Academy/Revell 1/32 F-4E Phantom
By Jindřich Kulhavý
My last model in 2024 was the F4 E Phantom II 1:32 by Academy. When I unpacked the kit, I found out that it was originally from Revell. The model is not easy, and I worked hard to upgrade it to the result you see here.
I was interested in the story of pilot Rayford Brown which I found on the internet, there is also a picture of him and his plane which is described with markings, so I decided to recreate his aircraft.
The detail inside of the cockpit is very simple so I used accessories from Eduard, Quinta Studios, etc. I was surprised by the size of the model so I used a set of metal gear from Scale Aircraft Conversions. I also had to make the internal air ductwork for the engines. The kit does not have weapons equipment (bombs and pylons) so I used those from Eduard.
The SEA camo scheme was created with Model Master paint. For markings I used Zotz’s JJaws, which included the markings for Brown’s aircraft. The kit from Academy is equipped with a huge decal sheet, however some stencils are missing so I made them myself.
In the picture of the Phantom is the enemy, the MiG-21 PFM. The model is from Trumpeter (MiG-21 FM); I had to make a conversion to the PFM version. This version of the MiG flew over Vietnam at that time as the mentioned Phantom II. The MiG pilot is Lt. Nguyen Hong My 1st Squadron, 921st Air Regiment "Red Star Squadron" Vietnam 1971-1972. The pilot Nguyen My was shot down by the Phantom pilot (B.G. Daniel Cherry), the Vietnamese pilot survived and recovered.
Both pilots are alive today and pilots from Vietnam and the USA participate in friendly meetings.
© Jindřich Kulhavý 2025
This article was published on Wednesday, January 22 2025; Last modified on Sunday, January 26 2025