GB-58 1/48 F-4D Phantom II – Night Fighters all Eras (1 Viewer)

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Donivanp

Captain
8,141
6,322
Feb 23, 2014
Katy Texas
Username : donivanp
First name : Don
Category : intermediate
Scale : 1/48
Manufacturer / Model : Zoukie-Mura (Z-M) F-4D Phantom II
Extras: Quinta Studio cockpit, Reskit TER's, Verlinden bombs and seats, Eduard ECM pods.

Shortly after WW II fighter's were no longer called "Night Fighters" but the term was "All Weather" or "Day Fighters". If developed with an intercept radar they could take on the all weather intercept. The P-82A Twin Mustang was developed into the F-84F/G with an intercept radar and at first designated a Night Fighter but later after the USAF came into being (September 1947) it was re designated an all weather interceptor.

By Vietnam (US involvement) most aircraft being produced , save for the F-100, were capable of all weather operations, some more so than others.

So… My entry shall be the 1/48 Zoukei-Mura F-4D, Being flown by the 8TFW/497TFS The Night Owls. The 497th's primary role was night interdiction on the Ho Chi Mein trail and they flew out of Ubon RTAB, Thailand. Their aircraft were painted with a flat black belly with no insignia and bare minimum stenciling on the bottom of the aircraft. Most aircraft adorned a white owl on the port engine intake. FP were their tail code. All the 479th aircraft were equipped with the LORAN towel rack antenna The Z-M kit comes with markings for two aircraft, one being 66-8812 belonging to the 497th.I also have "War Birds" decal set 48-036 "Night Owls F-4C/D. It should be noted to my knowledge, No F-4C's were committed to this operation. All aircraft involved used the LORAN and the C was not equipped with this feature.

The F-4D was the first "TRULY" USAF F-4. The F-4C was an adaption of the Navy's F-4B used to get the aircraft into the USAF hands and in the field. The F-4C was equipped with the AIM-9 and the AIM-7 missile systems, the USAF wanted it's own missile system (the AIM-7D) installed on it's aircraft. Most of the changes between the C and the D were quite subtle and so most model companies have produced their kits as C/D and you had to know what you wanted and whet to modify on the existing kit to produce your kit. With the Academy and still a bit later the Z-M kits, they have attempted to define the changes by releasing a C and a D kit. All have some issues as we all know. Z-M does not included any air to ground weapons or MER's or TER's in their kit nor do thy have the center line pylon for the MER. Most of the included weapons are post Vietnam or later in the conflict ( remember it was not a "war" but a "Police Action" (sorta like Chicago riots of 1968 Democratic convention I guess)). As the primary role of the aircraft were night "interdiction" missions, they would have been loaded with vearing sorts of air to ground (bombs) weapons. I shall be using Reskit weapons stations (Mer's and TER's). I shall also be using Eduard ALQ-71-1 and or -2 ECM pods. I have a friend who flew these missions later in the "Police Action" (WAR) and stated they would often install not one but two pods. The normal procedure was to install one in the port forward AIM-7 missile well but in the case of a duel pod there would be one in the starboard well also. I have the Quinta Studio cockpit set for the Z-M F-4D as well. Verlainden Mk 82 weapons as well as a set of their MB Mk 7 seats. Also I have weapons set A and B from Hasegawa to round things out..
 
Da Kit

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