Israeli F-4 Phantom II Aces (Aircraft of the Aces)
Contributors: Jim Laurier (Illustrator)
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Published: April 27, 2004
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 96
ISBN-13: 9781841767833
Subjects: Air forces & warfare; Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -; 20th century; History: World; History; History - Military / War; Israel; Middle East - Israel; Military - Aviation; History / Military / Aviation
First sentence: An 'ace' pilot is usually considered to be a fighter pilot.
Description: "The American-manufactured F-4 Phantom II was used by the Israelis in air-to-ground missions, as an attack aircraft and in air-to-air missions as a fighter. Despite performing both roles with equal success, the Israeli reliance on the Mirage III and Nesher delta fighters meant that the F-4 was used most regularly in its air-to-ground role. Consequently, the kill total of the Israeli F-4 community was a modest 116.5 - -significantly lower than that of other Israeli fighter types in service between 1969 and 1982. A handful of aces were, nevertheless, created and, using first-hand accounts, this unique book tells their stories. Many F-4 pilots had previously flown the Mirage III, but most of the navigators were inexperienced flying school graduates or had been transferred from transport aircraft. the decision to create such teams may have appeared odd, and certainly led to a number of interesting experiences, but it has proved to be so successful that by 2010 the Israeli air force will have more two-seat combat aircraft than single-seat fighters. The F-4 experience was, therefore, crucial to moulding the future of the modern air force." --Back cover.