Originally Posted by
mikehannah
Hi
I am curious to get peoples thought.
Which manufacturer would you go for if you were in the market for a Phantom F4.
Based on flying qualities, build quality and lastly scale.
Mike
When you talk about Phantoms, before you decide on the manufacturer, you first have to decide on the size.
The BVM F-4 is terrific in terms of looks and strength, but in addition to the fact that its a kit with a fairly involved build, its small. The short nose BVM F-4 is 80" long and the long nose is 85". The only other F-4 in that size range really is the Xtreme Jets one. I have one of those and I love it, but its not very big. In truth, the BVM F-4 is a bit bigger than the Xtreme jets one, but not by much.
On the other hand, the Skymaster short nose F-4 is 93" long. That's only 13", but it makes a *big* difference in the overall size of the aircraft. The long nose Skymaster is 99" long. Likewise, the Jet Legend (which is a long nose) F-4 is 99" long. The Fei Bao F-4s are a bit smaller at 88" and 91", but they are still significantly bigger than the BVM. The BVM F-4 will fly very well (and fast!) on a 120-sized turbine, but for the Skymaster, a 160 is minimum, and some guys have 200's in them. They are a *significantly* different aircraft than a BVM...
Bob