American fighter-bomber F-4C Phantom II COBI 2427 - Vietnam War 1:48

Did you know:

• Design work on the new aircraft slowly began as early as 1952. At that time, aircraft such as the FH-1, Voodoo, or Crusader were in service with the U.S. Air Force, and neither the Air Force nor the Navy felt a need to seek new options.
• Fortunately, the brilliant designer and visionary Dave Lewis was forward-thinking enough to anticipate developments in aviation over the next 30 years. That is, with the exception of one small detail, which we will discuss later.
• In 1953, the pair of designers D. Lewis and H. Barkey began building several prototypes to test new ideas and technologies. All of this was done without the U.S. government providing any financial support for the new project.
• This changed in 1955, when McDonnell submitted an unsolicited proposal to U.S. authorities featuring a newly designed aircraft capable of operating in any weather, with 9 hardpoints under the wings and fuselage. Six weeks later, the proposal reached the desk of an experienced U.S. Navy procurement officer, who immediately understood what the McDonnell team had created.
• The turning point was the order for two prototypes, then still designated XF4H-1, and five pre-production aircraft.
• Flight testing of the prototypes began on May 27, 1958, and it must be said that it was not without problems. It was necessary to redesign the air intakes and the connections of individual fuselage skin components. Unfortunately, one of the prototypes was lost in an accident.
• Series production began at the end of 1958, and interestingly, the manufacturer’s internal name for the aircraft was Satan or Mithras, and in documentation it was referred to as Model 98. In the USAF, fighters were called Spectre, and due to significant confusion, the name was unified to the now well-known Phantom II.
• Unlike the Navy, the U.S. Air Force was initially reluctant to purchase the Phantom. Then–Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara had to intervene. After comparative testing, the Air Force had to admit that the Phantom completely outclassed everything else in its inventory.
• This is also proven by the 16 world records achieved by F-4 aircraft.
• The forgotten small detail mentioned above was the absence of an internal cannon. It was generally believed that the era of traditional air combat was over and that combat would take place at long range. The reality of the Vietnam War proved everyone wrong.
• This specific aircraft, designated FG-829 and piloted by the legendary General Robin Olds, shot down two North Vietnamese MiG-17s in a single day on May 20, 1967. Today, the aircraft is part of the collections of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
• In several versions, more than 5,000 units were produced in total.
• Most aircraft were retired in 1996, but several examples remain in service.

Technical specifications:

• dimensions: wingspan 11.71 m, length 19.2 m, height 5.03 m
• empty weight 13,397 kg
• maximum takeoff weight 27,965 kg
• powerplant 2× General Electric J79 jet engines with thrust of 79.6 kN
• maximum speed 2,389 km/h
• rate of climb 312 m/s
• service ceiling 18,975 m
• maximum range 3,065 km
• fuel capacity 7,549 l + 12,627 l in external tanks
• armament 1× six-barrel M61A1 Vulcan cannon and up to 8,480 kg of weapons on hardpoints

Colonel Robin Olds, January 2, 1967:

“The North Vietnamese MiGs were reluctant to take to the air, so we had to lure them out. We simulated the flight profile of slow F-105 Thunderchief bombers, and it worked. The MiGs, expecting an easy victory, burst into our airspace with boldness and aggression. They apparently thought it would be over in a moment. And it was. That day we shot down 7 MiGs and the rest fled.” 

About the building set :

• COBI building set 2427 F-4C Phantom II fighter-bomber ^TM is made of 738 high-quality ABS pieces
• scale 1:48 
  
• collection Vietnam War
• number of figures 0 (includes two special “half-figures”)
• pad printed – no stickers
• accurate detailing
• made in the EU