Home > Combat Aircraft > Hobby Master > Hobby Master Diecast Military Aircraft (1:72 Scale) > Cold War Era Military Aircraft > McDonnell F-4 Phantom II Fighter-Bombers > McDonnell F-4E/F Phantom II Fighter-Bombers >

USAF McDonnell F-4E Phantom II Fighter-Bomber - 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron "Black Knights", Iceland, 1970s (1:72 Scale)
USAF McDonnell F-4E Phantom II Fighter-Bomber - 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron "Black Knights", Iceland, 1970s

Hobby Master USAF McDonnell F-4E Phantom II Fighter-Bomber - 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron "Black Knights", Iceland, 1970s




 
List Price: $114.99
Our Price: $109.99 Sold Out!
You save $5.00!
You'll earn: 110 points

Stock Status: (Out of Stock)


Availability: Currently Unavailable
Product Code: HA1944

Description Extended Information
 
Hobby Master HA1944 USAF McDonnell F-4E Phantom II Fighter-Bomber - 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron "Black Knights", Iceland, 1970s (1:72 Scale) "We weren't allowed to dogfight. Very little attention was paid to strafing, dive-bombing, rocketry, stuff like that. It was thought to be unnecessary. Yet every confrontation America faced in the Cold War years was a 'bombs and bullets' situation, raging under an uneasy nuclear standoff." The Vietnam War "proved the need to teach tactical warfare and have fighter pilots. It caught us unprepared because we weren't allowed to learn it or practice it in training."
- Colonel Robin Olds, 1962

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force. It was used extensively by all three of these services during the Vietnam War, serving as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, as well as being important in the ground-attack and reconnaissance roles by the close of U.S. involvement in the war.

First entering service in 1960, the Phantom continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S. Air Force and the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy. It remained in service in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. The Phantom was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab-Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms in the Iran-Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with seven countries, and in use as an unmanned target in the U.S. Air Force.

Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built. This extensive run makes it the second most-produced Western jet fighter, behind the famous F-86 Sabre at just under 10,000 examples.

The F-4 Phantom was designed as a fleet defense fighter for the U.S. Navy, and first entered service in 1960. By 1963, it had been adopted by the U.S. Air Force for the fighter-bomber role. When production ended in 1981, 5,195 Phantom IIs had been built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft. Until the advent of the F-15 Eagle, the F-4 also held a record for the longest continuous production for a fighter with a run of 24 years. Innovations in the F-4 included an advanced pulse-doppler radar and extensive use of titanium in its airframe.

Despite the imposing dimensions and a maximum takeoff weight of over 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg), the F-4 had a top speed of Mach 2.23 and an initial climb of over 41,000 ft per minute (210 m/s). Shortly after its introduction, the Phantom set 15 world records, including an absolute speed record of 1,606.342 mph (2,585.086 km/h), and an absolute altitude record of 98,557 ft (30,040 m). Although set in 1959-1962, five of the speed records were not broken until 1975 when the F-15 Eagle came into service.

The F-4 could carry up to 18,650 pounds (8,480 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and unguided, guided, and nuclear bombs. Since the F-8 Crusader was to be used for close combat, the F-4 was designed, like other interceptors of the day, without an internal cannon. In a dogfight, the RIO or WSO (commonly called "backseater" or "pitter") assisted in spotting opposing fighters, visually as well as on radar. It became the primary fighter-bomber of both the Navy and Air Force by the end of the Vietnam War.

Due to its distinctive appearance and widespread service with United States military and its allies, the F-4 is one of the best-known icons of the Cold War. It served in the Vietnam War and Arab-Israeli conflicts, with American F-4 crews achieving 277 aerial victories in Southeast Asia and completing countless ground attack sorties.

Pictured here is a stunning 1:72 scale diecast replica of a USAF McDonnell F-4E Phantom II fighter-bomber that was attached to the 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron "Black Knights", then deployed to Iceland during the 1970s. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 6-1/4-inches
Length: 10-1/2-inches

Release Date: September 2015

Historical Account: "The Back Knights of Keflavik" - The 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also known as "The Black Knights of Keflavik", is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The 57th FIS was last stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland. It was inactivated on March 1st, 1995.

In March 1953, the squadron was reactivated as the 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying Northrop F-89 Scorpions was activated at Presque Isle Air Force Base,Maine as the 528th Air Defense Group's second operational squadron. A second swap of units began when the 82d Fighter Interceptor Squadron arrived from Iceland. The 57th FIS then moved to Iceland and was reassigned away from the group in November of the same year. The 57th was reactivated as a regulat squadron at Presque Isle AFB, Maine, on March 20th, 1953, under Air Defense Command and designated the 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. It was equipped with Northrop F-89C Scorpion interceptor, and assigned to the 528th Air Defense Group. It maintained a 24-hour alert at Presque Isle. The squadron was known as "Back Knights of Aroostook" Two Presidential Citations. Several Air Crashes of F89-C resulting in lost of life. Then moved to Iceland. Airman Ernest M. Christensen, severed as Jet Mechanic August 1953 to August 1955.

Features
  • Diecast construction
  • Aircraft can be displayed in-flight or in landed position
  • Plexiglass canopy
  • Accurate markings and insignia
  • Comes with display stand

Share your knowledge of this product with other customers... Be the first to write a review

Browse for more products in the same category as this item:

Combat Aircraft > Hobby Master > Hobby Master Diecast Military Aircraft (1:72 Scale) > Cold War Era Military Aircraft > McDonnell F-4 Phantom II Fighter-Bombers > McDonnell F-4E/F Phantom II Fighter-Bombers
Aircraft Hangar > The Vietnam War > Operation Bolo (January 1967)