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[E37] F-4EJ Kai Phantom II 1/72
Description
The F-4EJ Kai is a fighter plane of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force that was developed from the F-4EJ Phantom II. It was decided to adopt it as a successor to the F-86F in 1968, and the F-4EJ, which began to be deployed in 1969, has been in service for more than 20 years, so research and development has been carried out since 1980 to extend the life of the aircraft and improve its capabilities. As a result, a renovation plan for the F-4EJ Kai was announced in February 1982. This renovation mainly involves improving combat capabilities and adopting the ASIP inspection method, which is a measure to extend the life of the aircraft.
To improve combat capabilities, the AN/APG-66J fire control radar, which is a modified version of the Westinghouse AN/APG-66 used in the F-16, was installed for the F-4EJ. This radar was adopted after the forced landing of the MiG-25 in Hakodate, and is a small pulse-Doppler radar that is suitable for searching for aircraft flying at low altitudes over the sea from the air. With this change, the onboard computer was changed from analog to digital. This enabled the integration of the weapon system and the domestic ASM-1 anti-ship missile.
The navigation system was also changed from analog to digital. The inertial navigation system was digitized, which significantly improved navigation accuracy, and the aircraft also had a target marking function that could mark up to three target points. In addition, the radar warning system was upgraded to an improved version as a defense measure, and detailed data was displayed on the cockpit CRT screen. In addition, the HOTAS concept was adopted, which allows pilots to perform various operations while keeping their hands on the control stick and throttle lever, as a measure to simplify the pilot's operating procedures. With these upgrades, a new head-up display was adopted to display the processed data, allowing the pilot to read the data while facing forward.
The F-4EJ Kai adopted the ASIP aircraft management system as a measure to extend the life of the aircraft. This is a system that allows the flight performance data of each aircraft to be managed by computer, and the fatigue level of each aircraft to be managed individually. This ASIP system will enable an extension of approximately 2,000 hours of life per aircraft. Although the F-4EJ Kai's main role is interceptor combat, its ground attack capabilities have also improved significantly compared to the F-4EJ. As the F-1 support fighter jets are being retired in the future, one squadron of F-4EJ Kai will be assigned to support combat missions. (Information from the time of the kit's release)
Data: Crew: 2 people Width: 11.77m Overall length: 19.2m Overall height: 5.02m Maximum takeoff weight: 28,030kg Engine: General Electric, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries J79-GE/IHI-17_2 Thrust: 5,380kg (8,120kg when using A/B) Maximum speed: Mach 2.2/11,000m Fixed armament: M61A1 20mm Vulcan cannon First flight: July 17, 1984 (F-4EJ modified test aircraft)
