When the United States Air Force (USAF) Precision Flight Demonstration Team transitioned from the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II to the Northrop T-38 Talon in 1974, they did so in large part because the entire formation of T-38s used only slightly more fuel than a single F-4E. Anyone who saw the Thunderbirds perform their show in the Phantom II and then again in the T-38 had to feel the difference between the two aircraft. Here’s a film promoting the Thunderbirds and their T-38 Talons uploaded by AIRBOYD. Enjoy!
![Thunderbirds perfoming a formation.](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/T-38s_USAF_Thunderbirds_Wilmington_NC_1980.jpg)
The transition to the Talon also resulted in changes to the performance routines flown by the Thunderbirds. The shows flown in the T-38 showcased the aircraft’s comparatively high maneuverability and tight turning radius. The switch to the Talon also brought to an end the days of the slot aircraft (number 4 in your programs) flying with the sooty vertical tail surfaces. Thunderbird 4’s vertical stabilizer retained the same polished tail colors as the other aircraft from that point forward.
![Thunderbirds flying in formation.](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/1467887-78TH-FMS-HOLLMAN-AFB-Sutter-16180.jpg)
The Thunderbirds’ United States Navy (USN) counterparts, The Blue Angels, switched from the F-4J model Phantom II to the Douglas A-4F Skyhawk in the same timeframe and for the same reasons as the Thunderbirds switched to the T-38. Their entire formation of A-4Fs used about the same amount of fuel as a single F-4J. And their performance routines too were modified to showcase the Skyhawk’s strengths.
![Blue angels flying in formation.](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/A-4F_Blue_Angels_echelon_right_formation_1984.jpg)