E-Flite/ Horizon Hobby F-4 Phantom II 80mm EDF

User-friendly Navy “Rhino” for RC jet enthusiasts

- Rich Uravitch

When it comes to just plain brutish, purposefullooking contemporary jets, the “MacDouglas” (I can’t make myself call it “Boeing”) F-4 Phantom II has to be near the top of the list. Not at all angular, faceted, and stealthy like the current F-22 or F-35, the chunky “Double Ugly” still has a slippery shape from nose to tail with a streamlined canopy that doesn’t disrupt those sleek lines. Sure, the stabilators droop down and look as if the builders didn’t wait long enough for the glue to dry, and the outer wing panels look as if there was a piece of scrap wood left on the building board while the wing panels were being assembled, but these visual cues weren’t on the prototype and they do serve design purposes. Having served in many of the world’s air forces in a number of variants, the F-4 soldiered on until its retirement in 1992, the last of the breed being sacrificed as “Q” models as unmanned target drones. While this may be an unbecoming end to an era, the F-4 enjoyed a remarkable career for an equally remarkable airplane, one which is likely to be remembered for some time to come. This level of recognition makes it instantly a favorite of jet modelers, especially those favoring electric propulsion. Horizon Hobby obviously has recognized this and has made this offering available to the RC jet enthusiast.

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