Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series Diecast Model

McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II - VMFA-323, “Death Rattlers”, USMC, Chu Lai Air Base, South Vietnam 1967

1:72 Scale.  Length: 9.75".  Wingspan: 6.25"

VMF-323 was commissioned on August 1, 1943. In 1964 the Squadron became Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323) transitioning to the F-4B Phantom II. Supposedly VMFA-323 became the “Death Rattlers” when three squadron pilots killed a 6-foot rattlesnake and hung its skin in the squadron’s ready room. VMFA-323 arrived at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam on December 1, 1965. On October 6, 1966 the “Death Rattlers” transferred to Chu Lai Air Base. In March 1969, VMFA-323 left South Vietnam having flown over 17,000 sorties.

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 F-4 Phantom II was also operated by the armed forces of 11 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: