Best Diecast F4 Phantom (Royal Navy)?

[marcosgt]

As a child/teenager, my 'dream' was to be a Fleet Air Arm Phantom pilot.

Sadly, my real life has involved professionally 'flying' nothing more exciting than a keyboard, but recently I thought it might be nice to have a Diecast model of a FAA Phantom on my desk to goad me for my miserable failing (OK, the scrapping of the aircraft carriers and their Phantoms before I was old enough to actually fly one would have been a bit of a hurdle for even the most determined would be aviator!)

So, anyone out there into diecast jets (probably 1/72nd scale) and can recommend a good (and available!) model to fit the bill? I've seen one by Gemini Aces that looks pretty decent. Any comments on that?

Thanks.

M

Edited by marcosgt on Tuesday 9th June 09:27

[4321go]

Rather than an "accurate" dicast, what about the Dinky Phantom F4K? Modelled in FAA blue, it's probably of your era and would be much more of a nostalgia-trip. It even has a nice, chunky button on the side so that you can dive bomb your waste paper basket with its centre-line weapons load!!

There are plenty on eBay at the moment. Several are mint and boxed, but this is one of the cheapest whilst looking much better than several of the others!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dinky-Toys-725-F-4K-Phan...

Go on. You know you want to............

[55palfers]

Blimey - £70!

[4321go]

Too cheap? OK, here's one for £130.50 (down from £145).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DINKY-TOYS-MODEL-No-725-...

(And it's missing its driver and GIB!!)

And this looks bloody good value for money at an opening bid of 99p!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DINKY-ROYAL-NAVY-PHANTOM...

Edited by 4321go on Monday 8th June 21:32

[dr_gn]

Wow, I've got one of those. About 1975 I got it for my birthday I think. The u/c springs were never quite strong enought to hold the doors up in the retracted position...

[4321go]

Me too That's what made me think of it. Mine's a tad more "play-worn" though.

[marcosgt]

Well, it was a thought, but not really what I had in mind.

Back to the subject of more realistic models anyone?

M

[4321go]

Oh well. But there's the rub: I too decided as a young kid in the seventies that I wanted to be a fighter pilot, stuck with it, did the FJ thing and now earn my crust driving Airbusses. The result being that I never matured beyond my early teens and prefer kiddies toys to "grownup" ones. (My one trip in a Phantom was whilst still at university, strapped into the back of an F4J whilst Archie Legget, the final F4 display pilot for the RAF, ran through his routine. Repeatedly. The closest that I've ever come to being airsick!)

[marcosgt]

4321go said:

Oh well. But there's the rub: I too decided as a young kid in the seventies that I wanted to be a fighter pilot, stuck with it, did the FJ thing and now earn my crust driving Airbusses. The result being that I never matured beyond my early teens and prefer kiddies toys to "grownup" ones. (My one trip in a Phantom was whilst still at university, strapped into the back of an F4J whilst Archie Legget, the final F4 display pilot for the RAF, ran through his routine. Repeatedly. The closest that I've ever come to being airsick!)

Well done for sticking with it!

M

[Yertis]

4321go said:

I never matured beyond my early teens

I think that's most people on this website actually.

[HoHoHo]

When I was very young I swapped a Phantom for a Sea King

I still have the Sea King (minus blades and most otrher items essential for flying, or even pretending to fly) but miss the Phantom. I'm 52, the Sea King must be 40 something years old and my current 4 year old plays with it.

Timeless toys that's for sure!