Good Morning Da Nang 1186 US SUPERSONIC FIGHTER 1:48 SCALE PLASTIC KIT intro by Brad Elward The McDonnell Douglas F-4A Phantom II entered service with the United States Navy in December 1960, replacing both the McDonnell F3H Demon and Douglas F4D Skyray, which had served as the Navy’s all-weather missile interceptors since the mid-1950s. The F-4B was the second in the Phantom II series and featured the more powerful General Electric J79-GE-8 engines (16,950-lb/75.4kN thrust), a raised and enlarged cockpit to allow the backseater better visibility, and a more bulbous nose section to accommodate the Westinghouse APQ-72 radar. The F-4B possessed a top speed in excess of Mach 2.2 and set many performance records in the late 1950s. It could carry up to 18,000 lbs of ordnance on nine external weapons stations. Four stations were located on the wings, referred to as inner and outer stations, which could carry external fuel tanks (inner stations only), bombs, or missiles. A centerline station typically carried an external fuel tank although it could, but rarely did carry the Mk-4 20 mm gun pod. Four additional stations were recessed on the aircraft’s lower fuselage to house the radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow III missile. Unlike other fighter aircraft of the day, the F-4B did not have a gun, but relied on its long-range missiles for defense. Most missions saw the F-4B armed with at least two AIM-9 infrared Sidewinders and two Sparrow IIIs. The Phantom II was crewed by a pilot and a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO – Navy) or Weapon System Officer (WSO - Marines). The RIO/WSO in the aft cockpit assisted with navigation, communication, and operated the long-range APQ-72 radar. The RIO/WSO proved extremely valuable in combat, providing a second set of eyes for locating enemy aircraft or surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). F-4Bs began entering U.S. Navy fleet service in July 1961 with VF-74 Bedevilers, an Atlantic Fleet fighter squadron based at NAS Oceana, Virginia, and shortly thereafter by VF-114 Aardvarks, a Pacific based squadron at NAS Miramar, California. The Phantom II was used extensively during the Vietnam War by all three United States air services as a fighter-bomber. However, the F-4B was used solely by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. When U.S. involvement in the war began in August 1965, 13 of the Navy’s 31 fleet fighter squadrons had already transitioned to the F-4B. Indeed, two F-4B squadrons, VFA-142 Ghost Riders and VFA-143 Pukin’ Dogs, were deployed aboard USS Constellation with Carrier Air Wing 14 and took part in the opening U.S. air strikes against North Vietnam as part of Operation Pierce Arrow, which retaliated for the attacks against U.S. surface ships in the Tonkin Gulf. The Navy made a total of 51 F-4B squadron deployments during the war, with the F-4B accounting for 22 of the service’s MiG kills and two An-2 kills. Five F-4Bs were lost in air-to-air combat. The Marine Corps also operated the F-4B, taking initial deliveries of the aircraft in late 1962. VMFA-531 Gray Ghosts were the first to fly the Phantom II and eventually took the F-4B to Vietnam. F-4B’s of Marine Air Group (MAG) 11 flew ground support missions out of Da Nang and Nam Phong, South Vietnam, while MAG-13 operated out of Chu Lai. Twelve USMC squadrons flew the F-4B, eight of which served in Vietnam at some point during the war. The USMC also operated a tactical reconnaissance version designated as the RF-4B, which served into the late 1980s with VMCJ and VMFP squadrons. Although designed as an interceptor, F-4Bs served well in air-to-ground and fighter roles, flying close air support (CAS), flak suppression, MiG Combat Air Patrol (MIGCAP), Barrier CAP (BARCAP), and Target CAP (TARCAP) missions. The latter three missions protected strike packages against North Vietnamese MiG attacks. Marine F-4Bs flew more air-to-ground missions. A total of 649 F-4Bs were built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri, during a production run lasting from mid-1961 through the end of 1966, when it began being replaced by the improved F-4J. DECALS AND COLOR PROFILES DESIGNED BY 1186-NAV1 ATTENTION UPOZORNĚNÍ ACHTUNG ATTENTION INSTRUCTION SIGNS INSTR. SYMBOLY INSTRUKTION SINNBILDEN SYMBOLES OPTIONAL BEND OPEN HOLE SYMETRICAL ASSEMBLY REMOVE REVERSE SIDE APPLY EDUARD MASK VOLBA OHNOUT VYVRTAT OTVOR SYMETRICKÁ MONTÁŽ ODŘÍZNOUT OTOČIT AND PAINT POUŽÍT EDUARD MASK NABARVIT PARTS DÍLY TEILE PIECES B> E> PLASTIC PARTS F> G> H> I> L> R> P> 2 pcs. K> O> Upper Fuselage RP - RESIN PARTS Q> 2 pcs. R1 R2 R3 2 pcs. 2 pcs. 2 pcs. R1 TP - TEXTILE 2 pcs. PARTS FILM 1186 1 2 F-4 seatbelts R3 R4 grey FABRIC 1186 2 pcs. 3 Good Morning 4 2 pcs. 5 5 Da Nang R1 R5 R2 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 pcs. 2 pcs. 2 pcs. COLOURS BARVY FARBEN PEINTURE GSi Creos (GUNZE) AQUEOUS Mr.COLOR AQUEOUS Mr.COLOR AQUEOUS Mr.COLOR H 13 FLAT RED H 325 C325 GRAY H 2 C2 BLACK H 77 C137 TIRE BLACK H 329 C329 YELLOW H 3 C3 RED H 304 C304 OLIVE DRAB Mr.METAL COLOR H 8 C8 SILVER H 316 C316 WHITE MC213 STAINLESS H 12 C33 FLAT BLACK H 317 C317 GRAY MC214 DARK IRON 2 A H 317 C317 PE19 GRAY PE89 L5 PE93 L5 PE7 PE15 PE5 H 317 C317 GRAY PE8 PE16 PE101 PE3 PE14 PE17 PE69 H 317 C317 GRAY PE61 PE26 PE100 PE77 H 317 C317 PE1 GRAY H 317 PE76 C317 PE11 PE6 GRAY PE68 H 317 C317 K6 GRAY PE67 H 12 PE95 C33 FLAT BLACK PE9 PE23 PE10 L2 PE4 PE2 K5 PE22 PE25 G13 H 317 PE97 C317 GRAY A PE73 PE24 H 317 PE104 PE21 C317 H 12 GRAY C33 PE90 FLAT BLACK H 12 G30 PE12 H 12 C33 C33 FLAT BLACK G31 FLAT BLACK PE20 PE78 PE62 H 12 K9 C33 FLAT BLACK H 317 PE79 C317 PE13 K8 GRAY PE74 G13 G30 H 12 C33 FLAT BLACK H 317 C317 GRAY G31 BALL PEN F47 H 316 C316 WHITE F50 F48 F51 F49 3 B B9 B12 B16 F30 B26 B19 F44 F40 B10 C B18 B13 B17 F30 B8 B27 H 316 C316 B28 WHITE B11 B F45 H 316 B29 C316 C WHITE E1 B1 E2 4 MC214 DARK IRON RP3 D 2 pcs. PE105 MC214 DARK IRON PE98 RP1 TOP RP2 PE98, PE105 MC214 RP2 DARK IRON MC213 STEEL MC213 O7 O7 STEEL F3 F2 H 316 F4 C316 H 316 WHITE F1 C316 WHITE G14 H 8 D C8 SILVER D Q9 5 Upper PE71 Fuselage PE56 PE57 G19 PE63 F38 PE64 PE83 F41 F37 MC213 STEEL H 8 C8 SILVER Upper PE28 G18 Fuselage PE54 PE27 PE55 Upper PE28 Fuselage PE27 PE65 G19 PE66 G18 PE81 PE82 Upper Fuselage H 12 C33 FLAT BLACK Upper Fuselage G5 G40 G35 H 316 C316 WHITE G32 G34 G24 G21 G4 G2 G4 - MARKING E ONLY H 316 C316 WHITE G23 G22 G41 6 film PE94 H 12 C33 FLAT BLACK H 12 C33 FLAT BLACK K7 L3 H 12 O2 C33 FLAT BLACK O1 O1 - STEP1 G7 O9 G38 - MARKINGS D ; E G39 - MARKINGS A ; B ; C E G38 G39 B4 B3 H6 H5 B2 R11 B5 G15 H1 H4 G25 G10 H3, H4 - MARKINGS D , E ONLY G16 H2 H3 E G17 G11 7 I5 I4 H 77 RP1 C137 K18 TIRE BLACK H 316 C316 I6 WHITE H 316 C316 WHITE H 316 C316 F46 WHITE K16 H 316 I3 F9 C316 F28 WHITE H 8 C8 F6 SILVER H 316 R9 H 8 C316 C8 H 77 WHITE H 316 RP1 SILVER C137 C316 TIRE BLACK WHITE F12 H 316 F42 C316 F10 WHITE F23 F5 O11 F52 H 316 C316 WHITE H 316 H 316 B15 B14 B23 C316 B24 C316 WHITE WHITE H 3 RP2 C3 B22 RED B25 H 8 H 77 C8 C137 SILVER TIRE BLACK F7 F8 H 316 F26 C316 WHITE F27 H 3 H 316 C3 C316 RED WHITE B7 B6 B20 H 8 C8 SILVER H 316 H 316 C316 C316 B21 F22 WHITE WHITE F21 F 2 pcs. G 2 pcs. Q7 Q12 Q6 Q15 Q13 Q22 Q8 Q14 Q11 Q5 Q10 Q21 8 H Pylon 1 J Pylon 2 K Pylon 3 H7 H8 Right Q19 Q20 Right H9 H10 H 316 H 316 H 316 C316 C316 H 316 H 316 WHITE WHITE C316 F39 C316 WHITE C316 I9 WHITE WHITE Q18 I12 MC213 STEEL I7 I11 MC213 MC213 STEEL STEEL H 316 Q17 H 316 C316 MC213 C316 WHITE STEEL WHITE H 316 H 316 C316 F WHITE C316 MC213 I1 WHITE STEEL I10 MC213 F I2 STEEL G I8 MC213 MC213 STEEL STEEL 4 pcs. 4 pcs. 12 pcs. 1 2 3 H 316 Q3 C316 P16 WHITE H 304 C304 OLVE DRAB P20 P14 P9 Q1 H 316 C316 P15 WHITE P5 H 304 Q3 C304 H 304 Q2 OLVE DRAB C304 P7 H 8 OLVE DRAB P17 C8 H 317 SILVER C317 GRAY MC213 STEEL Q31 P9 Fuel tank 5 Right Q26 Q25 F35 4 H 316 C316 H 316 WHITE C316 WHITE H 316 C316 H 316 F56 WHITE Q23 C316 WHITE H 316 C316 WHITE F36 H 316 H 316 C316 C316 WHITE Q24 WHITE F57 eduard RP1 2 pcs.