Afterburner Decals 1/48 F-4E Double Ugly II Decal First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Afterburner Decals has turned out some impressive decal releases covering contemporary US subjects and this one is no exception. This new set covers several late-block F-4Es from the 4th TFW at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. These aircraft were kept in prime condition during their service in the 4th as many photos from the period show. This set provides markings for the F-4E in its standard four-color Southeast Asia (SEA) scheme, the later three color SEA wrap-around scheme, and the Europe I camouflage.

The examples presented here include:

• F-4E-60-MC, 74-1040, SJ, 4 TFW, Wing CC's Aircraft, 1983
• F-4E-58-MC, 73-1168, SJ, 4 TFW, Wing CC's Aircraft, 1987
• F-4E-62-MC, 74-1649, SJ, 336 TFS/4 TFW, 336 TFS CC's Aircraft, 1984
• F-4E-31-MC, 66-0295, SJ, 337 TFS/4 TFW, 337 TFS CC's Aircraft, 1984
• F-4E-34-MC, 67-0232, SJ, 337 TFS/4 TFW, MiG Killer, 1984
• F-4E-34-MC, 67-0283, SJ, 337 TFS/4 TFW, Drone Killer, 1985
• F-4E-58-MC, 73-1180, SJ, 4 TFW, Red Flag, 1981
• F-4E-58-MC, 72-1142, SJ, 4 TFW, Red Flag, 1981
• F-4E-58-MC, 73-1176, SJ, 4 TFW, Gunsmoke, 1985

The instructions show some these aircraft upgraded with the ARN-101 (Arnie) navigation system which is a black dome-shaped fairing ahead of the vertical stabilizer and blade antennas located in front of and behind the fairing. Pick your model accordingly. The Hasegawa 1/48 F-4E is a good start for this project as it represents a slatted airframe, but you will have to add your own Arnie and TISEO details to the kit (not a big deal).

This decal set provides you with the sufficient markings to replicate two of these aircraft. If you look over the decal sheet, you can see that this set is complete with the names of the flight crews and maintainers.

If you're looking for a nice subject for your next Phabulous Phantom project, this is the right set to get you there.

My sincere thanks to Afterburner Decals for this review sample!