McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom

One of the finest flying weapon systems in the entire world, the F4 Phantom has long be hailed as a key part of America gaining and maintain air superiority since the early 1960s. First entering service with the US Navy, the F4 Phantom was quickly adapted and modified for service in the US Marine Corps and the US Air Force just a few years later. Designed, developed, and constructed by McDonnell Douglas (one of the industries finest aeronautic companies) this aircraft proved itself not only in training exercises but also in the harsh and difficult Vietnam War.

Capable of speeds exceeding Mach 2.2, the F4 Phantom is still classified as a large and long range fighter aircraft. Packing a maximum payload north of 18,000 lbs installed on nine external areas, this machine was built for one thing and one thing only – to dominate aerial and surface combat and achieve complete and total air superiority over a given area. One of the biggest bonuses of the F4 Phantom is its ability to readily adapt and reconfigure to suit an mission objective – the weapon platforms can be air-to-air, air-to-surface, air-to-ship or any configuration of those options.

But it’s not just the weapon payload or options that make the F4 Phantom one of the most feared aircraft in the sky today – like many other interceptors she was designed for incredible speed. Unlike many other interceptors, the engineering team at McDonnell Douglas was able to pull it off. Setting 15 world records for performance while flying plus holding the title of world’s fastest aircraft for several years, the US military could rest confidently knowing that they had a machine that was able to get in and out of conflicts faster than anyone else – giving them an incredible edge in the air.

The F4 Phantom was able to not only prove itself during training and testing but in actual combat, and was a big part of the offensive and defensive planning for the Vietnam War. This machine was the go to aircraft for pilots in the Navy and Air Force as was key in providing close air support to millions of men on the ground. Also a capable recon aircraft because of its in flight capabilities, the F4 Phantom was able to deliver important intelligence that otherwise would never have been able to be collected. The last aircraft platform to record an “Ace” status (pilots and crews become an ace after shooting down 5 or more enemy craft in aerial combat), the F4 Phantom was feared and respected by both sides throughout the conflict.

Use of the F4 Phantom platform would continue in peace time throughout the 1970s and 1980s but would be phased out for more modern and technologically advanced platforms like the F-15 and F-16. A handful of craft were still used for recon roles in the first Gulf War, but by 1996 the machines were officially removed from service to the US. Now used by the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds in their aerial displays, the F4 Phantom is also the main aerial weapons platform for 11 US allied countries and nations around the world. 

Copyright New Century Components @ 2012

More information on the C-130 Hercules

Superior online NSN (national stock number) database and locating service

Superior online NSN (national stock number) database and locating service

When you are trying to source very specific materials and items from a reputable dealer, it is important that the business you are choosing to work with has access to an up to date NSN database and location service. The benefits of such a database and locating service are many and varied, but hopefully this quick article will give you all of the information you need to make certain that your vendor will be able to not only supply you with the correct parts the first time you place your order, but also locate them in a timely manner and get them to you as soon as possible.

Proprietary NSN databases allow for quick searching and location of hard to find items

When you choose a business to supply you with hard to find US or NATO items, you are really relying on their ability to quickly find the items you’re looking for (the correct items you’re looking for) and then deliver them in a timely manner. Our New Century Components (NCC) NSN database gives us a powerful advantage over other companies in our industry, and after much research and careful planning we’ve built a very efficient process for locating even the most difficult to find items in a very short period of time.

NSN databases help laying out time tables and milestones for big projects

When you are ordering the type of products and materials that NCC can assist you with, our customers are most often looking for not only large amounts of parts and products that will go into a pretty sizeable and time consuming project, but they would also like to have an idea of when they can expect them to arrive on site. Our NSN database allows us to get the kind of important information that will help you in determining a flexible but effective time table and milestones for laying out your project, helping you get everything in order to complete the work necessary. This gives our clients incredible peace of mind and helps keep the flow of things moving in just the right direction.

NSN databases allow for easier accounting of products and parts

Our NSN database also allows NCC to keep close tabs on the amount of parts and products throughout the entire supply chain, helping to give our clients important intelligence on whether or not specific parts or products will be available in the time frames that they will need them – or if they will be available at all ever again.

All in all the NCC NSN database and locating service is a mission critical piece of our infrastructure, and allows us to better serve our clients who are looking for the right parts in a timely manner. As with just about everything else in life, the more intelligence and knowledge you have, the better prepared you are for handling each and every eventuality that may come up along the road of your particular project. 

Copyright New Century Components @ 2012

Mil-Spec Standards for Fasteners and Hardware

Mil-spec Standards for Fasteners and Hardware

When it comes down to it, there are fewer customers more demanding than those who are expected to protect our country, our rights, and our freedoms than the United States Military. These men and women in uniform are asked to protect these sacred things with their lives if necessary, and they willingly volunteer for the service. The deserve equipment that is going to protect them and allow them to do their duty to the best of their ability, and should never have to worry about something failing our not working properly due to a breakdown in hardware or fasteners. This was the main push behind the design and implementation of the military standards (MS or MilSpec) that govern whether or not a product is fit for use from the best men and women are country has produced.

Everything from manufactured goods, weapons, supplies, aircraft and vehicles all depend upon the strength of their weakest link – and in the case of our military’s tools and weapons that almost always boils down to the hardware and fasteners used to keep them operating at the highest levels of efficiency. The last thing a man or women in uniform wants to worry about in a combat situation is if their equipment is going to fail, and so the Mil Spec standards were implemented to make certain that nothing was allowed to go to our servicemen and women until it had been rigorously tested and approved for use.  Not only do the materials need to be tough and durable, they also have to be of uniform size, shape, and function so as to allow uniformed personnel all over the world access to the same supply of parts. You can’t run anything of this size – a business, military, or government – without having some uniformity and access to like parts and materials for repairs and maintenance.

And we’re not just talking about the most important kinds of hardware that our men and women of the armed services use (things like their weapons and combat equipment) – we’re talking about everything from the rivets they use to fasten material together to the carabineers that allow easy and secure connections right down the to the parachute cord which has at least a million different uses. Each and every item in the supply chain for the armed services must be up to the high standards that we ask of our men and women in uniform, and at least if not exceeding the MS standards set forward by our leaders.

The important thing to take away from this article is that when you’re looking for hardware or fasteners that will absolutely not let you down in a variety of adverse conditions, then you need to make absolute certain that you’re getting your hands on MS standard equipment. When quality is of the utmost importance, and failure is not an option, turn to the same kinds of solutions that our servicemen and women turn to – MS and Mil-Spec grade hardware and fasteners.

Copyright New Century Components @2012