Afterburner Decals 1/48 F-4E Phantom II 51 TFW Decal First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | March 2009 | Manufacturer | Afterburner Decals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | F-4E Phantom II 51 TFW | Scale | 1/48 |
| Set Number | 48049 | Pros | Nice selection of PACAF Phantoms |
| Cons | Skill Level | Novice | |
| MSRP (USD) | Out of Production |
First Look
Afterburner Decals continues to turn out some impressive decal releases covering contemporary US subjects and this latest set is no exception. this release provides a nice cross-section of Phantoms of the 51st TFW based out of Taegu AB and Osan AB, South Korea.
This decal set provides eight examples of the F-4E and there are three different camouflage schemes used during the period of coverage of this sheet. These include Hill Two, Europe I, and the SEA wrap-around schemes.
The examples presented here include:
- F-4E, 69-7551, 51 TFW, OS, 1986, Wing CC's aircraft
- F-4E, 69-7297, 497 TFS/51 TFW, GU, 1988, Squadron CC's aircraft
- F-4E, 69-7297, 497 TFS/51 TFW, GU, 1987, Squadron CC's aircraft
- F-4E, 68-0339, 497 TFS/51 TFW, GU, 1988
- F-4E, 67-0351, 497 TFS/51 TFW, GU, 1985
- F-4E, 68-0329, 36 TFS/51 TFW, OS, 1988
- F-4E, 69-0303, 36 TFS/51 TFW, OS, 1985
- F-4E, 69-0252, 36 TFS/51 TFW, OS, 1983
This decal set provides you with the sufficient stencils and markings to replicate two of these aircraft. If you look over the decal sheets, you can see that the set provides national markings, stencils, walkways, and formation (slime) lights.
The instructions indicate that these are sized for the Hasegawa kit, so you're on your own to tailor these markings should you choose one of the other kits instead. The aircraft are all slotted F-4Es without TISEO and have not been upgraded to ARN-101, so most of the Hasegawa F-4E kits will work with these markings.
My sincere thanks to Afterburner Decals for this review sample!