Phabulous Wrap-Around Phantoms - 1/48th Italeri F-4E Phantom II
- @PlaneThought41
- Apr 19, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: May 12
I will keep this one brief, as this kit is 1981 vintage and not very good at that (released under the Testors box label as well). Italeri has more recently reissued their F-4 series (mid-2000s) based on a rework of the old ESCI molds, which are an improvement (with engraved panel lines) although still lacking somewhat.

Back in the early 1980's if you wanted to build a 1/48th scale F-4E, this 1/48th Italeri F-4E Phantom II was it. It had raised panel lines, a spartan cockpit with ejections seats that barely resembled any ejection seat let alone a Martin Baker seat. (I used replacement seats.) As I bought two of these F-4E/G kits (and they weren't great) I decided to build one as a F-4E as this was an option.

A cockpit upgrade and some refinements were necessary to bring this kit up to an acceptable level (and I am a pretty easy going kit builder but it had to be done). I decided to build a wrap-around scheme (former Vietnam MiG killer) F-4E with shark-teeth as I had a photo reference from a Koku-Fan book (No.21), for a 51st TFW example based at Osan, South Korea. The tri-colour squadron commander marking on the tail was an added bonus as it added some colour to the build. I cobbled the markings together from decal spares and rub-on lettering for the tail markings.

All said and done, I wouldn't recommend this 1/48th Italeri F-4E Phantom II kit - the later Italeri upgraded reissue of their F-4E with engraved panel lines seems like a much needed improvement to this series, however the cockpit still seems to need work. We now have other options to give you a very nice F-4E (E.g. Hasegawa, also released as a Monogram Pro Modeler F-4E and the newer assortment of F-4s now released.)

Feel free to ask any questions or comment on the build - Keep on building what you want, how you want and enjoy the build - Cheers
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