Marine air enthusiasts will appreciate this low-visibility era sheet offering decals for two different aircraft types operated by the USMC in the early 1980s.

The first plane choice is for a F-4J operated by the “Silver Eagles” of VMFA-115 when they flew the F-4J. The Silver Eagles flew the -J model from 1975 until being replaced by F/A-18s in 1985. The second Phantom option is for the Navy/ Marines’ final model, the -S, which in this case was flown by VMFA-333’s “Shamrocks.” The squadron was the last active-duty Phantom squadron in the Marine Corps before converting to the F/A-18 Hornet.

Two McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawks appear on the sheet. One is from VMA-311, which today is an active-duty F-35C unit based at MCAS Miramar. The Skyhawk decals are for a plane flying out of MCAS El Toro in 1983. The other Skyhawk comes from VMA-211, known as the “Wake Island Avengers” due to their noted history in World War II. This plane was flying out of Moffett Field in 1980, but today the unit flies F-35Bs out of MCAS Yuma in Arizona.

The sheet appears to only allow a modeler to build one Phantom and one Skyhawk judging by the amount of national insignia offered. No specific model brands for kits are suggested, although choices for the F-4J in 1/72 are numerous and easily found, while the F-4S is a little less common with offerings by Italeri, Fujimi, AMT/ERTL and Hasegawa easily found online. (Your editor highly recommends the Fine Molds kits for any 1/72 F-4.)

Sources:

A History of Marine Attack Squadron 115 https://www.marines.mil/portals/1/Publications/A%20HISTORY%20OF%20MARINE%20FIGHTER%20ATTACK%20SQUADRON%20115.pdf?ver=2016-10-11-083008-203

“VMFA-333.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMFA-333

“VMA-311.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMFA-311

“VMFA-211.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMFA-211