Currently best 1/72 F-4B Phantom?

[Rando]

As the title says, I'd like to hear what the best option is out there to build the B version in particular. I've searched Google a few places but haven't quite got a satisfying answer, since some forum posts I read are over a decade old. I've seen the Fujimi kit mentioned as a good option, wondering if it has raised panel lines (not exactly a dealbreaker). Thanks in advance for your answers!

[Hook]

Hasegawa, for my money (at least until FineMolds gets around to the B), with the Fujimi kit a close second. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Rando]

Thank you Andre, for some reason I thought Hasegawa only had an old tooling of the Phantom from the 60s, but looking again I see it's 1990 vintage. Definitely will try to find one!

[Hook]

1 hour ago, Rando said:

Thank you Andre, for some reason I thought Hasegawa only had an old tooling of the Phantom from the 60s, but looking again I see it's 1990 vintage. Definitely will try to find one!

You're welcome. I'd try and find this boxing which has a rather gorgeous Cartograf decal sheet.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Rando]

I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for that one. I notice the B is not made in 1/72 quite as much as others, Academy has a line that has yet to issue one as well. Hasegawa and Fujimi seem to release a few but seem to prioritize later versions based on the release history 

Edited March 22 by Rando

[Giorgio N]

Personally Hasegawa, with Fujimi a distant second (still acceptable though, just not as good). The standard Hasegawa F-4B/N issue can be found at decent prices searching around but the decals in the various special issues are usually much better

[busnproplinerfan]

How are the cockpits in the Fujimi and Hasegawa kit? I know some Hasegawas rely on decals which are mediocre.

[e8n2]

I don't have a kit in front of me right now, but something to keep in mind is the rear cockpit.  No real side consoles in the back on the Navy versions.  Hasegawa have a part to fill up the right side of the rear cockpit, but nothing for the left hand side.  There is a short console at the very front on the left side, but most of it is the circuit breaker panel.  Fujimi has a part for this in their Spey Phantoms, but not on the earlier J-79 versions as I recall it.  Check photos of the rear cockpit and you should be able to get an idea of how to scratch build the circuit breaker panel.

Later,

Dave

[Giorgio N]

Hasegawa's cockpit is correct in shape but a bit bare, with decals for instrument panels and other details. Not the best, however Eduard makes a PE set in their Zoom line that offers a lot of additional detail at a pretty good price. 

 

Fujimi's is worse: not only they use decals all around bu the shape of the cockpit parts is wrong, too deep (particularly the rear pit) and with instrument panels that are not at the correct level, resulting in a very oddio effect. There are also plenty of gaps if everything is built from the box.

The first issue of their N also had a single part canopy only, that doesn’t fit particularly well

[Hook]

9 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

Personally Hasegawa, with Fujimi a distant second

For a Gentlemen's Scale thin winged Phantom,, AFAIK your choices are Hasegawa, Fujimi, the ancient Revell and the equally ancient Airfix. 

 

Personally, I would not bother with the Airfix and Revell, so that leaves just the Japanese kits. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

[cardiff guy]

I can only agree with the other guys, the Hasegawa kit with the eduard zoom cockpit all the way. The intakes are blanked off about an inch in but that is only really noticeable when looked at nose on.

I think someone has done a resin upgrade to extend the trunking with compressor blades at the end if you think it necessary.  

[RAGATIGER]

6 hours ago, Hook said:

For a Gentlemen's Scale thin winged Phantom,, AFAIK your choices are Hasegawa, Fujimi, the ancient Revell and the equally ancient Airfix. 

 

Personally, I would not bother with the Airfix and Revell, so that leaves just the Japanese kits. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

Please notice that still around a lot of ESCI Phantoms but all of that have same wider wing so unappropiate for the F-4B or RF-4B

 

Regards 

 

Armando

 

PS Still a big issue that Hasegawa don't include any ordenance but on Weapons Air to Air Missiles only include 4 right AIM-7E Sparrrows

[Rando]

Hi all, thanks for the the great info, I now have a 1/72 Hasegawa F-4B coming in the mail! Noted that it needs missiles, and also maybe an Eduard Zoom detail set or something similar?

[RAGATIGER]

13 minutes ago, Rando said:

Hi all, thanks for the the great info, I now have a 1/72 Hasegawa F-4B coming in the mail! Noted that it needs missiles, and also maybe an Eduard Zoom detail set or something similar?

Hi Rando

 

The Hasegawa Air to Air Missile set is just great but only include 4 AIM-7E and whole bunch of Sidewinders , so you can only use them on a single F-4 or F-15

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10000493

 

 

Regards

 

Armando

[RAGATIGER]

For more recent air to air load the Set V 

 

[Hook]

The first set Armando posted would be appropiate for a B. There's this FineMolds set as well.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[tempestfan]

On 3/23/2024 at 9:48 AM, Hook said:

For a Gentlemen's Scale thin winged Phantom,, AFAIK your choices are Hasegawa, Fujimi, the ancient Revell and the equally ancient Airfix. 

 

Personally, I would not bother with the Airfix and Revell, so that leaves just the Japanese kits. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

There is also the original Hase B (sold as a J, but it has thin wings), which is utterly terrible. The Airfix and Revell are quite decent regarding shapes, but are - old, and show this.

[alhenderson]

Bit late to the party, but..  I built the Hasegawa a couple of years ago.  Found the construction of the forward fuselage quite awkward, and needed a fair bit of filling.  I guess they've engineered it so that they can get lots of different versions out of it.  Anyway, my RFI if its of interest.

 

Al.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

On 3/23/2024 at 3:48 AM, Hook said:

 the ancient Revell

The picture in the link is wrong, it’s the old tool Revell F-89 Scorpion. Note the under fuselage engine pod openings, straight wing mounts,  and the wing tip tanks
 

 

Note the sprues in the Atlantis re-pop of the 1/77 kit. 
 

https://www.dembrudders.com/atlantis-177-f-89d-kit-review.html

 

my two cents worth says Hasegawa for the Phantom. 

Edited March 28 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[RAGATIGER]

On 3/27/2024 at 12:05 PM, Rando said:

Hi all, thanks for the the great info, I now have a 1/72 Hasegawa F-4B coming in the mail! Noted that it needs missiles, and also maybe an Eduard Zoom detail set or something similar?

Let me say that only the Hasegawa F-4BN include thin middle wings parts and also can be found on RF-4B as here you can find thin and wide middle wing parts

 

On ESCI Italeri Testors kits thy use same wing and same wheels and those are really different

 

Regards

 

Armando

[Robertone139]

Any 1990s Hasegawa 1/72 F-4B or F-4N with the thin wing and unslatted tail will do.

Only improvements needed would be cockpit details (3D Quinta Studio stuff is great) and a set of ducted air intakes (available from ResKit).

[Mycapt65]

You'll only need two AIM-7 Sparrows. Vietnam era Bs usually only carried two sparrows on the rear launchers. They weren't terribly dependable and they didn't like lighting them up in front of the 600 gallon belly tank. 

 

A normal Migcap load out was, two Sparrows on the rear launchers, Four sidewinders on the inboard wing pylon rails, 

600 gallon center tank and no wing tanks. The outer pylons were usually empty on Migcap missions. 

 

Strike Missions would carry similar defensive load out with the addition of bombs to all four wing pylons. The bombs and their arrangement varied. Usually there be TERs and MK82s hung on the inboard. Outboard pylons could have a single, TER or MER. Check your references. 

[tempestfan]

6 hours ago, Mycapt65 said:

 They weren't terribly dependable and they didn't like lighting them up in front of the 600 gallon belly tank. 

It was my understanding that the Sparrows on all stations (inner pylons very rarely used) were pushed clear of the airframe by an articulated arm before the rocket ignited?

[Giorgio N]

8 hours ago, Robertone139 said:

Any 1990s Hasegawa 1/72 F-4B or F-4N with the thin wing and unslatted tail will do.

Only improvements needed would be cockpit details (3D Quinta Studio stuff is great) and a set of ducted air intakes (available from ResKit).

 

Hmm... not sure any Hasegawa B has the unslotted stabilators. I'm pretty sure that the basic box has the later slotted ones

[Mycapt65]

1 hour ago, tempestfan said:

It was my understanding that the Sparrows on all stations (inner pylons very rarely used) were pushed clear of the airframe by an articulated arm before the rocket ignited?

I could be wrong but this is what I was told by my Uncle Jay who was an ordnance man on the Midway 72-74. You'd be hard pressed to find photos of a Vietnam era Navy Phantom with Sparrows on the front mountings. At least when the 600 gallon tanks were used. Which was the norm. I have no idea of what you're talking about regarding articulated arms and inner pylons. When I said inner pylons, I was referring to the inner wing pylons. Those had two side rails for AIM 9 Sidewinders on each pylon. Occasionally they'd fly with only one Sidewinder on each side when flying strike missions.

 

The RF-4B is carrying wing tanks. They had an entirely different mission that required extra fuel. He also said that the Phantoms were gas guzzlers and they lost more Phantoms to running out of fuel than enemy fire. 

 

 

Edited April 4 by Mycapt65