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Item Name: .US Navy McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II VF-21 Freelancers USS Ranger CVA-61
Kits .Hasegawa
Scale: .1:48
Builder:.Wild Cat
Item Status:.Built To Order / Pre-Order

Detail features:

Award winner built F-4J VF-21 Phantom II All-weather, Long-range Interceptor Fighter-Bomber with a realistic slightly weathering finish. Add on aftermarket Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21) Freelancers USS Ranger (CVA-61) decal set.Top building quality with incredible detail overall and super accurate scale on each part. Finely conform perfectly recessed panel lines and rivets. Beautifully cockpit details. Intricately detailed wheel wells and landing gear. Adding armaments and more add-on details.

* Top-quality with a very high level of detail and accuracy.
* Add on VF-21 USS Ranger (CVA-61) decal set.
* Finely scribed details on all of the visible surfaces including great rivets and panels finish.
* Optional boarding ladder with detail,
* Crystal clear canopy with sharp frame detail.
* Positionable air refueling probe with detail,
* Fully detailed beautifully cockpit tubs with clear canopy to show great details.
* Complex and very detailed Martin Baker ejection seats assembly results in a very nice representation of ejection seat.
* The instrument panel with instrument faces details.
* The nose cannon is represented in its own bay with great details.
* Fuselage speed brake with great details and choice of open and close.
* Outer wing panels molded separately and can be folded.
* Sharp-looking afterburner chambers with turbine faces.
* Full intake with ducts to the compressor faces and other really nice details.
* The exhaust nozzle is excellent containing internal detail.
* Separate control surfaces with many details.
* Intricately detailed main wheel wells with all the plumbing and various pressure bottles.
* Nicely detailed landing gear.
* Tire with great details on both side and also adding some great hub details.
* Full weapons loaded with drop tanks, missiles and more.

External stores included :
- AIM-9 Sidewinder
- AIM-7D/E Sparrow
- Mk.82 Slicks
- 370 gallon wing tanks
- 600 gallon centerline tank
- Triple ejector racks (TER)
- Multiple ejector rack (MER)

Buffing and polishing to remove mold seam. Base color with primer and putty for better surface detail. Airbrushed and painted with multicolor. Add clear paint for good finishing on decal applying. Wash to enhance the surface detail and increase the appearance of depth including panels, doors, rivets, and more. Brushing to emphasize and highlighting texture with edge for good wear, tear and fading. Filter out the contrast and blend color effects with airflow marks. Real-life nozzle burned multicolor representing. The great detail paint job on grease with staining appearing and more on real-life weathering. Final protective layer for long-term collection.

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The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II[1][2] is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft.[2] It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force by the mid-1960s and became a major part of their air wings world wide.


The squadron today known as VF-21 was first established in 1944 as VF-81, acquiring it`s present designation in 1959, thus becoming the second US Navy squadron to be designated VF-21. The first Tomcats arrived in November 1983, replacing F-4N Phantoms. The transition was completed in March 1984.

At first VF-21 was assigned to the carrier USS Constellation (CV-64) as part of CVW-14. A number of cruises followed until in 1990 the squadron moved, along with the rest of CVW-14 to the USS Independence (CV-62). The USS Independence was the first carrier to reach the Persian Gulf in response to the crisis of August 1990. However the squadron did not take part in Desert Shield, as by that time the carrier had returned to the US, but VF-21 played an important part in protecting the build up of allied forces in the Gulf and along with other rapid reaction units it is possible they are what deterred Saddam Hussein from attacking Saudi Arabia.

In August of 1991 the squadron moved to Japan, when USS Independence took over the role of USS Midway (CV-41) in being the only carrier home ported outside the USA, at Yokusuka. During this change the squadron stayed with the same carrier but moved air wings, from CVW-14 to CVW-5. This was because Midway`s air wing had been without Tomcats, as the older Midway could not accommodate the F-14`s size and weight. During the whole of it`s F-14 career VF-21 has been partnered by VF-154.

This latest cruise of USS Independence has not been without incident or tension. Along with the Nimtz (CVN-68) Independence and her air wing have been involved in operations to demonstrate US resolve in support of Taiwan, during the recent tensions when Chinese military forces held large scale exercises showing their displeasure at Taiwan`s recent Presidential elections.

VF-21 returned from a deployment onboard USS Independence (CV-62) in late 1995. Unfortunately this was their last deployment and the squadron has now disestablished, the official disestablishment ceremony happening on the 31st of January 1996.

VF-21`s aircraft are marked with a leaping panther, contained within a shark`s fin shaped border. The background to the panther has been seen in many colours, ranging from a rainbow to no colour at all. One of the most persistent seems to be a yellow background. The aircraft also often sport black trim around the canopy.

The image below shows VF-21`s CAG aircraft from around 1985. Of note is the extended canopy hood, curving down to the front of the TCS pod, and the full colour tail markings. At this time the `NK` tailcode was carried in black on the inner surfaces of the tails. As an interesting aside I`m presently completing a model of this scheme, expect to see pictures of it in the model section eventually.