HA1909 - Kurnass(F-4E PHANTOM Israeli A.F.)08 of No.201 Sqn Hatzor

 HOBBY MASTER

Kurnass (F-4E Israeli Air Force) 08 of No. 201 Sqn., Hatzor, 11 Nov 1969

model no. HA1909

scale 1:72

One pilot described the F-4 Phantom II as “a brick with wings that they made fly”. The
McDonnell Douglas Phantom II had several variants produced with the F-4E variant
being the most produced. The F-4E variant came with new improved engines, increased
fuel capacity, re-designed nose containing smaller radar, leading edge slats and finally
a 20mm cannon.
The Kurnass was capable of carrying a large assortment of weapons including the AGM-
84 Harpoon missile as well as the Rafael Gabriel anti-ship missile and later the Rafael
Popeye air-to-surface missile. The Kurnass was also frequently used in SEAD
(Suppression of Enemy Air Defences) roles.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF; Hebrew: זרוע האויר והחלל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal) first took
possession of their new F-4Es on September 5, 1969 at the Hatzor Airbase. In Israel the
F-4 would be called Kurnass (sledgehammer) not Phantom. Over time the IAF
purchased 42 factory new F-4Es, 12 factory new RF-4Es and 162 ex-USAF aircraft with
the possibility of even more. The RF version was referred to as “Orev” (Raven). The
first squadron to receive the Phantoms was the newly formed 201 Squadron “The One”
(הטייסת האחת). The plan was to deliver four aircraft approximately every month and the
first four had U.S. serials 68-0396 – 68-0399 that were changed to #01, #04, #08 and
#10. The IAF originally used 2 digit tail numbers but it wasn’t long before the switched to
a 3 digit system with the 201st adding a 6 as the first digit.
These particular aircraft all were involved in notable events, #01 flew the first Kurnass
mission, on April 2 1970 #04 was the first Kurnass lost when it was downed by an
Egyptian MiG-21. Aircraft #08 was credited with the first Kurnass kill on November 11
1969 when it downed an Egyptian Air Force MiG-21 and #10 scored the third kill.
Between November 1969 and June 1982 the Kurnass was used to down 116.5 enemy
aircraft while sustaining 56 losses mostly due to ground fire. Of this total the 201st was
credited with 40.5 kills: