Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 (A06019A) In-Box Review

[Ratch]

The United Kingdom operated the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II as one of its principal combat aircraft from 1968 to 1992. The UK was the first export customer for the F-4 Phantom, which was ordered in the context of political and economic difficulties around British designs for the roles that it eventually undertook. The Phantom was procured to serve in both the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force in several roles including air defence, close air support, low-level strike and tactical reconnaissance.

Although assembled in the United States, the UK's early Phantoms were a special batch built separately with a significant amount of British technology as a means of easing the pressure on the domestic aerospace industry in the wake of major project cancellations. Two variants were initially built for the UK: the F-4K variant was designed from the outset as an air defence interceptor to be operated by the FAA from the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, and the F-4M version was procured for the RAF to serve in the tactical strike and reconnaissance roles. The RN received its first F-4K Phantoms, which carried the British designation FG.1, in April 1968. 

In the mid-1980s, a third Phantom variant was obtained when fifteen second-hand F-4J aircraft were purchased to augment the UK's air defences following the Falklands War.

The Phantom entered service with both the FAA and the RAF in 1969. In FAA service, while primarily intended for fleet air defence, it had a secondary strike role. In the RAF it was soon replaced in its initial tasks by other aircraft designed specifically for strike, close air support and reconnaissance, and instead was moved to the air defence mission. By the mid-1970s, the Phantom had become the UK's principal interceptor, a role in which it continued until the early 1990s.

The Phantom FG.1 and FGR.2 as built were similar, being fitted with broadly the same turbofan jet engines and avionics, although there were minor differences. The FG.1 was initially fitted with the Mark 201 version of the Rolls-Royce Spey, while the FGR.2 had the Mark 202; the Mark 201 had an unacceptable time lag between throttle movement and engine response, which was remedied in the 202. The 201 was eventually upgraded to the Mark 203 version, which had a modified control system for the afterburner, allowing it to light faster and enable power to be applied quickly in the event of a bolter on the small decks of the RN's aircraft carriers. Both variants were fitted with a version of the same avionics package; the FG.1 was fitted with the AN/AWG-11, which differed primarily in having a nose radome that was hinged and able to fold backwards against the aircraft's fuselage to allow for storage in the hangar of an aircraft carrier; the system was designed to be integrated with both the AGM-12 Bullpup missile and the WE.177 free-fall nuclear weapon as required. The AN/AWG-12 fitted to the FGR.2 was not foldable, and featured a better ground mapping mode, to take into account the strike role for which the type was originally procured; allied to this was a Ferranti inertial navigation/attack system (removed when the type converted to the air defence role). Additionally, as the FGR.2 was procured to undertake the tactical reconnaissance mission, 30 airframes were specifically wired to allow carriage of the reconnaissance pod developed by EMI. It was also configured to be able to control the SUU-23/A gun pod; FG.1s used by the RAF were also able to use the gun pod, but the RN's FG.1s lacked this capability.

This is a re-issue of the 2019 kit with a new decal sheet. The A06019 kit was a re-issue of the 2017 A06016 kit with new parts. Dimensions are 244mm x 162mm with 177 parts. Skill Level is 3 and 2 Flying Hours are printed on the box.

Moulded on eight runners, F being in clear plastic and the remainder in grey styrene.

Detail quality is well done. No figures are included. The country of manufacture is India.

Instructions are printed in a 20-page, A4 booklet and are identical to A06016.

Airfix provides three A3 size individual sheets of reference images for paint colours and decal placements. The marking options are:

FGR.2, No. 53 Squadron, Royal Air Force Wattisham, Suffolk, East Anglia, England 1991.

FG.1, Aircraft flown by Wing Commander John Brady and Flight Lieutenant Michael Pugh-Davis, No. 43 (Fighter) Squadron, Cornwall, England, Northern Scotland, February 24th 1988.

FG.1, No. 892 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Ark Royal/USS Saratoga, 1978. 

Decals are by Cartograf, which are of reliably good quality.

Paints advised:

11 Metallic Silver

30 Matt Dark Green

33 Matt Black

53 Metallic Gunmetal

56 Metallic Aluminium

60 Matt Scarlet

66 Matt Olive Drab

74 Matt Linen

85 Satin Coal Black

123 Satin Extra Dark Sea Grey

130 Satin White

140 Matt Gull Grey

159 Matt Khaki Drab

165 Satin Medium Sea Grey

166 Satin Light Aircraft Grey

167 Satin RAF Barley Grey

196 Satin Light Grey

These are not included in the kit.

RRP £33.99.

[Roger-357422]

I was hasty and could not wait for the RAF version, so I bought the Royal Navy version (initial release). So my question is how do I convert it to an RAF version? I'm already helped by comonents B3 and B4. but what else do I need to do other tan put RAF markingson it?

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

I was hasty and could not wait for the RAF version, so I bought the Royal Navy version (initial release). So my question is how do I convert it to an RAF version? I'm already helped by comonents B3 and B4. but what else do I need to do other tan put RAF markingson it?

 

 

If you are building an RAF FG.1 from 43 or 111 Squadron, you don't need to do much.

If you are building a FGR.2 (19, 23, 29, 56, 64, 92, and for the last year of operations 74 squadron) you will need to modify the nose wheel leg so it only has one linkage, not two, and sand the slots off the tailplane. Also use the blanks instead of the catapult hook parts behind the intake undersides (small almost triangular inserts). RAF Phantoms (FGR.2s) did not have the nose cone that folded fully back. It will depend on the timeframe you are modelling whether you use the reinforced underside plate or not, and the fin with the RWR box on top or not. Don't use the rocket pods from the kit, as they were Navy only version. You should be okay with the bombs (early RAF Phantoms only), Sparrows and AIM-9D Sidewinders (Although latter in their careers RAF Phantoms used AIM-9L and Skyflash missiles).