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The aircraft will be repainted into the all-black scheme it wore during its time as a naval weapons evaluation aircraft at Naval Air Station Point Mugu from 1981 to 1986.
F-4S Phantom II BuNo 155539 in the Castle Air Museum's restoration hangar. (Adam Estes)
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Back in August 2023, we wrote about the Castle Air Museum receiving a McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II that flew with the callsign Vandy 1 as a “Black Bunny” after it spent over 30 years at the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson Arizona. In the year and a half since the Black Bunny made its way from Tucson to Atwater, California, restoration has been steadily underway, with the focus of the project being the removal of the old paint in preparation to sand and repaint the aircraft back into the all-black scheme it wore during its time as a naval weapons evaluation aircraft at Naval Air Station Point Mugu from 1981 to 1986.
Forward of Vandy 1 being stripped of old paint inside the CAM’s restoration hangar (Adam Estes)
Information cards on the nose of the “Black Bunny” Phantom. One of the ways in which the museum has been raising money for the restoration has been the sale of merchandise related to the aircraft in the museum’s gift shop (Adam Estes)
With its canopies open and radome still attached, one of the task that remains for the Castle Air Museum restoration team is the removal of the protective coating applied over the cockpit at Davis-Monthan (Adam Estes)
Since the aircraft’s arrival to the Castle Air Museum, it has been held in the museum’s restoration hangar at Merced Castle Airport, just a short drive from the main outdoor museum. Inside the hangar, restoration volunteers have been stripping the old sun-bleached back paint from the aircraft.
View of the right side of 155539’s tail, complete with the classic Playboy bunny (Adam Estes)
Detail of the Playboy painted on the tail of Vandy 1. The number 8F222 was the Process Control Number (PCN) applied to 155539 after its arrival at Davis-Monthan(Adam Estes)
Restoration work on the tail of Vandy 1, which will have its afterburner nozzle covers reinstalled for static display (Adam Estes)
When the personnel of VX-4 painted the Playboy bunny on the tail of 155539, they initially had not secured permission to use the trademarked logo from Hugh Hefner, who originally sought to legal action before making an agreement to give VX-4 permission to use the Bunny logo (Adam Estes)
3/4 view of the portside tail. Although the Phantom has been stripped of its engines, its afterburner nozzle covers (or “turkey feathers”) will be refitted to the aircraft. (Adam Estes)
US roundel on the forward fuselage of the Phantom, with surrounding paint having been stripped back to reveal the primer (Adam Estes)
Work continues on the tail of 155539 at Castle Air Museum. Note the styrofoam on the edges of the horizontal stabilizer to prevent injuries to any restoration volunteers walking to the tail (Adam Estes)
36 years in the Tucson have stripppd Vandy 1 of its glosh finish, but this will make a comeback when the aircaft emerges from Castle’s restoration hangar (Adam Estes)
As with almost every volunteer-led aircraft restoration, whether it be an airworthy restoration or a static one in the case of BuNo 155539, the museum conducting the restoration needs funds to complete the restoration of the “Black Bunny”, which has led to the museum having a dedicated donation box for the “Black Bunny” Phantom in the museum gift shop. The aircraft is still some ways off before the Castle Air Museum places BuNo 155539 on display, but when it does, it will join the museum’s Thunderbird Phantom, F-4E 66-0289, on display.
F-4S Phantom II BuNo 155539 during its heyday with Test and Evaluation Squadron 4 (VX-4) at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California during 1982. (image via Wikimedia)
In addition to restoring the “Black Bunny” Phantom, the Castle Air Museum is still in the process of restoring a Lockheed-Martin F-117 Nighthawk nicknamed The Toxic Avenger, as well as a Bell UH-1 Huey, and several aircraft that have had repainted in the restoration hangar placed back on display, such as their Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and Republic F-84F Thunderstreak. CLICK HERE to go to the museum’s website and support their restoration projects.
Tail view of 155539 under restoration at the Castle Air Museum’s restoration hangar (Adam Estes)
Raised in Fullerton, California, Adam has earned a Bachelor's degree in History and is now pursuing a Master's in the same field. Fascinated by aviation history from a young age, he has visited numerous air museums across the United States, including the National Air and Space Museum and the San Diego Air and Space Museum. He volunteers at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino as a docent and researcher, gaining hands-on experience with aircraft maintenance. Known for his encyclopedic knowledge of aviation history, he is particularly interested in the stories of individual aircraft and their postwar journeys. Active in online aviation communities, he shares his work widely and seeks further opportunities in the field.
I have always loved the F-4. My question is are y’all going to put the Independence name on it? Im asking because I believe that’s the only carrier they flew off of.
BT3 USS CONSTELLATION
I have always loved the F-4. My question is are y’all going to put the Independence name on it? Im asking because I believe that’s the only carrier they flew off of.
BT3 USS CONSTELLATION