The Eagle was chosen to test the then-new supersonic Phantom, which was already armed with subsonic De Havilland Sea Vixen all-weather fighters and Blackburn Buccaneer low-level strike aircraft
The following breathtaking vintage clip was shot aboard the HMS Eagle (R05) in 1969 and depicts McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.Mk 1s conducting trials prior to entering operational service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA).
The Eagle was chosen to test the then-new supersonic Phantom, which was chosen by the Royal Navy in 1964 to meet the requirement for a new generation of fighter aircraft to serve aboard its carriers. The Eagle was already outfitted with subsonic De Havilland Sea Vixen all-weather fighters and Blackburn Buccaneer low-level strike aircraft. The FAA model of the legendary F-4 needed a telescoping nose wheel oleo, as seen in the video, to enhance the angle of attack during takeoff from the cramped decks of British flattops.
The HMS Ark Royal (R09), not the Eagle, was ultimately chosen to fly the Phantoms of 892 Squadron, the only operational FAA unit to fly the Phantom FG.Mk 1 after extensive trials were completed aboard from March to June 1969.
Notable changes were an 8° inclined deck, new, more powerful steam catapults, and heavy-weight arrestor gear on both carriers to accommodate the new jets. The real reason the Ark Royal was preferred to the Eagle was never made public. The latter was not only a more dependable vessel with a hull in better shape than the Ark Royal, but it was also a more contemporary aircraft carrier equipped with cutting-edge sensors that were installed during the 1964 refit.