Thinking a bit ahead project-wise....Have always wanted an F-4.

How do they fly? Are they notoriously quirky, stable, etc....

WHO's arf is worth owning? Seems like every time I look, there is a new thread about a major mfr turning out junk. Bad this, defective that, exploding some other thing.....

So is there an F-4 out there from a reliable manufacturer?


Thanks for helping me choose,

Don.

bvmjets.com

I have a Skymaster F-4 and love it. Great quality!

Don,
I owned and flew a Skymaster F-4 for two seasons and loved it. Mike Lesher still flies one and I think it sleeps next to him at night! Lowell Wexler flies a FEJ F-4 and thinks it's the best there is. Personally, if I went with the FEJ...I'd go twin turbines. It's a BIG bird. I flew my SM with a Jet Central Rhino and it was perfect with a Tam pipe. Pretty stable plane...you would not expect it to be with the wing design but it is a lot of fun to fly. Between the FEJ and SM ARF's...I'd go bigger and get the FEJ...IMO

Best of luck!
Rex

I had a BVM F-4 and currently have a Skymaster F-4. For all around flying, the Skymaster F-4. Not a speed machine like the BVM, but easier to see and much more forgiving in the landing sequence. The BVM glass quality is better than SM but expect an 8 month to 1 year build time. The SM can be ready to fly in a month and the gear has stood up to some of my less than perfect landings. Both have good points, but as I mentioned before, if you're looking for an F-4 that you can fly as a regular weekend jet and feel very comfortable flying it, SM is the choice.

Hey Rex....I didn't know that was you peeping in my bedroom window!

The big FEJ F-4 looks great... Nice lines and awesome paint! However, I have yet to see one in the air with all three gear up. What's up with that?

Skymaster is great fantastic build and gear is to die for..

Needs electric conversion I guess...

Don, I saw a new Jet Legend F4 flying a couple of weeks ago, painted out the mould Jolly Roger scheme, really nice model and flies very nicely. Good price also.

Gary.

Didn't see that problem with Lowell at Speed World. Also, the boys up in Norway are having a blast with their FEJ F-4's and no gear issues. The electric conversion sounds great...more batteries though[:-]

But, I don;t have one...just speaking as a spectator. But if I bought one, it would be the FEJ. Agreed that SM is a good airframe and gear too.

Mike, it was on the SKS Video CD for "Jets 2010"...you were sound asleep snoring, all nuzzled up to what we would all think was your wife...then as the camera panned in...it was your SM F-4 you had you arms and legs around. I say all this because Mike does such a great job with his F-4. A true artist with it in the air!

Rex

There's two Skymaster F-4's in our club and they are both a beauty. One in the Black Bunny scheme and the other one in the Jolly Roger scheme. One of them has been badly abused and is still flying in good conditions and you can't really tell that it has been repaired many times (very robust airframe).

We do fly in a short runway and the F-4 doesn't have a problem with the landing. Is not a plane that is so versatile in maneuvers (like a Viper Jet for example....), but it has a very nice scale flight.

An example of a landing in our club. The pilot is Michel (Jetsrc)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Z7z...eature=related

In flight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CgGU...eature=related

I have small and Large Skymaster F-4's.Nothing like Heavy Metal... .

Drdoom,

I'm thinking about a Small Sm F-4, What engine do you have in yours? I'm thinking of an 80 but not sure if it will be enough?
I can find much info on it, Are you happy with yours? if possiable could you post some pic's

Cheers,
Paul.

I have had 10+ Phantoms of all mfg's. The airframe to me is poetry in the air. Hard to beat it (maybe the F-16!), but by far the larger FEJ F-4 is fantastic. I have over 70 flights on mine (and yes, NO gear problems!). Everything works perfect and I am really enjoying it. I flew it this weekend at CA Jets and as usual, had a crowd around it. The size is impressive and in the air it's a freight train on rails!. They even have the speed brakes in it (not many of you knew they were there did you!). Anyway, I really enjoy the way it handles and yes, again, the gear have not been a problem.
Thanks

Lowell

I have flown Lowell's monster F-4 and it is rock solid in the air. Very smooth. And yes, the gear was nicely tucked into the airframe during flight and down and locked for landing.

In terms of scale outline and durability, I don't think any F-4 will beat the one from BVM.

Come to Mississippi Afterburner at the end of the month and decide for yourself amigo. There will be a few SM F4s and likely a couple of BVM F4s in attendance. They both fly great.

Buck,


And even a Century F4

AWESOME!! I can hardly wait 'til April 28

Thanks everyone for posting.

I'm very surprised by the + comments regarding the FEJ product! Glad to hear they may have turned a corner.

Anyone tried the FB?

I have an 11 year old BVM F4. One of the toughest built models I have ever owned. It's heavy metal and flues like it, but got years I have flown it like a sport jet. I would build another in a heartbeat. It is a kit and is definetly a build job but the BVM manual is excellent. I have converted several from ducted fan to turbine over the years. Another arrives next week for similar treatment.

I have been flying the Skymaster F-4 for more than 4 years now with hundreds of filghts, and I just don't stop having fun with it. Very stable, excelent stall handling and it is rock solid in the air. Landing is awesome, very controled and predictable. Scale is awesome with all type of details and also as usual paint job from Skymaster is in my opinion the best there is on an ARF.
Landing gear and breaks are impresive, they has never failed in 4 years and I haven't done any type of maintenance or modification.
I even smashed a bird one with my F-4 at full speed on a low pass and the F-4 didn't even move after the impact and came to a perfect landing.

Michel

Pretty much what all the above have said regards my Skymaster F-4. After flying one out in California a few years ago, I just knew that I had to have one of my own. I also owned a BVM one for a while and that was pretty sweet, but I still liked my SM one more I think.

Does anyone know where I can get some Blue Angle Decals for the Great Planes .60 F-4. I know its not a real jet,but all I can afford.

THIS ONE. (Ali flew it at CA jets)

http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=740854


jason