Phantom! 

If that word conjures up visions of full colour squadron markings on a gull grey and white background then you are going to love this sheet! 

AeroMaster products 48-639 is Part Seven in their Phancy Phantoms series.  It provides marking for three different F-4Js of Atlantic Fleet fighter squadrons.  The individual aircraft and their markings are as follows. 

Bureau Number 157308.  The markings depict it when it was served as the CAG machine of VF-11, the Red Rippers in 1976.  The aircraft is in gull grey and white with a black radome and red, white and blue trim to her fin cap, wings and horizontal stabilizers as well as red canopy rails and a full colour CAG rudder.  A very bright machine to say the least!  The supplied markings comprise: 

·        100 modex in black with white shadowing for the nose. 

·        Abbreviated 00s for the fin cap as well as the nose gear door. 

·        VF-11 titles for the spine (in black with white shadowing)

·        USS Forrestal titles, last four" of the Bureau Number and the Bureau Number block for the rear fuselage. 

·        AA airwing identifiers consisting in black with white shadowing with a red lightning bolt through them, and VF-11 squadron insignia for the vertical stabilizer.

• The red, white and blue trim to the fin cap, wings and horizontal stabilizers.  These are supplied as one-piece decals.  You will have to paint the red for the horizontal stabilizers yourself as it is not supplied.  This is probably a good move by AeroMaster as trying to get the decal to settle over the ends of the stabilizer would have been fun!
• The red trim for the canopy rails
• Crew names for the canopy rails in white
• A CAG rainbow for the rudder
• Black trim for the air conditioner intakes.
• 'Mig Eater' name and "Spook" artwork for the nose gear door.

Bureau Number 153809 of VF-31 Tomcatters.  The markings depict it as it appeared in 1974 when it was aboard the USS Saratoga.  Finish is gull grey and white with a black radome and red squadron markings.   The supplied markings comprise: 

• 107 modex in black for the nose (with white shadowing), fin cap, nose gear door and tops of the flaps
• VF-31 titles for the spine in black with white shadowing.
• Black AC airwing identifiers for the vertical stabilizer
• Red "flash" for the spine and red squadron marking for the vertical stabilizer.  The vertical stabilizer marking incorporates a white AC airwing identifier so that, when the black AC decal is overlaid, it forms white shadowing.  Unfortunately, AeroMaster has allowed the white to extend over the whole decal.  This is incorrect as the Tomcatters left the area between the upper and lower horizontal red stripes in the gull grey of the fin.  This is not too much of a hassle and can be easily rectified with a sharp hobby knife.
• Full colour squadron marking for the fuselage sides

·        USS Saratoga titles and Bureau Number block for the rear fuselage.

• Crew names in red for the canopy rails.
• Bi-centennial squadron markings for the centreline tank.  One of these markings has been printed in reverse.  Perhaps the one-to-one example was the same and if it worries you, simply leave it off your model.

Bureau number 155510, the CAG bird from VV-102 Diamondbacks.  The markings depict it from 1976 when it was aboard the USS Independence.  Finish is gull grey and white with a white radome and a red rudder.  The supplied markings comprise: 

·        100 modex in black with white shadowing for the nose. 

·        Abbreviated 00s for the fin cap and the nose gear door. 

·        VF-102 titles for the spine (in black with white shadowing) 

·        Last four" of the Bureau Number and the Bureau Number block for the rear fuselage.  

·        USS Independence titles for the vertical stabilizer 

·        Squadron marking red outlined white diamond incorporating the AG airwing identifier for the vertical stabilizer.

• The red rudder marking that incorporates white diamonds.  This marking is in one piece and it incorporates the large airwing identifier as well.
• A further squadron marking red outlined white diamond for the spine.  This marking has a cut out for the spine mounted antenna to ease placement.
• Red diamond squadron markings for the fuselage sides.
• Crew names in black on a white square for the canopy
• Black trim for the air conditioner intakes.

You can build any two options as there are only two complete sets of national insignia and NAVY titles supplied.  Two sets of stencil data are included and it is limited to the intake warnings and three different styles of ejection seat warning triangles.  This latter marking is supplied both with and without the white background to beat any register problems (none on my example). 

The old bugbear of fictitious crew names raises its head here. The placement guide advises that as they can not read the correct names on the original photos so they have supplied fictional ones.  Your call but at least AeroMaster has gone to the effort of supplying something. 

There are a lot of markings on these three aircraft and AeroMaster have supplied two sheets (a normal sized one as well as a three quarter sized one) in this issue to get them all in. 

The placement guide is the standard folded A4 sheet that shows full colour profiles of each option in the centre pages as well as scrap views on the back and a list of references used in research for the sheet. 

The decals themselves have been printed by Cartograf.  Whilst Cartograf decals are not as easy to use as Microscale ones if you are patient and use plenty of settling solution you will achieve the same result. 

The placement guide and decal sheets come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag. 

A nice sheet from AeroMaster.  It supplies decals for three Phantoms from the "in your face" era of US Navy markings. 

Recommended. 

Thanks to AeroMaster / Eagle Strike Products for the review sets

On-line sales are available from the AeroMaster Products / Eagle Strike Productions web site.
 

Review TextCopyright © 2004 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 22 May, 2004
Last updated 21 May, 2004

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