rossm Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Just noticed the above as a new release on Hannants website - does anyone know if it's a new tool or the old ESCI kit in new clothes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Esci -and nothing wrong with that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 £18.99 at Hannants - it was £2.75 when first produced in (I'm guessing) about 1980. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomBigStu Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Esci, and that price is a bit ouch but I saw one yesterday on eBay a bit cheaper, it's on my New Years shopping list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Good good. I love the Phantom but can't afford multiple Hasegawa kits. modern Italeri decals are usually excellent too. If I remember correctly the ex-Esci kit has a bare cockpit. Has anyone got any experience of using aftermarket to spruce it up? What fits? Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 1 hour ago, Killingholme said: Good good. I love the Phantom but can't afford multiple Hasegawa kits. modern Italeri decals are usually excellent too. If I remember correctly the ex-Esci kit has a bare cockpit. Has anyone got any experience of using aftermarket to spruce it up? What fits? Will I have some experience with the Fujimi J79 Phantom kits, that really have the same cockpit of the Esci ones (the parts can be swapped between the two kits). On one I used a resin copy of the Fujimi Spey Phantom cockpit and this can be made to fit quite easily. A resin pit meant for that kit should fit.. of course there's the matter that the two variants may have sligthly different instruments and other smaller details. I also used an Eduard PE set designed for the Hasegawa kit on another one and this set needs some work for one main reason: the Esci cockpit is not only bare but also sits too low in the fuselage. This means that any PE panel meant for other more correct kits will be in the wrong position. The rear cockpit in particular needs to be lifted to a higher level, so that the instrument panel correctly fills the space in front of the pilot. On my model I used plasticard to lift the rear consolles and to build a base for the instrument panels, it required some work but the final effect was actually very good. The seats are also best replaced, IIRC Quickboost has some nice Mk.7s. Earlier aircrafts however used the Mk.5, can't remember who makes this seat. Of course using a seat designed for a different kit may require some packing at the bottom to bring the seat to the correct height. Quick comment on the price: Hannants is generally at the top end of the price scale compared to other shops, so I guess that the same kit may be found for less elsewhere. Personally though I'd consider £15 the most I'd spend for such a kit, kit that while nice is not among the best anymore. £19 is the kind of money I generally pay for second hand Hasegawa kits at model shows and as much as I actually like the Esci kit, I'd choose the Japanese one anytime. Of course with a second hand kit there's the risk of having useless decals while those on a new kit are generally better 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Thanks for weighing in Giorgio, very useful advice re the cockpits. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panoz Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 On 26/12/2016 at 2:23 AM, Giorgio N said: Quick comment on the price: Hannants is generally at the top end of the price scale compared to other shops, so I guess that the same kit may be found for less elsewhere. Personally though I'd consider £15 the most I'd spend for such a kit, kit that while nice is not among the best anymore. £19 is the kind of money I generally pay for second hand Hasegawa kits at model shows and as much as I actually like the Esci kit, I'd choose the Japanese one anytime. Of course with a second hand kit there's the risk of having useless decals while those on a new kit are generally better Italeri shop lists it at €20 Considering that the Revell reissue of the Monogram F-4J (which is better detailed although it has raised panel lines) is currently available from the Revell web store at €15 , the Italeri rebox is a bit pricey. As for Hasegawa F-4s, outside of model shows the F-4Js are practically impossible to find... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 I remember an old 1/72 Phantom kit with the base of the canopy being way too large in a way that it was immediately noticeable by someone comfortable with the aircraft. Wasn't it the Esci kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmeyer Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 And you can't really make a good F-4J from the kit, since the cockpit is a USAF one (of sorts). Also, you can only make an early F-4D, as the kit doesn't include the F-4D under radome sensor. Still, a decent kit. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 (edited) Two vertical pieces of sheet blanking off the (non existant in the J) rear pit side consoles should help to some extent. The cockpit in general is just bare canvas, and the Esci instrument decals - well let's call them pathetic. Also, I don't think the Esci has separate inserts for the cat strap hooks. Edited May 12, 2017 by tempestfan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomBigStu Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 43 minutes ago, tmeyer said: And you can't really make a good F-4J from the kit, since the cockpit is a USAF one (of sorts). Also, you can only make an early F-4D, as the kit doesn't include the F-4D under radome sensor. Still, a decent kit. Tom It does include it, used it on my build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 I guess he meant the kit only includes the B/C style IR tracker (Mandatory as the kit was for a C/J originally), but not the "beaked" D style. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmeyer Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Sorry for resurrecting this thread, but yes, I meant the kit doesn't include the D style IR sensor. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomBigStu Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 6 hours ago, tmeyer said: Sorry for resurrecting this thread, but yes, I meant the kit doesn't include the D style IR sensor. Tom Oh looked like it to me based if the profile drawing on the decal sheet, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panoz Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 On 28/12/2016 at 9:34 AM, Antoine said: I remember an old 1/72 Phantom kit with the base of the canopy being way too large in a way that it was immediately noticeable by someone comfortable with the aircraft. Wasn't it the Esci kit? Very belated reply: Yes it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAGATIGER Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 hi there Well after hearing that I'll cast a resin master for Phantom F-4D so let set the record how many copies do you need my friends???? Only in wonderful 1/72 scale of course!!! Add name and location only to me get an idea Best modeling Armando Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat trev Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 (edited) Resurrecting this as I was hoping someone may provide an answer to what might have the better moulding. The original Esci F-4C/J or this ‘new’ Italeri F-4 C/D J ack off all trades. The same basis for the kit I presume. Edited November 26, 2019 by phat trev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 16 hours ago, phat trev said: Resurrecting this as I was hoping someone may provide an answer to what might have the better moulding. The original Esci F-4C/J or this ‘new’ Italeri F-4 C/D J ack off all trades. The same basis for the kit I presume. Can't comment first hand on the mould quality of the Italeri release, as I've only seen this in pictures. From these the kit looks pretty good but I've got the feeling that my original Esci kits were slightly better. What I can say for sure is that the moulds in the boxes labelled AMT Ertl were not as good and I would personally avoid them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAGATIGER Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 16 hours ago, Giorgio N said: Can't comment first hand on the mould quality of the Italeri release, as I've only seen this in pictures. From these the kit looks pretty good but I've got the feeling that my original Esci kits were slightly better. What I can say for sure is that the moulds in the boxes labelled AMT Ertl were not as good and I would personally avoid them. Let me say that the biggest value of these kit is the decal sheet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat trev Posted December 2, 2019 Share Posted December 2, 2019 Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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