A day with JG-72 "Westfalen" in Hopsten AB

By Dr Menelaos Skourtopoulos

It was a shinny summer day back in Aug. 1999, and I was very happy to have a free entry pass for visiting the JG-72 "Westfalen" at Hopsten AB, in a normal busy day and take as many pics as I wanted to!

Well, the Base is near the small town Rheine in northwestern Germany and it was just 30 car minutes away from my home. The pics I took would give many fellow modellers some ideas and advice or inspiration for building a right F-4F (of course in 1:32 scale!).

Some history

The history of the Base begins in 1940. In that year, 3 new runways were constructed for using the Base later in the war for the "Reichsverteidigung" as home of JG26 and JG27. 1944 was the year, when the jets of the KG-51 "Edelweiss" (Me-262) and the Aufklaerungsgruppe (Rec. group) Sperling" (Ar-234) were flown against the incoming Allies bombers. After the war the Base was destroyed and the land was given up to the farmers of the region. In 1960, under NATO guidelines, a new Base was born in the same location of the old one. It was the home of Jagdbomber-Geschwader 36 (JaBo 36) "Westfalen" equipped with F-84F "Thunderstricks". The first commander of the unit was Major Wilhelm Meyn (03.13. 1961-12.14.1962).

In 1991 the Jabo36 has changed its tactical order and name from Fighter-Bomber to Interception and named now JG 72 "W". From 1975 until today the mount of the unit is the MDD F-4F Phantom II. And the future? When the time is come (about 2002), the unit will trade their weighty Phantoms with the new Eurofighter.

The Visit

The day of my visit was a normal busy one and I was lucky to watch and take pics of the base and of many starts and landings of the F-4Fs. I could also visit some of the service hangars, the control tower and the GCA radar control room (I couldn't take any pictures there..).

The big Phantom will be forever one of my favourite aircraft and you must see it and hear it to feel the tremendous power that is closed inside it.

I'd like to thank the base personal that gave me the opportunity to visit the JG72, take those pics and … touch the mighty Phantom!.

Well folks just lay back and enjoy the pics!

The legendary F-104G serves now as a gate guard.

The official badge of the JG-72 "Westfalen"

The badge of J-72-1 Staffel

The Jabo36 badge is the same with the badge of the JG72.

The badge of the Stab-group

The badge of the maintenance unit

The 37+34 (72-1144) is one of the F-4Fs of JG72.1 taxiing out for take off. This aircraft is not an ICE one. It's painted with the new Norm 90 camouflage scheme.

A nice sequence of 37+34 going on full afterburner for another mission.

Again, a pic of 38+73. Note the Stabs in full down position.

A black radome F-4F taxies a few meter away of my camera. The WSO salutes for the camera! Note the shape of the seats!

38+73 (72-1283) is an ICE aircraft, taxiing out from its shelter 11 for another mission

The first of the F-4Fs! 37+01 (72-1111) is waiting for some repair work.

Close shot of the leading edge slats of the 37+01.

38+03 (72-1213) an ICE F-4F leaving the runway for a mission.

38+07 is now airborne. You can feel the tremendous power the twin J79 makes miles away!

Another ICE aircraft, this time 38+73 (72-1283)

Non ICE aircraft as 37+47 still have their original black radome.

Smoky J79! Some F-4Fs going into full power for take off. JG72 Phantoms are not equipped with the smokeless J79 engines. The runway is big enough for twin starts.

Note the different colors on the wing tank of 38+62 (71-1272)

That's me, happy enough to touch the very first F-4F 37+01!

Here they go…Smoking J79 makes the Phantom a really easy to track adversary…

Some F-4Fs waiting for repair…

The big radome of 38+43 F-4F ICE. Mud moving (ex-Jabo) ICE F-4s didn't receive the new radar but improved nav/attack avionics.

Close look at the nose landing gear of the 38+43.

The front office in the F-4F. There are no major differences to the USAF-F-4Es

Here is the WSO cockpit. German Phantoms have some different instrument positions in that region

Close views of the MB-GH7 seat.

Note the colors of the fuselage walkway of 38+43

One of the F-4F's wing tank on its trailer. Note the amount of weathering and dirt.

Two Sidewiders for training

37+10 taxies for parking

37+34 (72-1144) has just landed, has thrown its parabrake and taxies for its hangar after a mission.

A smoking F-4F comes for landing

37+36 has also just landed and throws its parabrake by giving slightly some throttle and blows it away. Ground personal will recover it and make it ready for another mission.