FGR.2 DB001 at Newark, 24th January 1999; author	FGR.2 XV426 at RAF Coltishall, 14th May 2001; author

This FGR.2 simulator was hidden away with 228 OCU at RAF Coningsby from 1969 to 1988. It was moved to RAF Wattisham in 1990 and served on until 1992. Therefore 'DB001' has many more hours on it than any real aircraft! With the type's retirement the Newark Air Museum bought the sim and have it on display in the main hangar at the museum. Be nice to see it working lads...

XV426 entered service with 31 Squadron until they converted to Tornados at which time she passed on to 111 Squadron. Moving on to 228 OCU at Coningsby, after the Falklands War XV426 was one of the detachment of Phantoms sent down there to the newly built RAF Mount Pleasant to defend the islands against further Argentine aggression. Returning to the UK in 1986 and serving with 29 and 23 Squadron, she ended her career with 56 Squadron. On retirement she became a BDRT airframe at Coningsby and was finally scrapped in 2000, the nose being saved by a team from RAF Coltishall. XV426 is well looked-after at RAF Coltishall by Mick Jennings and his band of volunteers and is now complete - and immaculate. A nice touch is that one of the names now painted on the canopy sills is that of one M Hanna. The late Mark Hanna was of course a Phantom pilot with the RAF before going to become one of the nation's best loved warbird pilots.

FGR.2 XV460 at Usworth, 2001; 2214 Sqn ATC	FGR.2 XV490 at Hack Green, 21st July 2002; Wayne Dodden

XV460 was retired to decoy duties at RAF Coningsby but appeared to have become an unofficial mascot, being very well looked after. Sadly though she met her end at the scrapman's hands as have so many UK F-4s, and only the nose now remains, in the care of 2214 Sqn ATC at Usworth. She had served with 14, 19, 31, 56 and 92 Squadrons plus 228 OCU.

One of very few privately owned Phantoms in the UK, XV490 began her career with 54 Squadron but later served with 41, 6, 29, 23, 56 and 92 Squadrons before going back to 23 Squadron for a while and then 228 OCU before ending her career with 74 Squadron at RAF Wattisham. She was scrapped there in 1992 but the nose section was squirrelled away at Bruntingthorpe until the Phantom Preservation Society succeeded in getting hold of her, and hopefully away from the threat of scrapping - though there are still people in the MoD who, it seems, want to get her back and scrap her!! XV490 has improved a lot since I last saw her, looking sorry for herself at Bruntingthorpe, with a replacement radome and missing panels replaced. She still lacks ejection seats and a forward console though.

F.3 ZE356 at Waddington, being scrapped - 24th March 2004; Kevin Strickson

Originally serving with the USN as 153850, ZE356 was delivered to the RAF in 1984 as replacement for one of the Phantoms then serving in the Falklands and entered service with 74 Squadron, staying with them until retirement. Her last flight was to Waddington for BDRT duties. Over the years since then her condition has gradually deteriorated but she was mostly intact. She could normally be seen from the side of the A15 road just South of the Waddington Aircraft Viewing Area but was then moved to join the Vulcan near the control tower - apparently there was a plan to put them both on display in a dedicated museum area. However a visit in June 2002 found her back on the South-East side of the airfield, hidden from public view. With the arrival of FGR.2 XV497, the plan to display ZE356 has been abandoned and on 24th March 2004 the scrapman finally moved in. Since this picture was taken she has been reduced to scrap. Information current as of 24/03/2004.