Few aircraft are as iconic as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. Its upswept wingtips, hulking fuselage, and twin J79 engines made it a memorable sight (and sound) around the world. The US Navy was the first operator of the aircraft, and the subject of this set is the first main production variant, the F-4B (many of which were later upgraded to the F-4N standard). Setting several aviation records just prior to and in the years after introduction, the F-4 became operational on December 30, 1960, with VF-121. With the US entry in the Vietnam War the F-4 became one of the most identifiable aircraft of the conflict, being flown by both the Navy and the USAF. US Navy F-4s flew their first combat sortie as part of Operation Pierce Arrow on 5 August 1964. The F-4's first air-to-air victory occurred the following April when Lieutenant (j.g.) Terence M. Murphy and his radar intercept officer, Ensign Ronald Fegan, downed a Chinese MiG-17. Flying primarily in the fighter/interceptor role, US Navy F-4s downed 40 enemy aircraft to a loss of five of their own. An additional 66 were lost to missiles and ground fire. The second-most produced Western jet fighter in history with 5,195 units, the F-4 was extensively exported. Nations that have flown the aircraft include Israel, Great Britain, Australia, and Spain. While many have since retired the F-4, the aircraft has been modernized and is still use (as of 2008) by Japan, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Iran, and South Korea.

The F-4 has been offered by several companies previously but this is the first time a model in 1/700 scale has truly captured the enormous and diverse payloads carried by this superb aircraft. In fact, this set actually includes three different gear down models:" (x1) with a centerline fuel tank and four AIM-9 Sparrow missiles under the fuselage, 370-gal drop tanks on both outer pylons and a LAU-17 pylon/launcher with three AIM-7 Sidewinder missiles on both inner pylons under each wing; (x1) with the same tank/missile load and a Triple Ejection Rack (TER) with three Mk.82 bombs on the inner pylon under each wing; and (x1) wings folded, canopies open models with a centerline tank and the same missile load plus no less than eighteen(!) Mk.82 bombs on six separate TERs. While photography of these little gems is a challenge for our equipment and limited skills, check out the well proportioned models including the huge fuselage with detailed canopies, the massive air intakes, the fuel tanks and varied ordnance packages, even the tiny Infrared probe under the nose; the distinctive tail assembly and wings with the upswept tips (folded up on one of the models) and the landing gear.

While the surfaces are not perfectly smooth (3D printing is done in layers), the plastic used can be sanded and painted much the same way you would handle resin or styrene. The models may still have some powder and oil-like agent on them that needs to be removed by washing in warm water with a drop of detergent in it.

NOTE: While we currently maintain limited inventories of most items, some items may be "printed on demand", which usually requires 10-15 business days from order to shipment.