The F-4 was the best US fighter of the mid-Cold War period. In active service in the US from the early 1960s until the mid 1990s, the type was the main US fighter-bomber in use during the Vietnam War along with the USAF's F-105. The type was also widely used by other nations and in some cases, built under license. Now only Turkey and perhaps Iran still fly the Phantom and there are a couple under civilian ownership in the US.

When Germany was looking for a modern fighter-bomber, they chose the F-4. At the time the F-4E was the newest variant and so they chose a simplified version. By that I mean that it didn't have some of the same avionics (no RWR system), and it was not capable of operating the medium range Sparrow missile. Later in its life, the aircraft went under the ICE modification program. This improved the aircraft's radar system, incorporated the Agile Eagle maneuvering slats and allowed the installation of the AIM-120 missile in the Sparrow bays. While not all German F-4Fs were so modified, most were. The type was retired in June 2013.

Revell's kit is typical of their products from the turn of the century. Engraved panel lines, decals for the instrument panels if you want it, fair bang seats and a forward fuselage that is separate from the rear portion. In fact, it reminds me quite a bit of the Hasegawa 1/72 Phantom phamily.

The kit provides the full 'Agile Eagle' slatted wing with different outer wing sections. The 'hard wing' can be done if someone wishes to do so as holes need to be opened for the slat actuators to do the Agile Eagle option. Once the wings are jointed to the aft fuselage section, the nose and tailplanes can then be attached. Intakes are deeper than on the Hasegawa kit and the initial compressor stages are provided so you don't just see a blank wall when looking down the intakes.

Separate fin tips are provided with the German one being unadorned by antennas. The kit has separate canopy sections so you can pose them open if you desire. I personally wish F-4 kit makers would include a one-piece version for those of us who like to model them closed. Landing gear and gear doors are pretty standard stuff for this scale and are well done. The main gear doors are a single piece that need to be cut into the usual three sections.

An F-15 style centerline tank is provided along with a pair of wing tanks. The missile pylons include chaff/flare dispensers and these have some sink areas on them. This one actually includes weapons with Sidewinders and since this is an ICE modified plane, AMRAAM missiles along with a jamming pod.

Instructions are well done with the usual Revell paint references. Two markings options are provided. One is the special scheme box art plane for the 40th year of JG 71 'Richtofen'. The large red and black areas will need to be painted to match the decals. The other is a JG 73 'Molders' aircraft in a later standard scheme of two greys. Decals are nicely printed and quite matte.

In all, this looks to be a fairly nice kit. Nothing too difficult and while there are some small parts, it isn't fraught with the mass of inserts that are found on some other F-4 kits. If you want to build a standard F-4E you can do that though you'll have to get Sparrow missiles from another source.

December 2023

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