated the Republic F-105B Thunderchief. The “Thuds” were preceded by F-84F Thunderstreaks, and several stories about these earlier jets taking part in large-scale deployments and exercises are included in this historical section.
At the end of the book, there are twelve color panels which depict the various markings of F-4Ds and -Es assigned to the Air National Guard’s 141st Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS). There’s also a list of aircraft serial numbers of each of the fifty-eight Phantoms the unit operated over the span of eleven years.
In between these two groups, there are many incredible color photos of Phantoms at rest or in action. The list of photographers’ names here is extensive, containing many names recognized by this writer as leading photojournalists during these F-4 years, including those of the two authors.
The Squadron was based at New Jersey’s McGuire AFB during the entire time that they flew the Phantoms. A few are contained in interesting “before and after” sets. An example is that a jet is first pictured with ordinance on the wings, and the next photo displays the jet after its training sortie, without stores.
The authors have chosen a wide variety of images to portray three distinct color schemes that the Phantoms wore during their operational tenure at the McGuire AFB (Southeast Asian, European 1, and finally Hill Gray II camouflage patterns). Inset photos show special markings worn on many airframes; others portray successes or anecdotes from the several foreign deployments which the 141st TFS made.
Several photos include the varied weapons and weapon systems attached to the Phantoms; these photos tell the tale of how the F-4 was upgraded from analog Cold War equipment and “dumb” bombs to carrying laser and TV-guided weapons.
While the 145-page book focuses on “aircraft finish and markings”, there’s ample history included about the New Jersey Air National Guard, from its inception through the end of the Phantom years.
Any fan of the F-4 Phantom II will appreciate the scope of coverage of these New Jersey – based fighters. The scope of the jets’ general color schemes and various marking changes from time to time are well documented. There are a large number of special (temporary) artworks detailed too, with corresponding captions explaining each photo’s content. This will definitely appeal to modelers!
For the historian, the captions and paragraphs contained in this book are filled with interesting anecdotes, with a few in the first person. While the pictures tell a lot of the story, the broad information within the captions and other words in this book complete a well-documented history of the 141st Fighter Squadron and its F-4 Phantom IIs.
This will be a great addition for the bookshelves of anybody who collects Cold War aircraft information, Air National Guard histories, or just great aviation photography.
