Hobby Master Archive

VF-74 “Bedevilers” were the first USN squadron to deploy with the F-4 Phantom II. In July 1961 VF-74 traded their Douglas F4D Skyrays for the F4H-1, later to become the F-4B thereby becoming the “First In Phantom”. During the next twenty years VF-74 would fly three variants of the Phantoms 13 times on Mediterranean cruises and twice to SEA. In early 1962 F-4B 148381 would join VF-74 only to crash in July that same year near NAS Oceana, Virginia due to a mechanical malfunction.