Want to build 1:48 Phantom FG1/FGR2

[Paul_G]

Having spent a fair few years in the seventies and eighties shredding my hands on spiky bits of locking wire, and various sharp bits, of F4 Ks and Ms, I thought I would like to have a go at building a decent size model of one. Are there any models on the market still? If so, and more than one manufacturer, which would be the best to get. Would prefer aircraft in green grey colour scheme.

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

[Windy]

Hasegawa do 1/48th scale models of both the F4-K and F4-M. They do include a range of decals in the kit but there is a mass of aftermarket options available for virtually any RAF or RN Phantom.

Both kits are not currently in production but they are available second hand.

[Jabba]

I was writing my reply when Windy's came up, and it would have been what he has said.

[pigsty]

Assuming decent size = 1/48 and above, you have one option: Hasegawa's range of Spey Phantoms. The FGR.Mk.2 also comes in a Revell box but the Hasegawa ones are marginally preferable because they have correct wheels.

Prices are fairly buoyant but you don't have to pay top whack. Be patient and something will turn up!

[Paul_G]

Any idea of what would be considered a fair price?

[pigsty]

The usual price at the moment seems to be £30-£35. I'd pay less if possible, but then, wouldn't we all?

[Paul_G]

Thanks for the help guys.

[Jennings Heilig]

Check eBay in the US. I've bought a couple for WAY less than £30 in the past couple of years. Even with postage you'd spend less than that.

[Truro Model Builder]

I will second all of the above.

And if you want something a little smaller Fujimi's 1/72 Spey Phantoms are excellent. There is a later Royal Navy FG.1 (with fin top RWR) currently available, but it has been through many incarnations and again eBay is a good place to look. Once more, aftermarket is plentiful.

[Don McIntyre]

Avoid Revell's 1/32 kit and Hasegawa's 1/72. Matchbox's 1/72 has pretty good shapes, IIRC, but it's a little lacking in detail.

[Selwyn]

Revell reboxed the 1/48 Hasegawa kit (kit 04588) at a considerably cheaper price, there might be some of them still available.

Selwyn

[iainpeden]

Avoid Revell's 1/32 kit and Hasegawa's 1/72. Matchbox's 1/72 has pretty good shapes, IIRC, but it's a little lacking in detail.

Rather sweeping statements there. Agreed that the early revell and Hasegawa kits, 1/32 and 1/72, respectively we're poor but the later moulds were excellent, although the multitude of bits for the Hasegawa ones make them fiddly. The Matchbox ones should be consigned straight to the bin, the panel lines are akin to the trenches on the Western Front, the cockpit area is Squashed, the nose blunt and the fin has two lumps at the base which on the real fin are air inlets.

1/48 Hasegawa, 1/72 fujimi for the Spey variants, Esci or new Hasegawa for the j79 engined ones are what to go for. (Having made 170 plus in 1/72 and 30 plus in 1/48 I speak from expereince)

[Max Headroom]

Avoid Revell's 1/32 kit and Hasegawa's 1/72. Matchbox's 1/72 has pretty good shapes, IIRC, but it's a little lacking in detail.

The Matchbox version has their usual tench warfare scribing and in the early versions at least had a squashed cockpit and nose.

Trevor

[Don McIntyre]

Well, it HAS been a long time since I built my Matchbox kit. LOL

The Hasegawa RAF kit I built came out in the late-60s or early-70s, I wasn't aware they'd replaced it in 1/72. I agree about the Fujimi kits, though, I thought the one I built was a fantastic kit.

IIRC, the 1/32 Revell kit was only a halfhearted attempt at converting their F-4J to an F-4K/M. Although with fading memory, I may be wrong on that.

[iainpeden]

Well, it HAS been a long time since I built my Matchbox kit. LOL

The Hasegawa RAF kit I built came out in the late-60s or early-70s, I wasn't aware they'd replaced it in 1/72. I agree about the Fujimi kits, though, I thought the one I built was a fantastic kit.

IIRC, the 1/32 Revell kit was only a halfhearted attempt at converting their F-4J to an F-4K/M. Although with fading memory, I may be wrong on that.

Don

The newer Revell 1/32 kits are apparently much better - RF-4 and F-4F variants IIRC. 1/32 is abit big for my modeling bench.

[Julien]

A lot of anti matchbox in this thread, with some modelling skills can be made to look fairly good.

Julien

[Paul_G]

hmmmmnnnnn - maybe I'll practice my model making skills on a 1:72 before tackling a 1:48. Are any of the 1:72 kits still being made or are they all "after market" as well?

[iainpeden]

Julian, that is a minor miracle!

Paul, have a look at Hannants website they will have something. If it,s the chance to practice first get an Esci one off ebay they usually sell for less than a fiver and are good but simple to construct.

[Jennings Heilig]

The Fujimi Spey Phantoms are readily available. Regardless of whether you buy it from a local shop (a rare thing in the US these days) or an online retailer, or from an individual on eBay or one of the discussion board trading sections shouldn't make much difference to the finished model

[XV571]

Well, it HAS been a long time since I built my Matchbox kit. LOL

The Hasegawa RAF kit I built came out in the late-60s or early-70s, I wasn't aware they'd replaced it in 1/72. I agree about the Fujimi kits, though, I thought the one I built was a fantastic kit.

IIRC, the 1/32 Revell kit was only a halfhearted attempt at converting their F-4J to an F-4K/M. Although with fading memory, I may be wrong on that.

The Hasegawa 1/72 F-4M hasn't been replaced in their range, although hopefully they've now sent that tooling to be recycled into tin cans or off to wherever the Otaki C-5 and Tristar moulds lie. The same goes for the similar Revell and Frog/Novo/various Eastern European manufacturer versions. As has been said, the best 1/72 Spey Phantom is the Fujimi kit; they're slowly reappearing in the UK although availability is patchy (Hannants had some earlier this year) or you could try HLJ in Japan: http://www.hlj.com/product/FUJ27044/Air; when in stock they're around £10-£12 which is below the import duty threshold and half the price Hannants charged . I remember the pre-Fujimi solution was to use the Aeroclub improvement set meant for the later issue of the Matchbox kit (after they had corrected the radome shape) which contained a vacform canopy and white metal seats, landing gear, wheels and Spey jet pipes or, if you were feeling brave, to combine the Matchbox fuselage with an ESCI F-4C/J.

The 1970/80s Revell "F-4K/M" was in 1/48 not 1/32 and even then was a poor F-4J. I think the changes consisted of a set of vaguely 'Spey' style jet pipes and either 767NAS or 111 Sqn markings depending on the version. The Revell boxing of the Hasegawa kit has a red tailed 56 Sqn FGR2 as the box art. The 1/48 Hasegawa/Revell FG1/FGR2 is IMHO the best Spey Phantom out there and, possibly, is the best F-4 kit of all.

I remember a news article in Scale Aircraft Modelling around 1978-79 where someone converted an old 1/32 Revell F-4 into a FG1 and presented it to 43 Squadron. It looked like a really nice job, I always hoped it survived up to when the squadron disbanded in 2009 since he must have spent hundreds of hours to get it to a decent standard. The later Revell F-4F/E and RF-4C/E are vastly superior to their original 1/32 kits but have their own issues. Even though, I've always wondered why they didn't do a short nose version to provide a lower cost alternative to the Tamiya kits since the parts breakdown definitely hints at this.

[Albeback52]

Now then Airfix, for your first 2015 release.......................................................!!!!!!!

The Hasegawa 1/48 Spey Phantoms will probably be hard to beat but, they currently fetch really stupid prices second hand. If you are lucky, you might pick up one of the Revell re-boxings at a more reasonable price.

Allan

[Max Headroom]

Now then Airfix, for your first 2015 release.......................................................!!!!!!!

Allan

Don't be foolish!

Everyone KNOWS it'll be the Beaufighter I, II, VI, X, XI and XXI in one enormous box in 1/144, 1/72, 1/48 AND 1/24.

AND all for less than £50!

AND for January release.

Trevor

[AnonymousAA72]

Revell reboxed the 1/48 Hasegawa kit (kit 04588) at a considerably cheaper price, there might be some of them still available.

Selwyn

The main wheels in this kit are totally inaccurate for an FG1, or FGR2. Hasegawa's kit has white metal/vinyl replacements. Luckily there are resin sets available. The decal sheet in the Revell kit is superb though....

[Paramedic]

I think it is better to dig up this thread than start another one...

Just managed to lay my dirty pig-fingers on a Fujimi Spey-Phantom in 1/72 but also managed to track down a Hasegawa 1/48 FGR.2 (kit no. 09970 ‘No. 56 Squadron’). The Fujimi will definetly be Extra Dark Sea Grey, probably a straight build from the box. But if I want to change the bigger FGR.2 into a FG.1 - would it be difficult? I have some reference-books on the way as well but I am a bit hyped up right now, really inspired and have not that much of patience it seems.. They really are beautiful, the "Speys"..

What I found out from a quickie yesterday: Wiki:

The RAF Phantom, given the designation FGR.2, was broadly similar to the naval version, with some minor variations in terms of engines, avionics and structure, which related to its use as a land-based, rather than carrier-based aircraft.

Tony Hodun´s excellent article:

J+

The sprue in the FG.1-kit different from the FGR.2´s:

7 parts, FG.1 horizontal tails, regular and extended nose gear strut, other details

The FG.1´s unique sprue:

K+

2 parts, FGR.2 horizontal tails

Sounds like the major, visible differences are the tail-planes and front gear?

I do not really have anything against the RAF-ones but the EDSG is a liittle more sweet I think. And I could always keep looking for a proper FG.1-boxing perhaps...

[Max Headroom]

I believe the rear cockpits also differed. The references already given should give details.

Trevor