Hobby 2000 72027 - 1:72 F-4C Phantom II - Vietnam Aces vol.1

Plastic model kit of the American McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II fighter in 1:72 scale

The F-4C was the first version of the Phantom II taken into United States Air Force service – a multirole fighter derived directly from a carrier design that became the principal opponent of the MiGs over North Vietnam. Two J79 engines, a huge external load and a two-man crew including a weapon systems officer defined a new approach to air combat.

Hobby 2000 72027 is based on Hasegawa sprues, complemented by a new sheet of waterslide decals printed by Cartograf and self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing and the wheels. The first option is one of the most recognisable aircraft of the Vietnam War – F-4C 64-0829 "Scat XXVII" of Col Robin Olds and Lt Stephen B. Croker, 433rd TFS / 8th TFW, Ubon, May 1967. The second is F-4C 63-7489 of Capt William Swendner and Lt Duane Buttell Jr, 480th TFS / 35th TFW at Korat, on 14 July 1966.

What you will find in the box:

• Plastic sprues with airframe, cockpit and undercarriage parts
• Clear parts for the two-seat canopy glazing
• Parts for underwing stores and fuel tanks
• Self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing and the wheels
• Waterslide decal sheet printed by Cartograf covering two marking options
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 72027
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Length of the finished model: approx. 247 mm
• Wingspan of the finished model: approx. 163 mm
• Skill level: intermediate

Please note: the kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

The Phantom was a large aircraft, so even in 1:72 the model has real presence and a substantial parts count – a two-seat cockpit, external stores and detailed wheel bays. The kit suits a modeller with some experience. Both cockpits with their ejection seats are best painted and finished before the fuselage is closed, and with such a long forward fuselage some nose weight helps the model sit firmly on its nose gear leg.

Aircraft flying from Ubon and Korat in 1966 and 1967 wore the classic South East Asia camouflage: three upper-surface colours (two greens and a tan) over light grey undersides. The large camouflage areas are best applied with an airbrush, keeping the transitions between the patches soft. Applying the decals over a gloss coat reduces the risk of silvering, and a satin varnish makes a suitable final finish. To raise the level of detail you may wish to consider metal pitot tubes, seat belts or resin ejection seats, all available separately in our shop.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes or an airbrush
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for the decals and satin varnish for the final finish
• Decal setting solution to help the decals conform to the detail
• Modelling wash to emphasise the detail and panel lines

About the aircraft – McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II:

The McDonnell F-4 Phantom II was designed in the late 1950s as a carrier-based interceptor for the US Navy, armed exclusively with guided missiles. The design proved so successful – long range, an enormous external load and performance beyond Mach 2 – that in 1962 the United States Air Force selected it as well. The land-based version adopted by the USAF was the F-4C, with dual controls, larger wheels and tyres and an air force standard aerial refuelling system.

Phantoms entered combat over Vietnam in the mid-1960s and quickly became the backbone multirole aircraft of American aviation, flying escort, air defence, ground attack and defence suppression missions. Their greatest weakness in manoeuvring combat against the light MiG-17 and MiG-21 was the lack of an internal gun – the F-4C could only carry one in an external pod. Experience over Vietnam led to the gun being built in permanently on the F-4E.

The best-known operation involving the F-4C was Operation Bolo in January 1967, planned by Col Robin Olds, commander of the 8th TFW at Ubon. The Phantoms imitated the radio signature and flight profile of F-105 bombers, drawing North Vietnamese MiG-21s into a fight in which seven were shot down without loss. Robin Olds – already an ace with four victories from the Second World War – added four more over Vietnam, and his aircraft "Scat XXVII" is among the most recognisable Phantoms in history.

Original aircraft specifications (F-4C Phantom II):

• Length: 17.76 m
• Wingspan: 11.71 m
• Height: 4.96 m
• Empty weight: approx. 12,700 kg
• Maximum take-off weight: approx. 27,300 kg
• Crew: 2 (pilot and weapon systems officer)
• Powerplant: two General Electric J79-GE-15 turbojets of approx. 75 kN each with afterburner
• Maximum speed: approx. 2,350 km/h (about Mach 2.2)
• Service ceiling: approx. 18,000 m
• Armament: AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder guided missiles; external stores of up to approx. 7,250 kg; gun carried only in an external pod
• Production: 583 F-4C aircraft (1963-1966)

About the manufacturer – Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model company based in Katowice that builds its range around its own themed releases of plastic kits. Each box contains sprues from an established manufacturer – in this case Hasegawa sprues – combined with the company's own artwork, illustrated assembly instructions and a new decal sheet. The waterslide decals for the brand's kits are printed by Cartograf of Italy, valued in the industry for their thin carrier film and accurate colour registration. Most of the aircraft releases also include self-adhesive masks for the glazing, which makes painting the canopy frames considerably easier. Hobby 2000 selects its subjects around specific campaigns, units and pilots, and Polish themes appear regularly in the catalogue. Print runs are limited, so once a release sells out it rarely returns. For the modeller this means access to proven tooling in a boxing with carefully researched markings that are often hard to find elsewhere.