McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II after landing.
This is the McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II of 82 ATRS TD (Tyndall Air Force Base), registration AF 74-1638.
The QF-4 is a remote-controlled aircraft, which serves as a target and simulates maneuvers of enemy aircraft. The aircraft can be flown by remote control or with a pilot to control performance. The QF-4 is flown unmanned when missiles are fired at it. This happens only in a special area over the sea. When flown unmanned, an explosive device is placed in the aircraft to destroy it if it accidentally becomes uncontrollable.
I took this photo on November 13, 2016 during the Aviation Nation Airshow at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas.
This aircraft was 1 of the last flyable QF-4s and was retired from service on December 21, 2016 after this photo was taken. Discarded F-16s (QF-16) are used today for the role of target aircraft.
I am Jaap van den Berg and photography has become a great passion of mine since 2010. Since then I travel all over the world to take pictures of military aircrafts. But besides aircraft I also love to photograph other subjects like landscapes, architecture, flowers, animals, .. Read more…