CVW-8 part 4  

by Shawn "Phantom" Weiler

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Next bunch, the world favourite aircraft. So good people have been known to steal its name for use on geeky internet forums.

The Phantom. First shot 2 1/72 phantoms 1 Hasegawa 1 Revell. The Hasegawa got fox one decals, the revel (dropped flaps) got a really old superscale sheet. Next the big boy, 1/32 Tamiya Phantom also with VMFA-333 decals.

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Shot 4 is once again the CVW-8 badge. The rest are all 1/72 Hasegawa or Fujimi phantoms. VF-74 with eagle strike decals and its cruise partner on the USS America VMFA-333.

Below VF-142 and 143 after they switched from CVW-9 to CVW-8 just before they switched to Tomcats around 1975 or 1976. The VF-142 decals were by Eagle strike while the VF-143 are a combination of scraps. Some markings from Tomcats and others from here there and everywhere.

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The last one was one of the weirdest combinations. VF-74s partner (333) was busy and no other phantom squadrons were ready for a med cruise. It was the height of the Viet Nam war, so the powers that be told the RAG, VF-101 to form a det and go to sea. The only time a RAG squadron has done a full deployment in a long long time. CVW-8 would later have a weird combination in the early 2000's when VFA-201 would deploy its Hornets (see part 2) as the first reserve squadron to deploy in decades.

The last shot is how these guys are displayed.

Shawn

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Photos and text © by Shawn Phantom Weiler