Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series Diecast Model

McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II - VF-111 “Sundowners”, USS Coral Sea, U.S. Navy, 1972

1:72 Scale.  Length: 10.5”.  Wingspan: 6.4”

In 1971 the USN VF-111 Sundowners” transitioned to the F-4B Phantom II. On March 6, 1972 F-4B No. 153019-201 was operating from the USS Coral Sea using the call sign "Old Nick 201" The aircraft was assigned to CDR. Bob Pearl and Lt. Gil Sliney. But this day Lt. Gary Weigand and Lt(jg) Bill Freckleton were at the controls when they encountered a MiG-17 over the Gulf of Tonkin and destroyed it with an AIM-9D Sidewinder missile, making this F-4B a MiG killer. The "Sundowners" later transitioned to the F-4N variant. Aircraft F-4B, NL 201, BuNo. 153019, was restored to the original paint scheme by one of the later VF-111 squadrons. This aircraft is now on display just inside the main gate at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida.

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom is a two-seat, twin-engine supersonic jet fighter originally developed for the US Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the US Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. The F-4 Phantom was used extensively by all three of these services in the Vietnam War, serving as the principal fighter/bomber for the U.S. Navy and Air Force, as well as being important in the ground-attack and air reconnaissance roles.

The F-4 Phantom entered service in 1960 and 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; the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy and the F/A-18 in the Marine Corps. It remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. The Phantom was also operated by the air forces of eleven other nations.


Hobby Master offers a wide selection of quality, pre-assembled, diecast model airplanes. Each model is crafted to a high level of accuracy using specifications of the original aircraft. They are constructed with precision-made diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model of an F-4 Phantom II by Hobby Master features: