|
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force Retires Its Last F-4EJ Phantom Fighters After 48 Years Of Service
Citat:The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) celebrated the retirement of the F-4EJ Kai Phantom II, after 48 years of service, on Nov. 20, 2020 at Hyakuri Air Base. The event saw the participation of current and former Phantom squadron commanders, JASDF generals and base personnel, who remembered the achievements of the F-4 and discussed the future after its retirement. After the ceremony, three Phantoms performed a last flight over the airbase.
The last squadron flying the Phantom, the 301 Hikotai “Samurai” (or Tactical Fighter Squadron), prepared two special colored aircraft for the F-4EJ farewell. A first one (37-8315) shows yellow and black bands on the upper fuselage, wings and external fuel tanks, a shark mouth, the writing “Go for it!! 301sq” on the exterior of the air intakes and the frog (the Japanese common toad found on Mount Tsukuba near Hyakuri) from the unit’s insignia on the tail. The second one (07-8436) is a farewell special color, with blue, cyan, white and black bands on the upper fuselage, wings and external fuel tanks, a shark mouth, the writings “Phantom forever” on the exterior of the air intakes and “Thank you Phantom II” on the upper surface of the wings and the Phantom “Spook” on the tail.
 https://theaviationist.com/2020/11/24/the-japan-ai.....f-service/
https://twitter.com/jasdf_hyakuri/status
   
|
