I will keep this one brief as this kit is 1981 vintage and not very good at that (released under the Testors box 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).
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8c6f65_81ab7b9b240e474d8eb8d37dff957cc0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_551,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/8c6f65_81ab7b9b240e474d8eb8d37dff957cc0~mv2.jpg)
Back in the early 1980's if you wanted to build a 1/48th scale F-4G, this 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 kits (and they weren't great) I decided to build one as a F-4E as this was an option with this kit.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8c6f65_4a2bc34cb7f04d9c8834e3fe23dfffc2~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_551,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/8c6f65_4a2bc34cb7f04d9c8834e3fe23dfffc2~mv2.jpg)
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 markings were cobbled together from spares and rub-on lettering. The tri-colour squadron commander marking on the tail was an added bonus.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8c6f65_69c64f494834451fba8eddcd1c4b179a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/8c6f65_69c64f494834451fba8eddcd1c4b179a~mv2.jpg)
All said and done, I wouldn't recommend this 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)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8c6f65_ec4ed89cddae42cca3c747f57e62fb4c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_551,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/8c6f65_ec4ed89cddae42cca3c747f57e62fb4c~mv2.jpg)
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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