F-4E Phantom II AUP Volume 1 Book Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | April 2016 | Title | F-4E Phantom II AUP Volume 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Ioannis Lekkas and Ilias Gkonis | Publisher | Eagle Aviation |
| Published | 2015 | ISBN | 978-618-81376-5-3 |
| Format | 108 pages, softbound | MSRP (Euro) | 28.00€ |
Review
You have seen the super-detailed photo walk arounds of various aircraft types from a variety of sources such as the 'Uncovering' and 'Lock-On' series by Willy Peeters, Digital Detail and Scale by Bert Kinzey, and the books from Reid Air Publications and AirDoc/Double Ugly. These books distinguish themselves from the other 'walk around' titles with their extensive high-quality color images inside every nook and cranny of the subject airframe(s). Enter Eagle Aviation from Greece who have had extensive access to some interesting subjects. Their walk around series is sub-titled 'Under The Skin' and their first release was the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Unlike other Viper titles, that title took you inside and around the advanced F-16C/D Block 50/52 airframes providing detailed coverage of Viper with conformal fuel tanks and distinctive configurations up-close.
Here is their second title in the series, the F-4E Phantom II AUP which is the designation for the upgraded F-4Es of the Hellenic Air Force. Once again, there are over 400 color photos going into nooks and crannies of the F-4 airframe with some excellent coverage of the engine bays, ducts, and engines whose details are common to most (if not all) Phantom variants. The title looks at other bays and systems also common to other Phantoms as well as the details that are common to other F-4Es including the M61 Vulcan, slats and flaps, wheel wells, air conditioning, ejection seats, and weapons stations.
Of course there is excellent photo coverage of the unique aspects of this aircraft including the APG-65 radar (similar to the F-4F ICE), front and rear cockpits with multi-function color displays, a real heads-up display in place of the gunsight, bird-cutter IFF antennas on the nose, etc. Photo coverage is also given to the pods and external stores including the Litening targeting pod, AIM-9L Sidewinders, AIM-120 AMRAAMs, AGM-65 Mavericks and a variety of laser-guided munitions.
Whether you're planning to model the F-4E AUP, 'standard' F-4E, or other Phantom variant, the detailed photos around the airframe will help you replicate the details inside various bays as well as external details around the airframe. This will be a handy photo reference building my various Phantom projects as well. With all of the coverage in this 'Volume 1', I can't wait to see what they're going to bring in Volume 2!
Definitely recommended!
My sincere thanks to Accion Press for this review sample!