Hobby Master 1/72 HA19079 Phantom II F-4E “50th Years of Turkish AF” 77-0303, Turkish Air Force, Nov 2024

Limited Edition of only 400 worldwide

In November 2024, the Turkish Air Force commemorated 50 years of F-4E Phantom II service with a grand celebration at EskiÅŸehir Air Base. The event featured dramatic low-level flybys through a mountain valley and an impressive "elephant walk" of Phantoms on the runway. A highlight was F-4E serial 77-0303, adorned in a striking red and black livery with a Turkish flag on top and the iconic "Spook" emblem beneath. Despite its age, the F-4E remains operational in Turkey, with plans to serve until at least 2030, underscoring its enduring legacy in Turkish military aviation.

One of the most famous and easily recognised fighter aircraft of the post-WWII era was the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II. This aircraft was developed as a private venture by the aircraft company but was soon ordered by the USN as a carrier-based attack aircraft. Its first flight took place on May 27, 1958 and it entered active service in December 1960. It wasn’t long after the F-4B appeared that a fly-off was set up with USAF front-line fighters. It was no contest, the F-4 performed so well that the USAF ordered their own variant, the F-4C. As time went on, the F-4 evolved into well over a dozen variants.