F-4EJ改 Phantom II – JASDF – 301st Hikotai 40th anniversary – War Thunder Skin

I actually started my template with this skin but after I noticed the reduced amount of stencils and that the actual aircraft was an updated 改 variant I decided to make the Amigo version first. Anyway now I finished this one and gave it an updated 改 nose-cone as well.

None-the-less, enjoy the gold accents reflection from the WT nuclear sun to blind your enemies. Of course in 8K DDS ARGB like the previous ones.

The aircraft
Produced by Mitsubishi in 1977, 77-8398 was part of the third F-4EJ batch ordered by the JASDF in 1973. Though its not clear what squadron it was delivered to initially, the aircraft served with almost every JASDF squadron who operated the F-4EJ. In 1982 the aircraft was spotted flying in 305th hikotai markings. Soon after in 1984 it seemingly had found a new use with the 303rd. Photographic evidence shows that by 1992 it had received it’s 改/kai update and was flying with the 301st. By 2002 it was spotted again, this time flying with 8th squadron and by 2009 with the 302nd. In 2011 the aircraft was in operation with the 301st again.

in 2013, after a very active life with mostly standard schemes, the aircraft was suddenly painted in a bright, metallic special paint scheme to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first F-4EJ squadron, the 301st Hikotai. Painted in overall metallic blue paint, the aircraft was adorned with gold paint graphics and a red/orange/white bar over the upper wing and stabilizer surfaces. The aircraft and its screw flew at various open base days around the country and, according to eyewitnesses at the time, depending on the sunlight of the location and time the aircraft would either give off a very deep and dark or clear and bright blue shine, which strengthened the golden graphics.

Sadly the paint scheme was removed rather quickly and by January 2014 it was seen again in a standard F-4EJ paint scheme. In 2016 the aircraft was seen at Hyakuri air base, seemingly stripped of most of its parts, and it is safe to assume that the aircraft has since been scrapped altogether.

The F-4EJ with the JASDF 第301飛行隊 / 301st Tactical Fighter Squadron
After the procurement of the F-4EJ by the Japanese Government, the JASDF made plans for 5 operational F-4EJ squadrons. The Hyakuri air base was the first to to house an operational F-4EJ squadron with two testbed aircraft handed over to the temporary 305th squadron on the First of May 1973.

Over the time, the unit evolved permanently into the 301st Tactical Fighter Squadron under the command of the 7th Wing. Soon after the squadron took on the iconic frog tail mark with a 7 starred scarf, affectionally called ‘Keroyon’ by its staff. The frog comes from local folklore of the nearby Mt. Tsukuba were oil would be produced from the sweat of the local Cattails toads inhabiting the mountain, giving the oil spiritual and healing powers. Meanwhile the 7 stars found on the yellow scarf are a nod to the squadron’s affiliation to the 7th air wing. Though the comical nature of the frog was initially questioned by some higher ranking staff within the JASDF, the marking quickly became one of the most iconic JASDF markings in recent history.

Sadly the time of the JASDF F-4EJ is limited, and as the last F-4EJ tactical fighter squadron, the 301st, will soon transition to the F-35A. However, because of the transition the squadron will also be decommisioned and ‘reborn’ at Misawa air base at Aomori Prefecture, meaning that the iconic frog tail marking based on local Hyakuri customs might soon be a thing of the past as well.