I’ve built most brands of 1/72 scale Phantom IIs, starting with the 1965 Revell issue. Seems like everyone has done multiple boxings over the succeeding decades. The latest F-4 family is from Fine Molds, a Japanese company that doesn’t get much distribution in the U.S., but in general, its kits are worth seeking out. I got mine from a Japanese retailer online.
This kit is a representation of the early gun-nose F-4E and is boxed with markings of U.S. Air Force jets in Vietnam. The breakdown of the gray styrene parts shows how several different Phantom variants will be produced; Fine Molds has already released “short nose” kits, including the USAF F-4C/D and the U.S. Navy/Marines F-4J.
The kit is engineered with ease of assembly in mind. The moldings feature super-fine recessed panel lines and fasteners.
In the cockpit, you choose to add decals to a set of flat instrument panels and consoles or paint the raised-detail alternates. The seats are well detailed, but there are no harnesses; Fine Molds offers an aftermarket set of harnesses in a Nano Aviation detail set (No. NA10).
The intakes can be easily pre-painted and extend all the way back to the engine fronts with no visible seams.
The entire bare-metal exhaust area is a separate assembly and can be added to the kit’s airframe after painting. Yay! No masking! Well, almost. There is a little vent on the corners above the afterburner nozzles that must be painted a dark metallic shade. The afterburners can be added after painting, too.
The stabilizers have long “finger” tabs that interlock with each other. Tip: Paint and install the stabs to the pre-painted exhaust area before you add that assembly to the fuselage. That will make it easier to align the stabs.
Fine Molds offers opened and closed canopies along with a separate windscreen. I didn’t know that the windscreen on the “long nose” Phantoms was just a bit shorter than the earlier “short nose” versions. Did you?
The landing gear and bays present a good amount of detail, were easy to install, and everything fits!
The kit provides equipment cooling hatches near the centerline of the belly and a detailed equipment bay. The deeply scribed ailerons could be drooped easily for a more dynamic and realistic model. While the radome is separate, watch out when painting: The aft 3mm of the part should be camouflaged, the rest is black. I had to repaint mine.
You get both short and the later long gun muzzles to fit under the nose. The kit provides a pair of underwing tanks and a choice of two centerline tanks. Note: The later F-15-style tank is not used on this early F-4E. Inboard weapon pylons are supplied along with two styles of missile rails. The tiny pins and holes to attach the rails to the pylons are not sturdy, so be careful.
Parts fit overall was excellent and I used no filler, but I had to sand the mating surface along the fuselage spine. Also, the always-difficult intake-to-fuselage seams — never easy on Phantoms — required a little sanding.
Putting all the subassemblies together was trouble free and no gaps showed up, even between the wing and fuselage. I chose the closed canopy option and it fit perfectly! I painted my model with Mr. Color lacquers using vinyl masks from LF Models for the SEA camouflage (No. M7263). The separate fin made painting easier.
The decals provide markings for two shark-mouthed F-4Es, one from the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, the other 4th TFS, 366th TFW. There are more than 100 decals on the beautifully printed sheet, so prepare for an extended session. Fortunately, many of the tiny stencils are grouped, so you can apply two or three, or up to six stencils with one decal. Still, it took several hours to get them all down. They’re a bit thick; I recommend using hot water and a hair dryer.
You won’t find ordnance in this kit, and that, after a great build, disappointed me. Fine Molds produces a couple of ordnance sets available separately — U.S. army Aircraft Missile Set 2: ’60s-’70s (No. FP44) and U.S. Army Aircraft Bomb Set: ’60s (No.FP45).
I spent 31 hours on my Phantom, the lion’s share devoted to painting and decaling. I think the model looks terrific, although I could have done a better job adding the radome after I repainted the camo on the aft end. The shark mouths cover most of my mistake, so I’m good. Fine Molds’ kits are the best Phantom IIs in 1/72 scale, so, if you can find them, enjoy!