1/72 Hasegawa F-4 F Phantom

Gallery Article by Alex Cimenti on June 22 2016

 

      

F-4 F Phantom Lufwaffe JG-74 Mölders

Hi again, here's my second article of another F-4 Phantom (after the Japanese recce version), this time I made a Luftwaffe F-4 F in norm 72 camo pattern, wearing JG-74 Mölders unit colors.

The kit is quite different from the one I described in the previous article (RF-4EJ). I started with this that basically is a Standard Hasegawa F-4E kit, the kits provides slotted stabilo's wings and other correct features of the F-4F. To add some detail to the kit, I used Eduard cockpit PE set parts (SS123), wheels from True Details and the weapons came out of the well know Hasegawa weapon kits. The decals (which were RATHER fragile) came from the box and from Microscale too (I used a Microscale F-4 data decals for stencilings etc...).

The kit weakest feature is the assembly and following difficult alignment between the central and forward parts of the fuselage, that requires a bit of plasto.

Wings are well done with all needed details, cockpit details are poor but were improved using some parts of Eduard cockpit set and scratched details too. 

Click on images below to see larger images

Sadly no external loads except from the underwing tanks, that are really well done and detailed. The armament consists out of 2 AIM-9B missiles, which where commonly used during QRA and NATO exercises (this particular version of the Phantom had no AIM-7 Sparrow missiles) The right colours where found using Don Colour website. The aircraft was weathered using both a sludge wash, and Tamiya Smoke. The engine area was sprayed using different colours from the Alclad range and Humbrol Metal Cote.

I made this model in norm 72 camo, a splinter three tone camouflage pattern with Grey and Green upper surfaces delimited by straight geometrical lines (typically germanic and reminding of the WWII Luftwaffe) with lower surfaces painted in an alluminised grey.

After the painting and weathering process was finally finished, I added two hands of semigloss transparent paint, then I applied the decals, using those from the box, plus a few extra from the aftermarket.

I was quite satisfied with the final quality of my model, it was quite good, nothing special, but at the end I finished another "honest Phantom" again without making too many defects.

History: 
In 1973, under the "Peace Rhine" program, the Luftwaffe purchased the lightened and simplified F-4F which was upgraded in the mid-1980s.

Germany also initiated the Improved Combat Efficiency (ICE) program in 1983. The 110 ICE-upgraded F-4Fs entered service in 1992 and were expected to remain in service until 2012. All the remaining Luftwaffe Phantoms were based at Wittmund with Jagdgeschwader 71 (fighter wing 71) in Northern Germany and WTD61 at Manching. The German Air Force retired its last F-4Fs on 29 June 2013. German F-4Fs flew 279,000 hours from entering service on 31 August 1973 until retirement.

This particular example I reproduced was introduced in service with Jagdgeschwader 74 (JG 74) dedicated to German World War II fighter ace Werner Mölders. JG 74 received the honorary name of "JG 74 Mölders" on 22 November 1973. The camo pattern as I said is the norm 72, large high viz crosses and numbers are sported with this camo.

Curiosity: 
Due to the smoke generated by the F-4's
General Electric J79 engines, the German pilots dubbed the F-4F the "Air Defence Diesel". The last of the F-4Fs was retired from this unit on 12 June 2008.

From 2006 to June 2008 JG 74 transitioned to the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Alex Cimenti

Photos and text © by Alex Cimenti