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- Thread starter Danio1988
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Phantom
Well-known member
Never wanted to buy a diecast Phantom - HM mainly due to their excessively overdone panel lines but then I came across an F-4F in colors of the 20th FS - a scheme I loved ever since seeing one fresh out of the paintshop prior to its ferry flight to the US - so I decided to get it.
Well, what can I say, getting the model out of its blister is a nightmare, worse than the 104. But I managed to get it out...
I really don't want to nitpick. But there are a few things on this model that really gave me a WTF??! moment.
I knew prior to ordering that HM made this one with the wrong (slotted) stabilators. No big deal, as the other 20th FS airframe I well remember was an E-model my unit received as ABDR-trainer. So the slotted stabs were ok to me (Es had them, Fs didn't)
The colors, well, the medium grey is more like a turquoise grey but ok...
But of course I want to display it in a realistic config. I realized that HM delivers the pylons pre-assembled (glued!) with the LAU-7 rails and all Sidewinders - combat ammo! WTF? Here you need to know that the pylon is about the last thing you'd remove because it's just a load of work for little benefit. For a realistic config you'd need to have the pylons plus Sidewinder rails, but "naked" or maybe together with an ACMI-pod or rarely one or two Sidewinders - I don't think 20th FS provided QRA or went to the live firing range on a daily basis. But all 4 combat Sidewinders??
Now if I at least would be able to install the pylons so that they'd hang straight
HPC-tank... I'm not happy with how it attaches to the belly. Some work is needed to correct this once I get the time to...
Well, despite all these issues (plus 100 when being nitpicky) it's still a Phantom, so what's not to love?
The real thing:
cn 72-1257 was accepted by Luftwaffe in December 1975, registered as F-4F-72-1257 with ident (Taktische Kennung) 38+47.
Initially commanded to JG71 "Richthofen" where it also carried two special liveries, was also reported with JG74 "Mölders" and was later assigned to JG72 "Westfalen". The airframe was modified to KWS-LV ("ICE A/D") standard.
In January 1997 it was assigned to the 20th FS at Holloman together with sisterships to replace the -4Es (including the remaining 7 Luftwaffe Es) for Luftwaffe crew training there. It was consequently painted in full USAF camo and received tail code HO and AF ident 72-257 (72-1257)
It was handed over to the USAF in 2005, might have had its last flight already in late 2004. It ended up with AMARC at Davis Monthan where it was finally listed as FP1085.
Enough said, here's the pics.
Just two as long as I'm unable to load it properly.
Well, what can I say, getting the model out of its blister is a nightmare, worse than the 104. But I managed to get it out...
I really don't want to nitpick. But there are a few things on this model that really gave me a WTF??! moment.
I knew prior to ordering that HM made this one with the wrong (slotted) stabilators. No big deal, as the other 20th FS airframe I well remember was an E-model my unit received as ABDR-trainer. So the slotted stabs were ok to me (Es had them, Fs didn't)
The colors, well, the medium grey is more like a turquoise grey but ok...
But of course I want to display it in a realistic config. I realized that HM delivers the pylons pre-assembled (glued!) with the LAU-7 rails and all Sidewinders - combat ammo! WTF? Here you need to know that the pylon is about the last thing you'd remove because it's just a load of work for little benefit. For a realistic config you'd need to have the pylons plus Sidewinder rails, but "naked" or maybe together with an ACMI-pod or rarely one or two Sidewinders - I don't think 20th FS provided QRA or went to the live firing range on a daily basis. But all 4 combat Sidewinders??
Now if I at least would be able to install the pylons so that they'd hang straight
HPC-tank... I'm not happy with how it attaches to the belly. Some work is needed to correct this once I get the time to...
Well, despite all these issues (plus 100 when being nitpicky) it's still a Phantom, so what's not to love?
The real thing:
cn 72-1257 was accepted by Luftwaffe in December 1975, registered as F-4F-72-1257 with ident (Taktische Kennung) 38+47.
Initially commanded to JG71 "Richthofen" where it also carried two special liveries, was also reported with JG74 "Mölders" and was later assigned to JG72 "Westfalen". The airframe was modified to KWS-LV ("ICE A/D") standard.
In January 1997 it was assigned to the 20th FS at Holloman together with sisterships to replace the -4Es (including the remaining 7 Luftwaffe Es) for Luftwaffe crew training there. It was consequently painted in full USAF camo and received tail code HO and AF ident 72-257 (72-1257)
It was handed over to the USAF in 2005, might have had its last flight already in late 2004. It ended up with AMARC at Davis Monthan where it was finally listed as FP1085.
Enough said, here's the pics.
Just two as long as I'm unable to load it properly.
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