Hobby Master 1/72 F4J Blue Angels US Navy

In 1969 the Blue Angels re-equipped with the McDonnell Douglas two-seat F-4J Phantom II. The first F-4Js for the Blue Angels arrived on December 23, 1968. This was the first time they had used a two-seater and the first time both the Blue Angels and the USAF Thunderbirds flew the same equipment. The F-4 allowed the team to add more maneuvers to their routine increasing it to 22 minutes. The aircraft had lead ballast in the nose to compensate for the lack of the AWG-10 radar. The team operated their F-4Js until 1974.

McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II

Designed as a fleet defense fighter for the US Navy, the F-4 Phantom was first flown on May 27, 1958. This twin-engine, long-range all-weather fighter/bomber proved highly adaptable and served in the Marine Corps and the US Air Force as well as in the Navy. During the Vietnam War, it was the principal air superiority fighter for the Navy and the Air Force and was also used for reconnaissance and ground attack. The Phantom continued to serve well into the 1970s and 1980s and even flew missions during the first Gulf War. Finally phased out by the F-14, F-16 and F/A-18, the Phantom was retired in 1996.