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Chico the Gunfighter, the unique Gun-Podded, Stormy Fast FAC F-4E Phantom II of the Vietnam War.
Episode 2391 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the baddest F-4 in the Vietnam War. The featured story appeared in the Aviation Geek Club Blog and is titled: Meet Chico the Gunfighter, the unique Gun-Podded, Stormy Fast FAC F-4E Phantom II of the Vietnam War.
The story was submitted By Dario Leone. He is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.
The Aviation Geek club was launched in 2016 by Dario Leone, an Italian lifelong – aviation geek, this blog is the right place where you can share your passion and meet other aviation enthusiasts from all over the world.
In the episode Dario describes the baddest F-4 used in the Vietnam War. He begins with a description of the events that were occurring in the spring of 1972. The North Vietnamese were invading South Vietnam and something was needed to help stem the flow of the invasion.
As a result, a somewhat unique mission for one F-4E Phantom, was born of opportunity and circumstance, and not a little initiative on one officer’s part. At the time of this bold enemy offensive, the Da Nang based 366th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) Gunfighters was the last F-4 Wing in South Vietnam, and very close to the DMZ. These factors inspired Gunfighters Director of Operations Colonel J. D. Pewitt to conceive the idea of operating one of the Wings F-4Es as a free-roaming and heavily armed strike-recce aircraft to help stem the fast-moving enemy tide and collect up to the minute feedback on rapidly changing NVA positions and operations.
Listen to episode 2391 and discover more about the baddest F-4 in the Vietnam War.
The above print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com
