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My contribution to the KUTA VII GB is a pair of F-4 Phantoms which have been stalled for a while. Starting with this old ESCI 1/48th F-4J which is pretty well all painted and was to have been marked as a VF-74 machine aboard the USS America in 1972. Lot of detail work still to do and I would like to try using a wash for extra detailing. It was supposed to be a quick and easy build but I got distracted by a Kitty Hawk F-101A Voodoo! And the second Phantom is one that is so close to completion except for a huge mistake - the front wheel well is the wrong way round and the cockpit tub is in the wrong place! So a little bit of remedial work to do on this F-4K but hopefully worth it as she does look pretty good already. When these are done I can start work on an Academy 1/48 F-4B with a clear conscience Michael

Ok more Phantom obsession - this time the Revell 1:48 version! I decided to do this as FGR2 XV474 from RAF Wattisham in 1992. I used Xtradecals for this and they went on a treat. Otherwise it is OOB and it was quite an easy build. I used Gunze Mr Color for the greys, Alclad for the exhausts etc and Alcad Light Sheen varnish which I think works really well. I started this in the summer and realised recently that I had 5 kits at various stages so needed to get them finished off. I have also just finished a 1:72 Fujimi Phantom and hopefully this weekend I shall have finished off my Hasegawa 1:48 FAA Phantom which I will post up when done. Any comments welcome Chris

Ok well my obsession with Phantoms continues and in particular I love building the Fujimi kits as they are superb. Indeed this is my fourth Fujimi Phantom this year and I only have one left in my stash! Its a shame we haven't seen more of them since Amerang became the main importers of Fujimi kits - in fact if anything there seems less of them about now than earlier this year! So this kit is out of the box with the exception of the decals which are the excellent Model Alliance RAF Germany part 1. I used Gunze Mr Color for the paints and various Alclads for the engines and pods and of course Matte varnish to finish it off. I think it is one of my favourite builds of the year. So now I need to finish of my Hasegawa 1:48 Phantom - Fleet Air Arm! Any comments welcome Chris

Second attempt at owning a 1/32 Tamiya F-4C Phantom. The first met an untimely demise…. This one I managed to dislodge the open canopies whilst taking these shots. A bit of a dusty layer on the Rhino…can’t imagine why as I’ve always got fluffy dusters handy….OOB, gunze paints, mig pigments, pastels. Next one will be the 1/32 F-4E Early Version…..maybe as Arkansas Traveller or Steve Ritchie version...

F-4F Phantom II "WTD-61 Flight Test" 1:32 Revell If you have not heard of the F-4 phantom where have you been for the past 56 years! The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was conceived as an all-weather, long-range fighter bomber for the US Navy. It has been in service for over fifty years now and is still serving with distinction with air forces around the world, although active users are now becoming fewer. More than five thousand Phantoms were built. The F-4F is a simplified, lightweight version of the US Air Forces highly capable F-4E, built specifically for the Luftwaffe however these aircraft we not to be fitted with "Beyond Visual Range" weapons so were limited to gun and sidewinders for Air-2-Air combat. The Luftwaffe's F-4Fs were upgraded under the Improved Combat Efficiency (ICE) programme in the late eighties to early nineties. The main changes under ICE were the introduction of the APG-65 radar (as in F/A-18 Hornet) and AMRAAM. Germany finally retired its phantoms in 2013. One of the last Phantoms to Fly in Germany was one from the Flight Test Centre. This was painted in an attractive Black and Orange scheme with the words "Don't let me Die I want to Fly" painted on. This aircraft is the subject of the latest re-box from Revell. The Kit Revell's 1:32 Phantom now dates back to the 1990's. Even though the outer box on this kit was sealed the inner bag had been cut, and loose parts were everywhere in the box? There are parts in the box to do earlier phantoms and all the parts for am ICE Phantom if you wanted to source other decals. Parts come on a massive 10 separate sprues in a light grey plastic, and a clear sprue. Construction starts with the ejection seats. Here Revell have provided a new sprue for these parts, with those on the main sprue not being used. New eight part seats are built up and these should look good in the cockpit. Once the seats are made up the cockpit is then assembled. For the instrument and side panels a combination of raised detail and decals is provided. Rudder pedals, control columns and throttle levers are added. Once the cockpit is made up it is placed inside the two halves of the front fuselage and these can then be joined. Once the two halves are joined the front wheel well is built up and added to the front underside missle well part, the gun muzzle and side air intakes can then be added. The modeller then has the choice to close nose up; or to have it open. An appropriate antenna for the APG-65 is included if the modeller wished to use it. Once the front fuselage is completed the modeler then moves onto the main fuselage. A representative front face for the engine fans is added to the middle of the main fuselage (though it should be said there is no representation of any intake trunking at all in the kit). Once the bulkhead with the fans is installed the main fuselage sections can be joined. The fin cap is added to the main fuselage parts along with the rear stabilisers (though suspect most modellers will leave these until the end). Next construction moves onto the main centre wing section. The lower centre section is one part with the main wheel wells moulded in. The top inner sections of the wing are then added to the bottom section, this sub assembly is then attached to the main fuselage. Next the main and front fuselage sections are joined together. Tere does not appear to be much in the way of reinforcement to this join so the modeller may wish to add some. The Splitter plates and intakes are now added. Following this The outer main wing panels are constructed. These consist of an upper and lower panel with a separate leading edge slat. Once these are made they are attached to the main wing. Next the engine exhausts are made up and added to the main fuselage, along with the arrestor hook and tail cone. The next sub assembly to be made up is the front landing gear. Main and weighted wheel are supplied. The main leg is curiously supplied in two parts with a join which does not look to strange with normal glue so care will need to be taken. The completed gear along with the doors are then added to the fuselage (I suspect most people will leave the doors until last). Next its onto the main gear. Again normal and weighted wheels are supplied. The mains look a lot stronger than the nose wheel. Main gear doors and under wing airbrakes are then added. To finish of the model a variety of external parts are added. Various intakes, aerials, pylon, fuel tanks etc are added. Both early and late centre line tanks are included but the flight test Phantom seems to have flown without this tank. The canopies can be added at last in either the open or closed positions. If you pose the canopies open then a boarding ladder is included in the kit. Finally it should be noted that a full set of Sidewinders, AMRAAMs, and an ECM pod are included in the kit which are not used. The Canopy The canopies all come on one fairly large sprue (well it is 1:32) They are clear, distortion free and should pose no problems. Decals Unsurprisingly the only decal option in the box is for the box top, the Flight Test bird. 2 Decal sheets are provided for the checks, one massive one which covers the entire bottom of the box; and a smaller supplemental sheet. Design of the decals is by the French company Syhart who seem to be doing a lot of the latest Revell "special" sheets. They are printed in Italy for Revell, and like all of their recent decals appear to be very good. Care will need to be taken to get a smooth paint finish before applying the large decals. Conclusion Even though this kit is getting on a bit now, its good to see it in this scheme. You get a lot of plastic for your money, and will end up with some spare parts if you have any other large Phantom kits hanging about. The kit will make a large imposing model when built up, and its one which will not break the bank. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

Hi all, I can report it as finished. Some progress can be found at http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234965200-phantom-fg1-aka-f-4k-148/ . More pics are at http://www.kpmprosek.cz/v/panteri/mess/PhantomFG1 . Thanks for viewing. M.

Hi! I almost only build props, US and British fighters from WW2 but felt I needed to expand it a bit.. After a nice evening drinking coffee and beer, surfing the web reading reviews and looking at sweet pictures I ended up buying a Phantom FG. 1 from Fujimi, this boxing: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234956719-british-phantom-fg1-172-fujimi/?hl=phantom Beautiful box-art by the way! My questions are, since I am quite a jet-noob, where to start learning about the subject? Any particular sites about British Phantoms that are good? Books? ANything I should know about the kit? I saw that Hannants stock some resin engines - are they worth it? And what do I actually have here - what can I build this one as and what cannot not do to it - which British variants servicing where etc? (Gonna read the wiki-article again as well.) It was quite some time since I felt this happy about a new model, opening up a whole new world with jets and these British Phantoms both extremely nice and the whole subject of *improving* the F-4 with new engines etc. seems interesting to read about. Love the colour-schemes as well.. Are there other nice boxings of British Phantoms? Any scale.. Edit: Oh yeah - I saw the Pinned thread as well now...

F-4N, Pics taken at the CAF museum by Keith (muller)

Hi, Here's my latest completion, the venerable Hasegawa kit dressed up with an Aries resin cockpit, Master Model turned brass pitot and Xtradecals. Special thanks for Windy here who supplied the HARM (I only used 1 in the end Matt). Anyway hope it's of interest. ff

Bicentennial Phantoms Eduard 1:48 This is Eduards second big release of the Academy 1:48 Phantom after their "Good Morning Da Nang" boxing, reviewed HERE and comes in a suitably large box, which is packed with styrene, along with the additional delights of resin, etched brass, fabric seatbelts and paint masks. All the aircraft depicted on the decals are F-4Ns which were refurbished from F-4Bs. The Navy, as part of project Bee Line, begun in 1972, rebuilt 228 F-4Bs to the new standard, strengthening and re-stressing the airframe, replacing some of the electronics, adding new mission equipment and fixing the engine smoke issues of earlier models. Aircraft selected for conversion were sent to NAS North Island, California, where they were stripped and inspected. They were then completely rebuilt using new parts. The changes included a structural strengthening to extend the fatigue life, plus a complete rewiring. The electrical generating system was upgraded with 30-kVA constant speed alternators. The F-4N retained the thin wings and tires, the main radar, and the under nose infrared search and track detector of the F-4B. The F-4N was also fitted with an F-4J-style slotted stabilator, (included in the kit), which helped solve "Mach tuck" problems when decelerating from supersonic speeds and which reduced approach speeds during landings. All F-4Ns had their inboard leading-edge flaps locked shut. The F-4N was physically distinguishable from the F-4B by the long antenna fairings fitted along the upper engine intakes, which housed the Saunders AN/ALQ-126 Defensive Electronic Counter Measures system. It would be difficult to emulate what Mike has said about the build in his review since the kits are essentially the same, with the only differences being the decals. Because these aircraft were generally displayed clean, the various weapons provided aren’t really needed and can be consigned to the spares box, along with a host of other parts. Although you can still use the weapons should you desire it, as these aircraft were still in use with front line squadrons. Decals The two decal sheets have been produced, once again, by Furball Aero Design and they are well up to the standard now expected from these premium kits. The register and opacity are good and the carrier film almost nonexistent. The Bicentennial colours are beautifully drawn and printed with the colours bright and vivid. The sheer number of stencils on the second sheet is mind boggling, but equally well printed. It looks like it will take as long to add the stencils as it would build and paint the model, patience is the order of the day for this task. The aircraft markings provided are :- F-4N 151433, VF-161 “Chargers”, USS Midway, 1976 F-4N 150452, VF-151 “Vigilantes”, USS Midway, 1976 F-4N 152293, VF-111 “Sundowners”, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. 1976 F-4N 150442, VF-302 “Stallions”, NAS Miramar, 1976 F-4N 150476, VF-51 “Screaming Eagles”, USS Coral Sea, 1976 Conclusion Although the Academy kit has been very well received, it’s not without its faults and the modeller may wish to replace the horizontal tail planes with one of the excellent aftermarket sets that are available, as the details are a little soft. That said it will still build into a great looking Phantom and with the decals provided in this boxing, a very colourful one too. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi everyone, I've finally managed to clean up the last of my Arizona shots from 2012 before I go onto the ones I took in California this year. Below are various guardians and memorials I found during my trip around AZ: F-4E Phantom II by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-4E Phantom II by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-4E Phantom II by tony_inkster, on Flickr RF-4E Phantom II by tony_inkster, on Flickr RF-4E Phantom II by tony_inkster, on Flickr RF-101 Voodoo by tony_inkster, on Flickr RF-101 Voodoo by tony_inkster, on Flickr RF-101 Voodoo by tony_inkster, on Flickr RF-101 Voodoo by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-86D Sabre by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-86D Sabre by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-86D Sabre by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-100 Super Sabre by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-100 Super Sabre by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-100 Super Sabre by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-100 Super Sabre by tony_inkster, on Flickr

Here's a little something I've been working at on and off a few months now, my first 'big' kit. Another first in that I'm trying out Eduards cockpit and seat etches, which, despite being a little fiddly for my fat little fingers, I've quite enjoyed. Have to say it does add alot of interest and I'm pleased with the results. Managed to get a few shots of the first completed seat, then the camera battery died - so will have to follow with the rest!

Phantom Parts and Edwards AFB decal shields Hypersonic Models 1:48 Hypersonic Models, also known as Jeffrey K on Britmodeller have/has been kind enough to send us some of his latest additions to the HM range. The parts, in a dark grey resin, are all well cast, with little clean up required once they have been removed from their moulding blocks and the details are very nicely done. Instructions are very clear, if basic, but this is a one man operation and whilst this shows in the packaging, (poly bags of parts stapled to the instruction sheet), don't let that put you off as the quality is excellent. The stabiliser sets are meant for all manufacturers releases such as Academy and Hasegawa and are direct replacements for the kit parts. The sets for the slotted, (HMR 48012), and un-slotted, (HMR 48013), stabilisers also come with a jig to set the desired angle of attack and a sheet of etched parts for items such as the cover plates around the axle, and the additional plates on the top and bottom of the stabilisers for use on USAF aircraft. As per the stabilisers the Auxiliary Intake set provides direct replacements for the kit parts and once removed from the casting blocks and cleaned up they should slot straight into the recesses on the kits nose. The intakes are handed, so make sure you fit them to the correct sides. There are two sets of ejector seats, one, (HMR 48014-1) for a US Navy aircraft and the other, (HMR 48014-2), for a USAF aircraft. Both are Martin Baker Mk5s, but they differ in the style of harnesses, The oxygen supply is different - the Navy seat has a hose connector terminal in the rear corner, while the Air Force seats have the oxygen bottle (cover) there. There is an oxygen pressure gauge in the seat cushion on the Navy seats that the AF ones don't have, and there is an additional adjustment lever on the AF ones that the Navy ones don't have. The front ejection handle and the shape of the cushion is also different. . Detail is very good, certainly an improvement on the kit seats. The seat firing handles and moulded separately and from the look of them great care will be required to remove them from the moulding block. The gaps inside the handles are flashed over so more care will be needed to remove this without breaking the fragile resin. Finally a length of wire is provided to make up the pipework on the side of the seats. The decal sheet Jeffrey sent us provides a good selection of shields used on aircraft based at Edwards AFB and the Flight Test Centre from the 1950’s to the 1970’s. There are four different sizes on the sheet, 7mm, 10.75mm, 15mm, with the "Ad Inexplorata" shields also available in 17.5mm. The decals are well printed, in good register and with minimal carrier film, as they should as they are printed by Microscale, There are no instructions on which aircraft wore which shield, so research is the key in marking up your chosen subject. Conclusion Hypersonic Models are completely new to me, but the quality in the parts reviewed here show an excellent attention to detail and Jeffery deserves to do well. Being drop in replacements they should be ok for all levels of modeller that have at least some experience of using resin and etch, plus the adhesives they require. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

After much studying of build logs and completed images, I'm doing a Hasegawa FGR.2 and have an issue with the intakes. I've paid much attention to dry fitting, removed locating pins etc but still they don't sit right. The top edges next to the body is fine, and the bottom edges near the wing is also OK, but on the shoulder they sit out of line with the rest of the fuselarge and it looks like lots of sanding and rescribing are needed. I've not seen this problem mentioned in builds anywhere, nor does it seem to be obvious in other pictures of completed builds. Is this something I've somehow missed, or am I just lucky with my kit? Thanks

F-4J Phantom II 'VF-96 Fighting Falcons' 1:72 Hasegawa - Limited Edition If you have not heard of the F-4 phantom where have you been for the past 56 years! The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was conceived as an all-weather, long-range fighter bomber for the US Navy. It has been in service for over fifty years now and is still serving with distinction with air forces around the world, although active users are now becoming fewer. More than five thousand Phantoms were built. The was the last version of the Phantom built for the US Navy and Marine Corps. This was an improved F-4B with an increased emphasis on air-to-air combat. J79-GE-10 engines were installed with an improved thrust to 17844lbf using after burner on each engine. An AN/APG-59 pulse doppler radar was coupled with an AN/AWG-10 fire control system to give a look down/shoot down capability. Due to an increase in weight and more demanding sink rates the J was fitted with sturdier landing gear. Larger wheels were fitted which resulted in wing bulges as seen on other phantom models. Slatted tail planes were also fitted. In all 522 F-4Js were built. The Kit Hasegawa's 1:72 scale series of F-4 Phantoms is well established as amongst the best kits of the type available today. They possess of a good blend of accuracy, detail and fit and enjoy a good reputation as a result. This particular kit is a limited edition. The cockpit is comprised of a tub, complete with side consoles and rudder pedals moulded in place, onto which have to be added the instrument panels, rear bulkhead, control column and seats. The ejection seats are very nicely recreated, being made up of five parts including separate pull handles. The rest of the cockpit is structurally correct, but with the exception of the WSO's starboard sidewall, lacks any raised detail. Decals are provided instead, but this Hasegawa habit is still slightly disappointing. The cockpit tub sits on top of the nose gear bay, which itself fits inside the separately moulded front lower fuselage. The rest of the front fuselage, from just in front of the engine intakes forwards, is separate to the rear fuselage. Whilst I can appreciate that Hasegawa have done this in order to maximise the number of variants they can wring out of the moulds, it does complicate construction and add another seam that must be cleaned up. Once the front fuselage halves have been joined together, the instrument panel coaming and head up display can be added, along with the decking behind the WSO's cockpit. The rear fuselage halves a more straightforward proposition than the front fuselage, as they just need to be removed from the sprue and then joined together. In common with other kits of the Phantom, the lower rear fuselage is moulded in one piece with the lower wing. Before you fix that part in place, however, you must add the engine air intakes. These are well-detailed parts, with each being made up of four separate pieces. The intakes are not of the full length variety, but the solid front wall of the rear fuselage at least prevents you from being able to peer inside the fuselage from the front. The main wing is made up of a single inner lower span, separate port and starboard tops and separate slatted outer wings. You have to drill lots of holes in the lower surface of the wing central in order to add the pylons for the weapons and drop tanks. While we're on the subject of ordnance, only the three drop tanks are provided with the kit. The inner pylons for the sidewinders are present and correct, but neither the AIM-9 Sidewinders nor the AIM-7 Sparrows are included. You'll need to raid the spares box or buy one of Hasegawa's Aircraft Weapons sets in order to fit the aircraft out with a full loading. The tail planes are solid parts, as is the rudder. A separate part is provided for the tip of the vertical tail. The undercarriage is nicely detailed, with separate hubs for the main gear wheels and features such as torque links delicately and accurately picked out. The landing gear doors are detailed on both sides the landing gear bays feature a respectable amount of detail. The canopy is moulded in four parts and can be posed in the open position if desired. If you choose to do this, separate hydraulic arms are provided. Finishing details include various blade antennas, the landing lights and the parachute fairing in the tip of the tail. Decals Decals are provided for two schemes, both CAG aircraft.. CAG Aircraft USS America 1972. CAG Aircraft ISS Constellation 1973. Conclusion Hasegawa's Phantom has a good reputation, and on the basis of what's included in the box, it's easy to see this. The kit is overly complicated by their desire to squeeze as much from the mould as possible, but this is understandable. Overall this is great kit. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

Well this build represented a number of 'firsts' for me - the first 1:72 I have made since the early 1980's, the first Phantom ever in this scale and the first time I have used Mr Color paints! Having got back in to the hobby tow years ago I have been enjoying myself making 1:48 jets and 1:32 WW2 props but of course I am running out of space. I decided to have a go at 1:72 thinking I wouldn't enjoy it but oh how wrong I was! I have to say it was a great kit to build and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was an OOB build and I had no real issues at all. The Gunze paint was excellent and I am now a firm fan. However the EDSG is a little too dark I think and I have ordered some Xtracolor EDSG as a number of people have said this is more accurate. Alclad around the exhaust area and the white is Alclad white primer. I pre-shaded with Tamiya XF54 and the EDSG was lightened very slightly to give some weathering/tonal difference but it is difficult to see in the photos. Anyway I love this kit and I have 'Yellow Bird' lined up next with a US Navy F4 behind it. I'm back in to 1:72! Cheers Chris

Hey guys I was advised to post my original comments from the New Member area here, as you guys in the Cold War section may be able to help with my impending build? I've copied and pasted the exact text below, please let me know what you know/can do? Regards C Morning guys Just thought I'd quickly introduce myself to you all as this is my first time on this website. I am basically a newbie. I used to model quite a bit as a teenager but the years have galloped on, kids born and work commitments have meant that decades have gone by an I've only built 1 model since then. Back in the day I build a whole airfield up in my mum & dad's attic, with Christmas tree light for runway lights and polystyrene hangers! I think I had a few Phantoms along with a couple of Bulldogs. Living close to RAF Leuchars at the time I obviously had one vocation in life. A few years later and I sold my soul and ended up as a fresh faced 19 year old Armourer at RAF Leuchars. And to my sheer delight got a posting onto 228OCU! Back to today! I have just bought a Revel/Hasegawa 1/48 FGR2 from Fleabay. Apart from that I have nothing......and I mean nothing! Over the next few weeks/months I will be asking for lots of advice and hope you guys can help? As years/techniques/products have moved on, I would appreciate some help in choosing a FEW things!! Glue Filler Paints Brushes Airbrushes Thinners Cleaners Tools etc, etc I'm sorry this is quite a lot to ask of you guys as I am new, but have read many posts and realise that you all seem like a VERY helpful and VERY knowledgable crew! Oh and one more thing before I get carried away! I am hoping to create a model from each of the Squadrons I worked on in my 25years working Fast Jets and want to start, as I said, with a Phantom. Does anyone know where to get a good set of 1/48 decals in 228OCU colours? I will go for now and wait for some great advice Cheers Cahrliesausage

Hello Phantom Phans (sorry...), the masters for the resin parts of my upcoming F-4 canopy inserts have just been finished (looking at the pictures, they need a dusting though): The top one is for Academy, the bottom one for Hasegawa kits. Please ignore those spreader bars at the front - they will go once the parts are nested in their casting blocks. Getting this right will be a challenge, but hopefully my plan works out. There will be a PE set to go with them, a first draft of which has been sent to the etch company for making test pieces. Next up on the bench will be the A3D wheel well set for the Trumpeter kit. Cheers Jeffrey

Are there massive external differences between the F4E and the F4G? Are we talking a couple of aerials or is it more complicated? I appreciate the cockpit is deifferent, but to look at, is it very different?

McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II “Vandy 75” 1:48 Hasegawa The history of the F-4 Phantom is too well known to re-write it here, suffice it to say that it has proven itself to be one of the best aircraft of its type built to date. The Hasegawa kit is probably equally as well known was still regarded as the best 1/48 scale kit available up until perhaps when Academy released their B and C versions. The original Hasegawa F-4 was released around 1980 and has seen many re-releases of the various versions from that date, along with new or additional parts they included new decals and the moulds were refreshed with engraved details to replace the raised details. This version of the Phantom the F-4S comes with commemorative decals for the 75th anniversary of Air Test and Evaluation squadron VX-4. The thing with the Hasegawa Phantom kits is that you know exactly what you’re going to get. The moulds are obviously holding up well as there is no sign of flash or imperfections, on the review sample at least, the details are still nice and crisp. It’s not perfect by any means but a good looking model is quite easy to achieve. Plus there is more aftermarket for these kits than you can throw a stick at, so the world is your lobster in deciding how detailed you want to make your kit. What you do get in this release is the strengthening panels for under the wing and around the main wheel bays. These are provided in what looks like etched nickel and are pretty easy to fit. For those that haven’t built one construction begins with the two pilots, each with separate heads, complete with bone dome, masks and oxygen hose. The pilot has a separate right arm, whilst the navigator has a separate left arm. The ejection seats are assembled from the singe piece squab/backrest/headrest, the two seat sides; primary ejection gun and headbox cover with firing handles moulded integrally. The twin seat tub is fitted with the rear bulkhead, navigators’ instrument panel with separate radar joystick, mid bulkhead, pilots joystick, rudder pedals and instrument panel. The instrument panels and side consoles need to be carefully painted as there are no decals included. The nosewheel bay is then glued to the bottom of the completed cockpit tub and affixed to one side of the fuselage followed by the separate sidewalls. The fuselage halves are then joined together and the two piece air intakes are attached. The blank wall that Hasegawa provide at the rear of the intakes needs to be painted black, or the modeller could produce a photo/decal to reproduce the intake and fan face before fitting the kit parts. Alternatively some homemade or aftermarket intake blanks could be use to hide the shortcoming. With the intakes in place the two ECM fins are fitted to each side. The single piece lower wing isn’t fitted with the outer wing panels; these are moulded with the upper wing sections, thus ensuring the correct dihedral on these panels. With the upper wings fixed to the lower section the wing fence on the leading edge at the fold join needs to be removed and a new part fitted further back along the join. The outer wing slats are also fitted at this time. The completed wing can then be joined to the fuselage assembly, followed by the single piece exhausts, horizontal tailplanes, fin top, two part nosecone, rear canopy fairing, the ejector seats and the pilots. Turning the model over onto its back the nose wheel, consisting of the oleo, separate scissor link, twin nose wheels and retraction jacks are assembled and fitted to the nosewheel bay. The main door retraction mechanism, main door, nose door with aerial attached are then fitted, as are the openings for the two nose intakes. Once the etched strengthening straps have been carefully removed from the fret the can be fitted into their appropriate positions forward of the main wheel bays and airbrakes. Each main undercarriage assembly is made up of two wheel halves, oleo, retraction jack and main bay door; these are then fitted into place. The small outer doors are then attached, followed by the inner doors and their linkages. The airbrakes can be posed either extended or retracted with the addition of the actuator jack if extended. The catapult stop hooks and their mounting plates are then fitted to the forward inner wing. To complete the fuselage the intake splitter plates and cockpit glazing parts are attached, the modeller can pose the canopies open or closed as desired. The model also comes with three two piece drop tanks, one for the centreline station and two for the outer wing stations. The inner wing pylons are fitted with twin launch rails and attached to the inner wing station. The kit does come with four Sidewinder and four Sparrow missiles should the modeller wish to fit them. Decals The decal sheet is smaller than normal due to the fact that there aren’t any stencils, probably due to this particular scheme. The gold 75th anniversary markings look great on the sheet with good density and opacity and in register. There is very little carrier film visible with the sole exceptions being the air intake warnings, but being affixed on gloss paint this shouldn’t cause too many problems with silvering. It certainly a lovely looking scheme. Conclusion Yes it’s another Hasegawa Phantom re-release. But in 1:48 this is still the one to get if you want an F-4S. I have built a few in my time modelling and have always enjoyed the build so maybe it’s time for me to do another? If you haven’t built one then now’s the time as you can’t have a model collection without at least one Phantom in it. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

Hi everybody, here I present my currently finished RF-4E, built of Hasegawa J.A.S.F.D (07230) kit. I used addiionally Aires pilot seats, Hi Decal Line decals, Master tubes and probes, Steel Scorpion "Remove before flight" pendants (correct word?..) and Eduard painting masks. I finished my Phantom in Iranian markings: 62nd TFS, 61st TFW, Islamic Iranian Air Force (IRIAF), TFB.6, Bushehr, 1985. Thanx to Arkady72 for stencil decals! Model was paited using Lifecolor, Tamiya and Mr Hobby acrylics and Mr. Hobby and Model Master metalizers. I hope you enjoy!

F-4F Phantom "PHAREWELL" 1:72 Revell If you have not heard of the F-4 phantom where have you been for the past 56 years! The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was conceived as an all-weather, long-range fighter bomber for the US Navy. It has been in service for over fifty years now and is still serving with distinction with air forces around the world, although active users are now becoming fewer. More than five thousand Phantoms were built. The F-4F is a simplified, lightweight version of the US Air Forces highly capable F-4E, built specifically for the Luftwaffe however these aircraft we not to be fitted with "Beyond Visual Range" weapons so were limited to gun and sidewinders for Air-2-Air combat. The Luftwaffe's F-4Fs were upgraded under the Improved Combat Efficiency (ICE) programme in the late eighties to early nineties. The main changes under ICE were the introduction of the APG-65 radar (as in F/A-18 Hornet) and AMRAAM. Germany finally retired its phantoms in 2013. To celebrate this Revell have re-released their popular and well-regarded F-4F kit in the markings of the last aircraft to fly. A full review of the Revell kit can be seen here in a review by Paul. The only differences in this kit being the decals and the fact that Revell have moulded the kit in blue plastic. Decals Unsurprisingly the option in the box is for the Phantom Pharewell scheme. This was gold on metallic blue. The modeller will have to paint the airframe blue and then apply the gold decals. Conclusion This is a really great kit of the F-4F from Revell. The level of detail is very good indeed and it will look very eye-catching in the Pharewell colour scheme provided. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

This is the ESCI 1/48th 'Bicentennial Phantom' which I started in the F-4 Phantom Group Build well over two years ago. She has been modified and completed as an F-4C serial 64-0864 operated by the 81st TFW out of RAF Woodbridge in 1966. The kit itself is the stock ESCI F-4J with engraved panel lines, this allowed me to complete her as an early F-4C without the radome blister though I should have taken the tail fin trailing blister off as well. The entire cockpit and seats are from a Hasegawa Phantom FG.1 and do nicely bulk out the ESCI pit. The wing tanks are from another ESCI kit and the curved inner wing pylons are from a Revell kit. The kit was painted in the US Navy grey/white scheme with Humbrol satin colours white and light gull grey, lightly sprayed over with Klear, decals added, more Klear, then a home-made wash. The decals were from the Xtradecal X48062 sheet 'USAFE Phantoms Based in England Part 1' and these were augmented by a spare set from a Revell kit. Detailed photos of these early Phantoms are hard to come by and I was left guessing whether there were any walkway markings or not. In the end I compromised and used the lined walkway decals from the Revell kit; probably inaccurate but I think they look good. I wanted to find an interesting weapons mix and after some research I found a photo here http://twinbases.org.uk/photos/81st-aircraft/f4-jc.htm (top photo) which showed an F-4C carrying an SUU-21 Practice Bomb Dispenser, an SUU-23 Gun Pod on the centre pylon, and a LAU-3 Rocket Pod with no fairings on a TER. The SUU-21 was sources from the ESCI F-104C kit, the SUU-23 Gun Pod from a Revell kit and the LAU-3 from the Hasegawa Weapons Set. So, she took well over two years on and mostly off but I am very happy with the results. This is my second ESCI / AMT / Italeri F-4 Phantom and I love the kit, you just have to be a careful with the canopies. Couple of firsts for me here: replacing the cockpit with one from a Hasegawa kit was new - next time I might go for an AM version. Also, this is my first full-on panel line wash and I am converted! Washes for me from now on! Last photo showing the detail of the decals and the panel lines:- Michael

McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom Detail Sets 1:48 Eduard and Brassin Continuing Eduards releases for the Academy F-4B Phantom are these two sets. The first is a new style set of fabric seatbelts and the second, in their Brassin range is a set of replacement wheels. Seatbelt set, - (49064). The set comes in the standard flat pack style with card backing and contains a small sheet of fabric belts, which are made in conjunction with HGW, with enough parts for both seats, including the shoulder straps, lap straps and seat cover. There is also a small sheet of pre-painted etched nickel which encompasses items such as the buckles, ejection handles for both upper and lower positions and the quick release unit. There are a couple of spare buckles should you lose them when fitting. Brassin Wheel Set – (648 114). Does exactly what it says on the packet, and that is providing a complete set of new wheels for the F-4B. As is usual for Brassin these wheels are beautifully moulded with pin sharp details and only the slightest clean up required when the small webs attaching them to the moulding blocks are removed. As an extra bit of detail to the potential diorama, Brassin have also included six yellow chocks which will only need some thin wire or thread attached and the six chocks placed in position. Of course you will have to check references to ensure the correct colour as they are also to be seen in black or red. Conclusion Another great pair of sets from Eduard and their subsidiary Brassin that not only provide extra detail for the model but also help provide visual enhancements for a diorama, what’s not to like. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

After its 1/48th Navy F-4B Phantom - ref. 12232 (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234921465-148th-mcdd-f-4b-phantom-ii-by-academy-released-review-links-furball-decals/) - , Academy is to release in 2013 the Air Force McDD F-4C "Vietnamese War" Phantom II - ref.12294 . This new variant will have wings made from new tooling. Source: http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=260074 V.P.