KIT: | Revell 1/100 F-4E/F Phantom |
KIT # | 4018 |
PRICE: | $2.10 (in 1984) |
DECALS: | 36TFS / 3 TFW & JBG 35 |
REVIEW BY: | |
NOTES: | Ex-Tamiya mold |
HISTORY |
Without going into a long tirade about how the F-4 Phantom is the most famous and prolific post war American fighter, nor how it has the highest number of MiG kills since Korea, nor how it is still in service 40 years after its first flight, suffice it to say that I like F-4s.
This particular version, the F-4E, was built in larger numbers than any of them and was the first Phantom with an internal gun. It is still being used by a number of countries. The German version is the F-4F, which was identical to the E, except for not having Sparrow Missile capabilities. The German F-4 now has the AAMRAAM in the Sparrow bays.
THE KIT |
Molded in olive drab plastic (undoubtedly to assist in painting), this particular kit is just a reboxing of the Tamiya kit of 1970 vintage. Unlike the Tamiya kit, the decals of the Revell offering have not yellowed and give an additional option of a German F-4F. The F-4E is in SEA camouflage while the F-4F is in the initial splinter scheme used when first delivered. Weapons consist of Falcon missiles, a missile which, to my knowledge, was not carried by either type, mainly because the Sidewinder was a vastly superior weapon. The missile pylons are of a pseudo USAF type, correctly showing the curved forward section, but the lower part is pure fiction. Modelers will have to cut off the missile attachment and either leave the pylon off or cobble up something from the spares box. Wing fuel tanks are also provided, but unlike the F-4K, there is no center fuselage tank offered. In addition, this kit suffers from the oddly curved intakes that were also prevalent on the F-4K. While I doubt if it will be any easier to build than the Brit Phantom, it is still the only offering in this scale, and can be made into a very nice replica.