Sheet:

Aeromaster 72-186: Phancy Phantoms V

Units: VMFA- 115, 122, 251

Price

$7.00

Reviewer:

Scott Van Aken

Like the 109, your author cannot get enough F-4 decal sheets. Especially in 1/72, which in the US seems to be a forgotten scale, if you read enough of the media. I won't go into any real background on the F-4. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the most likely candidates for kits. The decal instructions suggest the ESCI, Hasegawa, and Monogram versions. However, Italeri and Fujimi also make very nice 1/72 F-4s. The most detailed are the Hasegawa kits, but you pay for that detail in fussiness of building. Regardless of which kit you choose, these decals will look great!

First is the VMFA-251 bird. No low-viz stuff on this one as it is in light gull grey over white with the full color markings so beloved by most of us USN aircraft fans. This 1972 scheme has the white nose cone found on many F-4s

Next is a rather interesting VMFA-122 plane. Not only does it have a US Bicentennial marking on the side, but apparently it has several areas of repaint. The fresh light gull grey contrasts with the older and more weathered paint. Unfortunately, only the left side is shown so the right side and upper surfaces are conjecture for the builder.

Finally, in an overall gloss gull grey, is this VMFA-115 aircraft. The Marines occasionally deploy on carriers (to make sure they remember how to do it) and in this case, AA/05 was aboard the USS Forrestall. You can see that some attempt at low visibility was done on this plane with the white markings. This scheme is from 1981.

A careful choice of aircraft will allow you to do two of them with the markings provided on the decal sheet.

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