Doc originally all Phantoms were built for the Squid AF.The T-hook was of course a key air frame component for carrier ops and was still in play as more F-4's went to land based USAF squadrons in Thailand and S. Vietnam.It was a great emergency tool for brake or parachute issues,hung ordinance, hydraulic and possible gear malfunctions..
Out of frame was a capture barrier which could also be employed should the wire attempt fail. Wasn't an everyday occurrence of course but employed more than one would think as the AF variants were weak in the knees compared to their Navy cousins.
In theory an AF bird could land on a carrier..but certainly not practical for a host of reasons!
I'm sure someone. will correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think the Air Force Phantoms had the beefed up landing gear of our Navy variants. The hook is the same and it saved my, and my RIO's butts, and a jet when a nose tire blew up in the wheel well, jamming the controls. Had to land that sucker at 190 kts and take the mid-field (of three) arresting gear at MCAS Iwakuni. Our Marine buddies did a few repairs in the wheel well and we "stiff legged" it back to Atsugi the next day.
A guy in my squadron on the USS Midway had a REALLY HARD landing on a pitching deck (he was coming down as the deck was going up) and essentially broke the right wing all the way around about four feet from the fuselage. The only thing holding the wing on was the wing tank and fuel/hydraulic lines in the wing. As far as the landing gear and tires go, they were intact. Fortunately, they trapped. If they had "boltered" they would have died.
The hook points are replaceable and our troubleshooters got the one from my 100th night landing on "Ma Midway" and gave it to me. The hook point alone probably weighs 15 lbs!
Rog on the gear.. I touched on that from the highlighted post above..
