“The change point was the late 1970s
onwards with the arrival of the F-16, F-15,
MiG-29 and Su-27. Then suddenly, turning-
wise, the Phantom was never a match for
these more agile aircraft which also had
comparable advanced weapons systems,
so we started to suffer. The biggest
weakness became the Phantom’s reliability,
particularly as it got older. Retirement in
1992 was about right, as the Tornado F3
offered much better situational awareness
and weapons systems.”
To create space for expanding Tornado
ghter operations at RAF Coningsby, 29
Sqn disbanded as a Phantom unit on
March 31, 1987 – and on July 31, 1989,
43 Sqn transferred its number plate to
the Tornado, followed by 111 Sqn which
ceased Phantom operations on January
31, 1990.
The training of FGR.2 crews had wound
down signi cantly. No.228 OCU had moved
to Leuchars on April 22, 1988 and disbanded
on January 31, 1991, replaced by a three-
aircraft ‘Phantom Training Flight’ within 74
Sqn at Wattisham. It had been intended to
centralise remaining Phantom operations
at the Suffolk base, but it soon became the
location for the type’s demise.In January 1991 the F-4J(UK)s were
withdrawn and 74 Sqn took over some of the
now many surplus FGR.2s. Withdrawal from
Germany saw 92 Sqn disband on July 5,
1991, followed by 19 Sqn on January 9, 1992.
A 16-ship Phantom formation took
part in the 1990 Battle of Britain 50th
anniversary commemorations and again
for the Queen’s Birthday Flypast in June- The end was coming and 56 Sqn
disbanded on July 1, 1992 followed by 74
Sqn on October 1 that year. Although it had
been seen as ‘third-best’ at the start of its
UK career, the Phantom became a stalwart
of the RAF’s attack and ghter force – a
true Cold War warrior.
http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 51
Above: Perhaps the most famous of the RAF’s
Phantoms, 111 Sqn’s FG.1 XV582 ‘Black Mike’.
Key CollectionAbove: The Falkland Islands was guarded,
post war, by Phantoms from 29 Sqn, then
23 Sqn and latterly 1435 Flight, including
FGR.2 XV461/C. Key Collection
Below: A pair of RAF Phantoms
on QRA duty at RAF Leuchars.
Peter R Foster