Aftermarket decal producer Two Bobs has released a useful 1/48 sheet, offering markings for an F-4N and F-14A flown by VF-201 ‘Hunters’.
Fans of US Navy aircraft have a treat in store with Two Bobs’ new 1/48 decal sheet, 48-285 VF-201 Lone Star Hunters. It provides all main décor for an F-4N Phantom II, BuNo 152244/1000/AF, and the F-14A BuNo 160396/100/AF THE JIMBOB EXPRESS.
VF-201 was a US Navy Reserve unit and its aircraft always wore smart schemes, the machines being based at Naval Air Station Dallas, then NAS Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Here, the F-4N livery is from August 1977. The airframe wears the standard Light Gull Gray over white livery, but has a chevron-style black anti-glare panel and radome and a white vertical stabiliser, the latter adorned with an eight-colour striped motif and blue ‘AF’ codes.
The F-14A Tomcat is depicted as seen on November 15, 1998, featuring low-visibility grey shades and black vertical stabilisers, these having a white outline of the state of Texas and ‘AF’ codes within. Its nose-art name, THE JIMBOB EXPRESS, honours LCDR Jim ‘Jim bob’ Segars, a Radar Interception Officer killed in an F-14 accident on December 23, 1992.
See a build of Tamiya's 1/48 F-14A
As usual, Two Bobs’ instructions are a class act, with superb colour four-view artwork of each airframe, clear placement annotations, and paint codes for AK Interactive, Hataka, Mr. Color and Mr.Paint shades, plus Federal Standard. Stencils should be taken from whichever base kit you’re building. Two Bobs suggests Tamiya’s F-4B, which can easily be converted to ‘N’ format, while the Tomcats from Hasegawa, Great Wall, Tamiya and Hobby Boss are all possible recipients.
This is a pleasing ‘double-header’, which should delight any fan of US naval aviation in jet-powered form. The schemes are attractive and especially handy if you’re building on the theme of US Navy Reserve aircraft. The sheet costs $16 and is available direct from Two Bobs, but should also be stocked by Hannants in the UK.
