RF-4E & F4E Phantom Under The Skin Volume 2, by Ioannis Lekkas & Ilias Gkonis (Eagle Aviation)

After the impressive book “F-4E Under the skin Vol.1”, Eagle Aviation publishes the equally unique Volume 2, which covers extensively the RF-4E (recce version) of the Legend and the non-upgraded F-4E in Hellenic Air Force service. No doubt, it will become a valuable reference asset for any gun nosed and recce Rhino.

100 pages and hundreds of photographs, captured by one of the world’s leading aviation photographers, Ioannis Lekkas, illustrate in extreme detail every corner of this historic fighter jet. This volume includes also rare photos of HAF Phantoms of previous decades (80s & 90s) from the archives of “Modelling” magazine and his publisher, Sotiris Constantinidis. Also photos from the archives of I. Matsadonis and P. Palavouzis.

External details, walk-around, cockpits, photo equipment, APQ-99 and APQ-120 radars, engines, access panels and all the weapons, AIM-7E/F, AIM-9P/L, Mk-20, Hobos and much more, are thoroughly described - down the last detail. Also an exclusive offer to the buyers of the book is a free giant poster of 80cm x 40cm with highly detailed profiles of all the paint schemes of the F/RF-4Es in the HAF service.
“Phantom Under The Skin” is the must companion for all modelers and Phantom enthusiasts! With this book you can take the challenge to build the ultimate scale Phantom or expand your knowledge around the McDonnel Douglas masterpiece, discovering features around the jet that have never before been published! Every page contains one or more photos of excellent quality.

The first part of the book deals with the front fuselage, exterior and then the lens of Ioannis Lekkas goes almost inside the aircraft to show us the special cameras and other equipment. Access doors are shown wide open and camera details are shot from various angles. It’s interesting to see all interior colors, even small labels and lenses used by the RF. Captions in every photo and direction arrows help the reader to orientate perfectly throughout the book. The landing gear is next, landing lights, mid and upper fuselage close-ups, showing all the stencils and wear marks from hydraulic fluids and opening panels. Then canopies, open and closed, inside them, and of course many photos of the cockpit: instrument panels, sights, monitors, ejection seats, electrical cables/wiring behind seats, we counted more than 50 photos about the cockpit! Wings are treated with every detail, uppersurfaces, undersurfaces, pylons, slats, flaps, tail, stabilators, exhausts, flare ejectors and of course the AN/APQ-99 radar with fully open nose cone.

The last section is about the weapons stores, missiles (Air-to-Air & Air-to-Ground, bombs-Rockeye, Hobos), and also many full sized F-4Es with different camouflage schemes from various periods in HAF service (1974 -2005). Blue camouflaged, Hill Gray (two-tone) Phantoms and aircraft with TISEO systems are of special interest. A brief history of both F-4E/RF-4E and tables, listing serial numbers of all airframes in HAF service are also included. We also get 20 photos of the F-4E cockpit and 7 photos of its AN/APQ-120 radar.

All in all an excellent photo-reference and modeling guide to the Phantom and an ideal companion to the first Volume of the Legend!

Highly recommended!

You can order this book on-line using the following link:

http://scaleindetail.com/PREORDERS?product_id=154

http://eagleaviation.gr/work/rf-4e-f-4e-phantom-ii-phantom-under-the-skin-vol-ii/