ROYAL NAVY F-4 K PHANTOM FG 1 - publicity photo by Peter R March as a 'news item' covering the embarkation of 892 NAS aboard HMS Ark Royal for the first time. The color shot of the Royal Navy's first F-4 K is dated 22 June 1966.
The colour shots below depict machines of 767 Sqdn, the shore-based Royal Navy training unit for their carrier based Phantoms. Naval Air Squadron 767 was established to train FG. 1 pilots between 1969 and 1972. The 'yellow bird' emblem became the 'ten-ton budgie'..
"153" seen landing on June 14, 1969 at Upper Heyford was XT868 and marked like this between Jan 1969 and July 1972. XT 868 was subsequently operated by 892 Sqdn until it crashed on May12, 1978 at Leuchars at the beginning of a practise display routine. "Flypast" magazine published this image in 1976.
Decals for early British Phantoms are available via Xtradecal and (the now presumably defunct) RAM Models sheets reviewed on this blog here
Excellent article on the F-4K..
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