I am having a difficult time finding decal sets for a 1:72 scale model of a particular F-4D or any USAF F-4. There seem to be alot of Navy sets. The plane flew in the 555th TFS in 1972 and was the ride for one of the few aces of the war. I have photos of the plane. I would be satisfied with white lettering and numerals for the tail. I can probably duplicate everything else from spares. When I have tried to search on line there is too much “noise” and I can’t find anything. Can anyone recommend a vendor?
I have gotten letter and number sets from Squadron.com. That is were I would recommend going.
I may have some of what you need. Post a picture or two and I’ll check.
WarHammer-Squadron didn’t have any letter/number decals in stock.
ikar01
I will have to go back online to download the photos. I only printed them off. The tail markings are white with large “OY” for the sqd id. The rest of the makings are pretty generic and the Hasegawa kit I am building has good replications. Thanks for the response.
Sounds like you’re dealing with the Wolf Pack. I know they used “WP” later but I think they used “OY” before that. I may have a set somewhere. I’ll look.
Is there a specific tail number you’re looking for?
ikar01
I can’t figure out how to insert the photos into this reply. On the tail: Small black “AF67” and larger white “463”. Thanks for looking.
Is this the aircraft you are talking about?
The first two photo’s are of the aircraft owned and flown by the Collins Foundation.
This picture is from the 8th TFW at Kunsan AB Korea, This is the way it looked when stationed at Ubon RTAFB.
I thought that 463 was on display at the A.F. academy.
Here’s a shot when it stopped by at Korat:
I’m still looking for an explaination for the drone kill on the splitter vane.
I’m pretty sure that I have those decals in 1/72. I never build Ritchie’s aircraft for a couple reasons so you can have them if I find them. I’ll look when I’m finished here.
I just checked and the only set I have for 463 are from the Monogram kit. You can have them if you want them. Microscale made a couple sheets that included 463 with the “OY” tail code if you can find them.
I just noticed that the Collins aircraft only has five stars on its vane.
The reason why the Collins aircraft has five stars on the splitter plate is it isn’t Serial Number 66-7463. It is another F-4D painted to look like 463. It has the five stars on the splitter plate as a tribute to Steve Ritchie. The actual 463 is credited with six MIG kills so it displays the six stars. Ritchie only got his first and last kill flying 463.
There are three aircraft in the USA painted to look like 463. The real 66-7463 is at the Air Force Academy.
The drone kill on 463 was when the aircraft was assigned to Kunson AB Korea. It went TDY to Clark AB, PI and scored a live fire drone kill. PACAF would send units to Clark AB every year for live fire. It was called Combat Sage.
After the aircraft left Kunson AB it went to Kadina AB, Okinawa and from there to Homestead AFB, FL, finally ending up with the Texas ANG. It left Texas to go on static display at the Air Force Academy.
That explains it. In 1974 the 34th TFS had to turn their “E” models over to the Wolf Pack and bring home their "D"s. Sometime after that they left for Kunsan. My Picture was probably taken when they flew to Korat to make the arrangements for the switch. At this time, 463 did not carry a tail code.
When it made it to Kadena, 463 was assigned to the 44th TFS until they replaced three of their F-4 squadrons with F-15s and the fourth squadron, the 25th TFS was deactivated only to return to the pacific with A-10s. The 15th TRS remained in their RF-4Cs for several years.
According to a mechanic I talked to at Kadena, 463 was not in great shape. She was concerned about it being able to make the trip back to the states.
I was stationed at Kadena from '77-'80. I was assigned to the 25 TFS/AMU as a Production Super. The squadrons we had at the time was the 12 TFS (F-4D), 25 TFS (F-4D), 44 TFS (F-4D). 67 TFS (F-4C Wild Weasel) and the 15 TRS (RF-4C). The 12 TFS and 25 TFS flew the Smart D’s and the 44 TFS had the Dumb D’s. Aircraft 66-7463 was a Dumb D so it was assigned to the 44 TFS.
The 67 TFS was the first to convert to the F-15C so all of the WW aircraft was sent to an AFR unit. The 44 TFS was the second unit to get the F-15C so they gave up their F-4’s to the 12 TFS and the 25 TFS. By the time the 44 TFS converted I was assigned to the transfer dock as the NCOIC.
I can remember the day 463 flew out. A lot of brass was there for the occasion. As the jet hit burner at the end of the runway the boarding ladder extended. A photographer was positioned by the runway and got a picture just as the jet rotated. It would have been a classic picture except for the extended ladder. Less than an hour later I was standing tall in front of the Air Division commander, Wing King, and DCM trying to explain why the ladder extended. They actually considered recalling the aircraft to retract the ladder. I told them by the time the aircraft burned off enough fuel from three bags of gas and a full internal load it could be 2/3 of the way to Guam. It wasn’t the first jet to fly with a ladder extended and would not be the last.
After leaving Kadena I was assigned to Homestead FL. There on the flight line ramp set 463. Not only that but a lot of aircraft from Kadena wound up at Homestead. I couldn’t get away from the hogs.
Just before I left Kadena for the last time I was walking along the flightline to CBPO and found two aircraft that were seperated from the active squadrons. They had brought in a F-4D and a F-101. They had been brought over for battle damage courses.