Is there any new Phantoms on the horizon?

[Aigore]

I´m hoping for news,

I remember a while ago there was talk about Eduard was going to release a new tool Phantom series in 1/48th scale but they dropped it because some other manufacturer was supposed to release a series of new Phantoms..

Is there any truth to this? and in that case, which brand is it going to be?

Cheers!

[Netz]

I think it was Italeri, they came out with the "J" in 2005 but it was an ESCI tooling, but they also have an "E",which might also be ESCI.

I know discussion came up late this summer and I thought it was for a new "J". Tamiya is rumored to be working on an F-4.

Curt

[muswp1]

I don't think Eduard dropped the Phantoms, just delayed them.

As far as I know, no one has announced new tool Phantoms in 1/48.

Netz, the new Italeri F-4E is the ESCI mold.

Edited December 23, 2010 by muswp1

[mingwin]

Academy have announced a 1/48 f-4B for 2011! (sundowner!)

Edited December 23, 2010 by mingwin

[Rex]

and just a few months before the 1/48 F-4B announcement, Academy announced a 1/72 F-4B

looks like a decent crop coming in 2011-12

Rex

[Jennings]

Tamiya is rumored to be working on an F-4.

By whom? I wish I had a nickel for every "Tamiya is rumored to be..." thread I've seen since their first new series aircraft kit came out in 1993 (the Spitfire Mk.I). I'd be retired now. If there is only one thing you can say about Tamiya that's absolutely, 100%, undeniably true, it's this: they do NOT release ANY information about what they're planning. Period.

[Matt Roberts]

The Academy kit is the known release.

There is a rumor of a 'Chinese' Phantom out there, no company is linked to it yet (basically EVERYONE is said to be doing one)

The thing with Eduard was that they had cancelled...delayed....whatever thier F-4s as an Asian company would end up beating them to market. Now if that has meant the Academy series - I don't know. A similar line of reasoning was mentioned to me here at the Nats in 2009 as to why Eduard was not doing 'early' Mig-21s (Mig-21F/F-13/J-7) Nearly two years later and no 48th Fishbeds yet though.

[Jennings]

I'm still not holding my breath that the Academy F-4B announcement actually represents either new tooling, or the first in a new family of F-4s. I hope fervently that I'm wrong, but something about that announcement makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. If it's *not* a really well done new tool, Academy may have shot themselves in the foot and given it gangrene at the same time. They'll be roasted to a crackly crisp if they screw it up (and deservedly so).

J

[Gene K]

Academy have announced a 1/48 f-4B for 2011! (sundowner!)

Don't forget that Academy's last "new" Phantom was a disappointing rebox of the very ancient 1/50 Fujimi kit - http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....academy+phantom . So for the "new" 1/72 Phantom, Academy could go with the Fujimi kit, but for the 1/48 F-4B may be digging up the older Entex/ESCI/Italeri kit. It was really surprising that Academy "pulled a fast one" with the Fujimi reissue since they had been bringing out some pretty good original issues.

Yes Jennings, the 1/72 Hasegawa Phantom kits are good, so no need to go through that routine ... AGAIN!

Gene K

[Jennings]

Actually that F-4E was a very old Academy rip-off of the ancient, really horrible Fujimi kit. AFAIK there is no business tie-in between Academy and Fujimi, so I wouldn't look for a Fujimi F-4B in an Academy box, unless they do some more ripping off like they did in their early days.

It seems like there may be some confusion - the Academy announcement is a 1/48 F-4B, is it not? Nobody said anything about 1/72 that I've heard. Unless somebody got wires crossed right from the get-go.

J

Edited December 23, 2010 by Jennings

[Rex]

we started talking about the Academy 1/72 kit in about March or so,,,,,,it's listed as kit # 12421,,,,,it's the one that someone posted a catalog picture link to once, that looks like the Fujimi boxart (I think that's the convo),,,,,,,,the 1/48 kit # 12232 started getting "buzzed about" a few weeks ago, when someone posted a catalog link with the picture of that model in it

the 1/72 talk faded off on the boards when the 1/48 got noticed, lol,,,,,,,,so, I'm not confused, J, I just remember things in my scale when I am waiting for them, hah,,,,,,,,as I said back then,,,,,,if they get it right,,,,,I'll buy a case,,,,,,if wrong, I will only buy the "test purchase" and go back to picking Phantoms up at the show tables

Rex

[Rex]

okay, just went searching,(+apple did not help),,,,,,it was the pic of the 1/48 in the catalog that looked like the Fujimi boxart,,,,,,,,that's a static pic though,,,,,,,when I saw the 1/72 it was on a link someone posted to a full catalog

edit: all I can find to go with the Cybermodeler list is this from Hannants

http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php...category_id=103

Edited December 23, 2010 by Rex

[jester292]

I'm still not holding my breath that the Academy F-4B announcement actually represents either new tooling, or the first in a new family of F-4s. I hope fervently that I'm wrong, but something about that announcement makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. If it's *not* a really well done new tool, Academy may have shot themselves in the foot and given it gangrene at the same time. They'll be roasted to a crackly crisp if they screw it up (and deservedly so).

J

Intriguing statement, please elaborate. I don't follow model companies news or business practices, but I'm curious to know how this could ruin Academy forever.

Aaron

[jwest21]

Going entirely on the pictures that were posted on a Korean modeling site, the F-4B is listed as "New Tool" where the Academy Merkava IV LIC (which is a boxing of their previously released Merkava IV kit with upgrades and a retooled hull) was listed as new parts. Also, there were other kits listed that were upgraded versions of previous Academy issues and they were not listed as new tool. FWIW

[Gene K]

Nobody said anything about 1/72 that I've heard. Unless somebody got wires crossed right from the get-go.

Short memory, Jennings?

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....Academy+Phantom

Gene K

Edited December 23, 2010 by Gene K

[Gene K]

we started talking about the Academy 1/72 kit in about March or so,,,,,,it's listed as kit # 12421,,,,,it's the one that someone posted a catalog picture link to once, that looks like the Fujimi boxart ....

The listed Academy 1/72 F-4E kit ended up being a 1/48 Fujimi F-4E. By the same token, maybe the listed 1/48 F-4B kit

will end up being the 1/72 Fujimi kit... (insert smirking icon here):

Gene K

[Rex]

I really wish I could find that catalog posting, it was a link from here or HS, that went to a Philippines or Korean model message board,,,,,both scales were shown in the catalog pages, with different kit numbers

[jwest21]

I really wish I could find that catalog posting, it was a link from here or HS, that went to a Philippines or Korean model message board,,,,,both scales were shown in the catalog pages, with different kit numbers

Was it this one?

http://www.mmzone.co.kr/forum/topic_view.p...3&no=123540

[Rex]

thanks for trying, but, no it wasn't that post

we could actually look at the whole catalog on the link I am thinking of

meh, doesn't matter,,,,,I'll just follow Hannant's lead and wait and order one when it pops up, look it over and decide if I want more after the first one,,,,,,same as in the days there was no advance warning of upcoming kits

[Jay Chladek]

Catalog photos mean two things, jack and **** until a kit comes out and a legit photo of the product is posted! Besides, I can remember many years ago when AMT announced they were doing new tool stock car kits in 1/25 scale, their catalog photos were of Revell kits with new decals and the new kits were totally different.

It seems likely that Academy is working on something since unlike the F-4E (which they already had, albeit a bad copy of a bad kit) to my knowledge they have never done an F-4B or copied one from another source. Maybe it could be a partnering between them and another firm in the same way they are doing to ROKAF F-5 with the AFV club's tooling, but we ultimately won't know at least until a test shot surfaces.

Considering Academy's recent history of bold gambles, it would not surprise me at all if they were doing a new tool F-4B. They've shocked the world before and can always do it again.

[kitestir]

Of the current available kits, what is the best one out now? Not really worried about which variant. I just want to do a couple of Phantoms for the collection. Looking at fit and ease of build and recessed panel lines etc,,,,,,

Thanks

[Jay Chladek]

Of the current available kits, what is the best one out now? Not really worried about which variant. I just want to do a couple of Phantoms for the collection. Looking at fit and ease of build and recessed panel lines etc,,,,,,

Thanks

Depends on the variant. No recessed panel line F-4Bs exist that I know of and many have gone to either rescribing a Hasegawa F-4B or de-bulging the wing on a Hasegawa F-4J (a recessed version as they did both) to make it a B.

I would say of the variants out there, Hasegawa's kits are the best in 1/48 if you want a recessed panel line kit of the J, E, EJ, EJ Kai, F, G, M, K and S variants (along with the RF-4B late wing, C and E variants). Esci did a somewhat decent F-4C/D with recessed panels and Italeri reissued it as a J model (closer to a C than a J, but can be done as a J). It needs a bit of aftermarket support though (such as a resin cockpit and engine nozzles) to make it really shine.

If you want variant particulars and even a listing of possible kit choices in the various scales, check out the pinned topic "Phantom Guide for the Masses" above.

[Rex]

for someone building in 1/72 and not worried about which variant,,,,,,,,it's the Fujimi F-4K or F-4M kits (or FG. 1 and FGR. 2)

you would need the latest H-32 or H-20 kit numbers, though

they're the only kit that has recessed lines, the air doors open, the spoiler wells, and dropable flaps, choice of rubber or plastic main tires, 1 closed canopy or 1 set of open canopy parts,,,,,,,, all in the same kit

otherwise in 1/72, it's still Hasegawa, with Fujimi or Monogram as a tie for second (Monogram is raised lines, but really nice)

Rex

[phasephantomphixer]

The Home Run for Academy as far as an F-4B would be a 1/32 scale release, as long as it was tooled by the crew that did the F/A-18. Then follow with an F-4G. The Hasegawa F-4B in both scales is fine with the mentioned work.