Time for build number 2 for this year.
Its another Phantom!. Well its been a year or so since I last did one...........

Doesnt look to whiffy from this angle does it?
Ok maybe this pair of views may help..........


Still not sure?

And some build shots to show up the main modification.


OK its an F-4EJ Kai II of 302 sqn JASDF. dated in the last ten or so years.
This one has had more of an upgrade than the real F-4EJ kai upgrade. In truth I've used elements from two proposed Phantom upgrade packages to create this hybrid upgrade. Namely the Boeing Super Phantom and the Israeli full Kurnas 2000 upgrade.
The base kit is a 2nd hand Fujimi F-4EJ kit. Paint job and decals are as per the kit. I've been itching to do the so called "Maritime" scheme for a while.

The belly pannier is the most visible aspect and is from the Boeing upgrade, which never progressed past the drawing board due in part to lack of customer interest. It was meant to act as a conformal fuel tank and avionics bay. My one was made from lamination's of plasticard and miliput caved to shape.
The eagle eyed amount you will also have spotted the burner cans look different. You would be right, this beast has had what the Israelis intended for the Kurnas. Swapping the original J79's with F404's from the F-18 Hornet. The Kurnas 2000 prototype did test fly a single F404 to prove the concept, but the idea was dropped to reduce costs. The cans used came from an Aries resin set I acquired for this build. In real life they are a smaller diameter than the J79 so there are gaps........but deliver more grunt for less fuel burn than the J79.
I've also robbed an idea from a previous build from one of our own. Namely FAR148.
The wing tanks are those used on the Mirage 2000D. These are resin examples from Heritage aviation that I had been holding back for just this sort of build.
The weapon load out is all local Japanese hardware from a Hasegawa weapon set.