| Scale | 1/72 |
| Manufacturer | Microscale Decals |
| Decal Sheet ID | AC72-0050 |
| Decal Sheet Title | USAF Phantoms: F-4C, D & E Sharkmouths |
| Types Featured | F-4C, F-4D, F-4E |
Microscale produce decals for many decal manufacturers, but have also started to issue new decals under their own brand. AC72-0050 provides markings for five different F-4C, D and Es, all of which have appeared on previous Microscale sheets.
- F-4E-35-MC 67-0287 JV from the 469th TFS, 388th TFW (incorrectly marked as 338th TFW). This carried the standard South East Asian scheme, comprising FS34079, FS34102 and FS30219 upper surfaces with FS36622 lower surfaces. It carried a full colour red/white/black sharkmouth with white tailcodes;
- F-4E-33-MC 67-0219 JJ from the 34th TFS, 388th TFW. This was painted and marked similarly to 67-0287 with the same sharkmouth;
- F-4E-34-MC 67-0265 from the Air Defence Weapons Center (ADWC). It carried a white tail stripe with red diamonds, the Air Force System Command (AFSC) badge on the left nose and the ADWC badge on the starboard nose. This wore a variation of the standard SEA scheme, with green FS34102 replaced by FS34159 and tan FS30219 replaced by FS34424. There has been a lot of discussion as to whether these replacement colours were intentional, or just bad batches of paint! Furthermore, it should carry the Air Development Test Center (ADTC) badge on the starboard fuselage, as the ADWC was actually part of the Air Defense Command (not AFSC);
- F-4C-20-MC 73-7604 XN from the 559th TFS, 12th TFW. It carried the standard SEA scheme with a blue/red/yellow stripe on the fin and intakes with the squadron emblem on both sides of the intakes. Tailcodes were white and it carried "SUGAR FOOT III" nose art;
- F-4D-30-MC 66-7554 OY from the 555th TFS, 432d TRW (incorrectly identified as the 432d TFW). This wore the standard SEA scheme with a green fin cap and white tailcodes. It carried "TRAPPER" in black on the inside of the nose gear door and Snoopy artwork on the left intake.
UPDATED!
Microscale's decals are very thin, opaque and in good register.
A single set of stencils are provided, but strangely only 3 stars'n' bars are provided for each subject as they appear to be designed for overall ADC grey-painted aircraft.
Two sizes are supplied although there are only enough of each to build two complete aircraft. Furthermore, the stencils provided may not be appropriate for all of the subjects as they are mainly black/red, some are of the later style used in the 70s/80s, and they appear to be larger than those carried by Vietnam-era aircraft
Finally, the instructions provide left side views of each aircraft and upper/lower camouflage schemes - however the schemes provided are rather suspect and the modeller should check their own references carefully!
Review and images by Chris St Clair
DISCLAIMER: USAF SIG does not vouch for the accuracy or otherwise of any item - we review what we see so that you, the modeller, can make up your own mind! However, where we are aware of errors or omissions, we will note this in our review.