Introduction

Werner’s Wings in conjunction with Kitty Hawk Models brings us their first release of a jet decal sheet for the venerable F-4 Phantom, “Vietnam Ace - Capt Steve Ritchie and Friends.” This sheet is available in 1/32 (limited edition), 1/48th and 1/72nd scale. If you have always wanted to build Steve Ritchie’s airplanes but have never been able to find the markings, in particular the unique Warnings for the Combat Tree markings and the white outlined ejection seat warning triangles, now you can.

Review

The set features markings for 14 aircraft, including one aircraft, F-4D 66-7463, that has marking options for five different splitter plates with different kill markings and another one has two kill marking options. Markings are included for all the aircraft that Capt Ritchie used to shoot down his five kills, in all of their guises along with known loadouts. Also included are MiG aces, Capt Feinstein and Capt DeBellevue, the leading ace of the war with six kills. Some other notable pilots included on the sheet are Col Chappie James, famous as part of Operation Bolo. Other MiG killers are included such as Capt Dan Cherry, featured on the “Dogfights” series, “Hell over Hanoi”.

There are also two options for F-4s of a friend of Floyd’s dad, Capt Steve Bricker. While he did not get any MiG kills he flew during Operation Linebacker I & II. Included are one of his aircraft from Vietnam and one from England, where he trained to carry B-61 Nuclear Weapons. There are a few other MiG killers including three planes flown by Col Robin Olds to round out the sheet. You may also note that some of the stars have white backgrounds and they are off-center, designed this way because the real ones were as well. Also included are markings for the AN/ALQ-101(V)1 and AN/ALQ-71(V)2 SPECIAL ECM Pods. The set is completed with a full 8 ½ x 11 sheet listing all the aircraft and their weapons load-outs as they appeared at the times of the included markings.

The excellent artwork was done by Mason Doupnik, who has done all of the Werner’s Wings sheets. The decals are printed by BOA and are thin and in perfect register.
Decal options include:

• Opt 1 - Ritchie 1st kill, DeBellevue WSO
  
• Opt 2 - Ritchie 2nd kill, Pettit WSO
  
• Opt 3&4 - Ritchie 3 & 4 kills, DeBellevue WSO
  
• Opt 5 - Ritchie 5th kill, DeBellevue WSO - 3 options for the kill markings on this jet
  
• Opt 6 - 463 again, but six kills now- McCoy & Brown WSO - got a MiG-21 in this jet on 15 Oct 72
  
• Opt 7 - Bricker F-4E
  
• Opt 8 - Bricker F-4D in Europe
  
• Opt 9 - Mig Killer - Williams and Feigny
  
• Opt 10 - Baily and Feinstein got 2 MiGs in this A/C
  
• Opt 11 - Chappie's jet
  
• Opt 12 - Dan Cherry and Feinstein got a MiG kill in this one
  
• Opt 13 – Olds and Clifton
  
• Opt 14 – Olds and Croker, Olds and Lafferty, Olds - three versions