F-4B and F-4J - Jolly Rogers

[Jim N]

The marking on this squadron's planes has always captivated my imagination.

The F-4B is an Italeri with Vagabond decals, and the F-4J is from Academy with decals from the kit.  Both are 1/72 scale.  These are my first aircraft model builds in over 25 years.  The outlines on the canopies and the striping on the tail hooks were my Achilles heel back then and things have not changed.

Thank you for looking.

 

[Belugawrx]

You've been a busy guy Jim..those both look great !

[Jim N]

6 minutes ago, Belugawrx said:

You've been a busy guy Jim..those both look great !

Thank you Bruce.  I appreciate the kind words.  These have been done for several months.  I just finally got around to taking pictures of them when I photographed the Byron Camaro.

[stavanzer]

Good Looking Phantoms! They look great.

[PappyD340]

Very nice pair of jets!

[Jim B]

Great looking Phantoms.  Well done.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Very nice, great looking models. Think I need to build one.  

I loved Phantoms when they were front-line fighters, loved them when they were operating as Wild Weasels in SE Asia, still loved them when the Guard was flying them out of Dobbins here (my shop was just across Hwy.41 from the end of the main runway, and a pair would leave together in full AB at dusk several times a month), and I was sad seeing many of them out in Mojave Ca, panels painted in fluorescent red after being converted to QF-4 unmanned one-way target drones.

 

[mustang1989]

Those are both great builds and in such small scale at that. One of the things that stops me from building a Phantom is the fact that there is LOTS of decal work to do on these aircraft and you've done an exceptional job at that on both of these and they look GREAT Jim. 

[Jim N]

On 4/28/2025 at 5:19 PM, stavanzer said:

Good Looking Phantoms! They look great.

Thank you Alan.  I appreciate it.

[Jim N]

On 4/28/2025 at 6:15 PM, PappyD340 said:

Very nice pair of jets!

Thank you Larry.

[Jim N]

On 4/28/2025 at 6:51 PM, Jim B said:

Great looking Phantoms.  Well done.

Thank you for the kind words Jim.  I appreciate it.

[Jim N]

On 4/29/2025 at 8:26 AM, mustang1989 said:

Those are both great builds and in such small scale at that. One of the things that stops me from building a Phantom is the fact that there is LOTS of decal work to do on these aircraft and you've done an exceptional job at that on both of these and they look GREAT Jim. 

Thank you Joe.  I appreciate it.  Back in the day when I built aircraft regularly, I preferred 1/48 scale.  But, I don't really have the space for the larger models.  Working in 1/72 really wasn't that bad.  The decal work was exceptionally tedious, and this is where the smaller scale came into play.  A number of the decals cannot be read, so it's like why bother, but I trudged on.

[TransAmMike]

Great job Jim on my all-time favorite military jet!!    👍

 

 

[Jim N]

On 4/29/2025 at 12:23 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Very nice, great looking models. Think I need to build one.  

I loved Phantoms when they were front-line fighters, loved them when they were operating as Wild Weasels in SE Asia, still loved them when the Guard was flying them out of Dobbins here (my shop was just across Hwy.41 from the end of the main runway, and a pair would leave together in full AB at dusk several times a month), and I was sad seeing many of them out in Mojave Ca, panels painted in fluorescent red after being converted to QF-4 unmanned one-way target drones.

 

Thank you Bill.  I loved the Phantoms too.  When the military made the missiles more reliable, put a gun on the plane and taught the the pilots / aviators dogfighting skills, everybody got to see what an absolute beast that plane was.  

[Jim N]

1 minute ago, TransAmMike said:

Great job Jim on my all-time favorite military jet!!    👍

 

 

Thank you Mike.  That generation of planes the F-4, F-14, F-15 and F-16 really captured my imagination.

I was at an airshow in the 90's and there was a flight demonstration of an F-15 and a MiG 29.  The F-15 went first and the maintenance guys for the MiG watched and just shook their heads a lot.  They knew who had the best plane.

[TarheelRick]

Really like your builds, although I am more partial to the USAF livery and version. In my 21-year career with the USAF I had the opportunity to work on the F-4D, RF-4C, and the F-4E while stationed in Thailand, Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC, Kunsan, ROK, and Shaw AFB, SC. Loved these noisy hogs, especially while in Thailand and got to see them launch from the "Alert Pad": crank'em up, straight taxi to the runway, full AB takeoff, that would rock your world. While I was at Shaw nearing the end of my career the F-4E's were being replaced by the 'new' F-16's. I asked a pilot what his thoughts were on the two. "If you need a dump-truck, use the F-4, but if you need a Porsche use the F-16." Got two different versions in my stash just waiting to be built. Also have a C-130E, my first plane in the USAF (Pope AFB, NC, 69-71) and have been in love with it ever since

[bogger44]

Very nice pair Jim!  The Phantom is amongst my favorite jets as well.  I've got a couple 1/48 ones in the stash I'd like to build, but like you mentioned, space is a issue.

[STU111]

The Phantom is still my favourite jet, and you have a great looking pair there. I think l need to start that Tamiya 1/48 l have hiding in my stash. 👍🏻👍🏻

[Dave Van]

2 hours ago, STU111 said:

The Phantom is still my favourite jet, and you have a great looking pair there. I think l need to start that Tamiya 1/48 l have hiding in my stash. 👍🏻👍🏻

X 2.......Nice  work!! I know most don't like it but I love the Revell 1/32 kit.....BIG Phantom! 

[Jim N]

13 hours ago, STU111 said:

The Phantom is still my favourite jet, and you have a great looking pair there. I think l need to start that Tamiya 1/48 l have hiding in my stash. 👍🏻👍🏻

Thank you Stuart.  I appreciate it.