Jennings Heilig Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 There has been a lot of hooplah over this new Academy F-4 kit, good and bad. I just took delivery of mine today (Hobbyeasy from HK), and I must say... wow! Aside from a couple of very minor issues, this kit blows every other F-4 kit, especially those in 1/48 scale, out of the water. And there is every appearance that Academy has designed the tooling so they can easily do every single J79 engined variant at some point. The breaks in the molds are pretty much in the same places they are on the real airplane, so substituting gun noses, recce noses, different wings, etc will be a snap. Very impressive engineering! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 This is good to hear ! I'm looking forward to this kit even if 1/48 is not my usual scale. I have to say I like their choice of first version too, as thin wing Phantoms are a bit underrepresented in plastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffreyK Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 ...been following the discussion over on ARC, very interesting stuff there. However, despite all the efforts, I'm still not convinced myself whether the nose/radome area on the new Academy kit is right or wrong or whether this or the other is the case with the old Hasegawa kit (or only the "J"? or only the "B"?)... Saved all the pics on there and will conduct my own comparison once I get the kit. One thing I definitely want to find out as well is whether the DMold seamless intakes and the Eduard/Brassin exhausts will fit. The Academy parts for those areas look definitely better than Hasegawa's, but you can't beat resin here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennings Heilig Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 I've had every F-4 book in my collection (which is quite a pile) out this evening. I've taped together the major parts of the kit, and I can say pretty definitively that the nose looks just like an F-4. I found one photo of 2 Marine F-4Bs side by side on the catapult, taken from the catwalk below the flight deck, and the radomes look just like the "incorrect" one in a very similar photo of the kit that was released some time ago. When you bolt the major parts together though, I'm pretty sure it's about as right as it's likely to get. In any event, I don't see any other manufacturer ever doing another 1/48 F-4 series in our lifetimes. Hasegawa's first ones were 30 years ago (this year, in fact), so if it took another 30 to top the Academy kit, I don't think I'll care much either way in 2042 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenshb Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Page 6, post 119... http://www.zone-five.net/showthread.php?t=16734&page=6 Jens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borz666 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Well nothing a bit of masking wont solve then! I'm sold. I'll take 2! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennings Heilig Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 Here's another take on it. McDD in the background with Academy superimposed on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z Aviator Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 That looks pretty good to me.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMChladek Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Yup, looks like an F-4 to me. I'm sold, I'll get one. Just have to wait to get some funds and for the LHS to get it in stock now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpion Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 nice 1,sounds impressive,are you going to use the kit decals?.reason i ask is i have the academy 1/72 a-37b with the decals for the rok "black eagles" display team and while the kit is absolutley fine the decals are a disaster.okay so its an old[ish] kit and maybe academy have improved their decals but just be aware [dont want to see you go to the trouble of putting an excellent kit together only for the decals to let you down] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 i have the academy 1/72 a-37b with the decals for the rok "black eagles" display team and while the kit is absolutley fine the decals are a disaster. Standard practice for Academy decals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom726 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Scorpion, Enzo, It seems decals are printed by Cartograph. http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=257610&pid=2443569&st=0entry2443569 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfpack Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Sounds like the kit is the dog's nards. If the decals are similar to the T-50 'Black Eagles' kit, Daco strong solution is the way to go. they were/are Cartograph too. W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 It seems decals are printed by Cartograph. That's a definite improvement! Oh... and please stop talking about this kit, you lot! It's only going to make want to get one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfpack Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 (edited) Oh... and please stop talking about this kit, you lot! It's only going to make want to get one! Go on, you know you want to............my man in Korea has them for 27.99GBP (approx) with free postage. http://www.ebay.co.u...=item5d36251c80 I bought two T-50s from there with fast delivery and free postage. Now cease about this kit please, one has to be enough! W Edited November 27, 2012 by Wolfpack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CockneyCol Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 It'll do me nicely next to the Sundowners F-14A and F-5F..gotta-get-me-one-a-those!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaVenom Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 There has been a lot of hooplah over this new Academy F-4 kit, good and bad. I just took delivery of mine today (Hobbyeasy from HK), and I must say... wow! Aside from a couple of very minor issues, this kit blows every other F-4 kit, especially those in 1/48 scale, out of the water. And there is every appearance that Academy has designed the tooling so they can easily do every single J79 engined variant at some point. The breaks in the molds are pretty much in the same places they are on the real airplane, so substituting gun noses, recce noses, different wings, etc will be a snap. Very impressive engineering! Jennings does it look to you like they could do a Spey engined version from that? I love all Phantoms but I like the beefier look of the Spey ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennings Heilig Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 It seems decals are printed by Cartograph. Indeed they are printed by Cartograf (no "ph" in Italian). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennings Heilig Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 Jennings does it look to you like they could do a Spey engined version from that? I love all Phantoms but I like the beefier look of the Spey ones. Not at all. They would have to tool completely new fuselage and wings just as Hasegawa did. I would doubt it seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Kunac-Tabinor Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 That has got to be close enough for Government work!! The unpainted build up on Cybermodeller looks great too ( nice to see this style of review) The only thing I'd comment on in the above overlaid comparison pics is that the kit position of the nose air intakes looks a little out - but - Hell, thats an easy fix!! I can see an F-4B in my future....early VF 84 with the "scroll" jolly roger, single centre line tank and just the 4 x AIM-9s. To me the best look for an F-4! Jonners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Go on, you know you want to............my man in Korea has them for 27.99GBP (approx) with free postage. http://www.ebay.co.u...=item5d36251c80 I bought two T-50s from there with fast delivery and free postage. Did you get hit by the Royal Mail/Parcel Force for extra charges ? Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffreyK Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 I saw those Korean sellers' offers on Ebay as well, but as Hannants lists the kit at 34.99 and undoubtedly other (UK) retailers will sell nearer (or below?) the 30 quid mark, I thought I'd wait. if you get caught by HMRC your savings are out of the window... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMChladek Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 In my case, I've got a very old Microscale VFMA-323 sheet I've been waiting for a proper B to use with. Sure, I've been tempted by VF-84's early F-4B scheme and the pretty VF-111 kit markings, but I want something just a bit different and brown stripes with diamonds and a coiled snake on the tail makes for a pleasing paintjob to my eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Velociweiler Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 In my case, I've got a very old Microscale VFMA-323 sheet I've been waiting for a proper B to use with. Sure, I've been tempted by VF-84's early F-4B scheme and the pretty VF-111 kit markings, but I want something just a bit different and brown stripes with diamonds and a coiled snake on the tail makes for a pleasing paintjob to my eye. Just going from personal experience - this is going back some years now. It seems that the HMRC rulings seem to go out of the window around christmas time. I've ordered some fairly expensive items from overseas this time of year for a while now and they've sailed thru' unopposed, even with customs chits clearly marked up. My Phantom came thru' without any extra charges, plus there is one Ebay seller with the F-4B up for less than £22 + £9'ish postage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfpack Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Both arrived through the post with no excess charges. W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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