Century Wings - 1/72 F-8E 1965 WD106 VMF(AW)-212 Lancers

US Marine Fighter Squadron 212 (VF-212) Hell Hounds was established in 1942 at MCAS Ewa, Hawaii flying the F4F Wildcat. Throughout WWII, the squadron was based at numerous stations across the Pacific and was credited with downing 132.5 aircraft by war's end. The squadron also saw action during the Korean war, at the time nicknamed "Devil Cats" and flying the F4U Corsair. By 1965 their name had changed once again to "Lancers" and they deployed with to the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam with the F-8E Crusader, returning at the end of the year having flown 1,588 sorties totalling 3,018 combat hours. They later upgraded to the F-4 Phantom and eventually moved to the F/A-18C Hornet in 1988. The Lancers flew missions in Persian Gulf during the 1990s in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm and then later in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. The squadron was finally deactivated in 2008 as the Marine Corps prepared to transition its squadrons to the F-35.

Features:
- Century Wings' 1:72 scale F-8 Crusader series is masterfully modeled; joining seam lines blend almost undetectably with the model's panel lines.
- These F-8s feature metal horizontal stabilizers that rotate in unison and a pivoting main wing, which replicates the wing's position during take-offs and landings.
- There are removable bomb loads under each wing and three different ordnance configurations for mounting on the sides of the fuselage.
- The canopy opens to reveal a highly detailed cockpit interior and leaves no gaps when snapped shut.
- Special releases in this series feature a "launch configuration," with wing flaps and forward leading edges permanently in the deployed position.
- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
- Opening canopies, revealing detailed cockpit interiors.
- Selected moveable control surfaces.
- Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.
- Presentation stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
- Detailed removable pilot and crew figures.
- Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.
- Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.
- Many limited editions with numbered certificate of authenticity.