1:72 F-4F Phantom II 37+11 Phly-out Hopsten AB December 2005

A lightened German variant and its long farewell

The order for Germany came about on the condition that the machine would be simpler and cheaper than the full equipment used by its creators. The system for medium-range missiles therefore disappeared from the airframe, one fuel tank in the fuselage was dropped and the equipment intended for operation from a carrier deck fell away. An aircraft noticeably lighter than the basic form came about, which in maneuvering combat profited from a more favorable thrust-to-weight ratio and earned a good reputation among pilots for exactly that reason.

Some of the examples went through a deep renewal of the electronics in the 1990s. They received a radar with digital signal processing, a new data bus and the ability to use medium-range missiles, that is precisely what had been denied them at introduction. The lightened machine thereby became a full-fledged interceptor for another fifteen years, and Germany operated them longer than anyone had originally reckoned with.

A weak point remained the smoky running of the power units, which an opponent spotted at a great distance before the aircraft itself made out its target. On the modernized airframes this was solved by a modification of the combustion chambers; on the others by flying tactics.

The scheme on the sheet belongs to the ceremony of farewell to the type at a north German base, which the name dates to December 2005. The nickname in the name is a play on words built on the initial letter of the aircraft's name, not a mistake in writing. The motifs are printed for 1:72 scale and are transferred with water; once dry, a clear overcoat is recommended.