The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), established on 3 March 1969, at the former Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. en.wikipedia.o... excerpt from Grumman movie "NO POINTS FOR SECOND PLACE"
I think that when we talk about these two aircraft one must take the planes they were fighting against into consideration. One paper, the F-4 was better, and it certainly was more advanced and versatile. But when it came to gaining air superiority over MiGs, the F-8 was a better option, I believe the Navy made a mistake to replace the F-8 in the midst of Vietnam, they would’ve gained complete domination, while the F-4 certainly had a positive Kill ratio, it was less than half of what the Crusader had.
A clean F4J against the Crusader made it a little more competitive. A fully loaded F4S with slats, smokeless engines, AUG10A, AIM7F, AIM9L would have a lot more advantage. A Sparrow in you face at 4 miles changes everything..... just saying. :-)
At long range I’d give it to the Phantom, better RADAR and Sparrow missiles. But once up close, the Crusader has the distinct advantage in maneuverability and guns, something the Navy Phantoms completely lacked.
These were the day before simulators, so the only way to practice dogfighting tactics was to have a simulated fight in the air. And heck, even modern simulators can’t capture everything a pilot might experience, such as G-Forces, atmospheric conditions, and the underlying emotional stress of flying in combat. All of that is why the Top Gun and Red Flag programs exist to teach pilots the art of aerial warfare by having them fly against aggressors and each other in simulated combat.
