Schaal 1:72 HOBBY MASTER F-4D Phantom II 555th TFS, Vietnam 1972 "Steve Ritchie" #36

General Background
The F-4 Phantom II first entered US Military service in 1960. It was designed as a fleet defense fighter for the US Navy but by 1963 it was adopted as the US Air Force primary fighter-bomber. Despite the size and weight of this Cold War icon the F-4 broke 15 world records and continued to hold five of them until 1975. Produced from 1960 to 1981 there were 5,195 Phantom IIs manufactured. Eleven countries other than the USA had the Phantom II in their inventory.
The Aircraft
In 1972 Steve Ritchie was assigned to the famed 555th "Triple Nickel" Tactical Fighter Squadron during the Vietnam War. Flying an F-4D Captain Ritchie shot down 5 MIG-21s during Operation Linebacker. This made him the only USAF jet fighter pilot Ace in the War. By the end of his combat tour Ritchie had flown 339 combat-missions and logged 800 flight hours. Ritchie was awarded the Air Force Cross, four Silver Stars, ten DFC’s and 25 Air Medals. He retired from the USAF in 1999 as Brigadier General.