72nd F-4E by Esci

[SmashedGlass]

Can anyone give me insight into the overall accuracy of Esci's old 72nd scale F-4E?

I would go for the Revell of Germany kit, but as I understand it the trade-off to the

better detailing in that kit is some suspect shape issues.

[RAGATIGER]

Hi there

You better check this u first

http://s362974870.on...ic=148643&st=40

From memory because right now all Phantom kits in storage Esci kits are nice and also incluse some interesting decals options but Revell kit looks very nice(no other markins option than German samples and Greek ans Turkey AF are also possibles ) and include some details nice cockpit but no extras other than air weapons, here a more detail review

ESCI

https://hangar47.com...72_Phantom.html

Note that ESCI is the other kit than Hasegawa that include TISEO camara (also Australian and very accurate IDF AF samples but no central fuselage tank)

http://airfixtribute...t__t_19512.html

http://modelingmadne...f4cjpreview.htm

Includes German Luftwaffe toned down decals + 4TFW SJ and Turkish AF sam

Revell

http://www.scalemode...phantom-ii.html

http://www.hyperscal...s/f4f72ay_1.htm

http://www.rollmodel...4ohare/rf4e.php

Hope this help you

Best modelling

Armando

Edited July 15, 2011 by RAGATIGER

[Gene K]

Can anyone give me insight into the overall accuracy of Esci's old 72nd scale F-4E?

If you can't get a Hasegawa kit, the ESCI will do nicely. The main shortcoming of the kit is the TERRIBLE cockpit.

Gene K

[JackMan]

Armando, thanks for those links to those reviews. They're great!

I agree with Gene, the ESCI kit is pretty good & has very finely recessed panel lines. I would rate it at the same level as Fujimi kits. If you're like me & are not too bothered about interior details (cockpit), the ESCI kit would do very nicely.

With regards to the Revell F-4, I often wondered why no one made a correction set for the forward fuselage & canopy. A friend of mine was toying with the idea of such a correction set & then marketing it for about US$12-15. I told him it wasn't really that feasible as most modelers won't pay that much for forward fuselage + canopy.

[j-basset]

The Esci 1/72 F-4 series was probably the best around when it first came out in 1983-84.

There was a F-4E/F, F-4C/J & RF-4C/E.

The only problem with the kit was it had a mish mash of features from different F-4 versions.

For example, the air-conditioning intakes on either side of the nose, are actually the variety you would find on short-nosed F-4 versions.

And, then you had main wheels which had hub patterns accurate for the F-4J/S, and catapult bridle hooks molded on the lower wing parts.

None of this are major issues, and can probably be fixed quite easily today?

[Jennings]

I actually like the ESCI kit. The cockpit is non-existent, but otherwise it's quite nice...

[ChernayaAkula]

<...>

With regards to the Revell F-4, I often wondered why no one made a correction set for the forward fuselage & canopy. A friend of mine was toying with the idea of such a correction set & then marketing it for about US$12-15. I told him it wasn't really that feasible as most modelers won't pay that much for forward fuselage + canopy.

IIRC, it's not just the forward fuselage that's out of whack, but the height of the intakes, intake tunnel, and engine bulges as well. It's not much, but I guess this one of the cases were a millimetre here and a millimetre there combined throw the look of the model.

Comparing it to the Monogram C/D kit (still held to be the most accurate in terms of shape), it looks like the forward fuselage angles down a bit too steeply. At the same height at the back of the canopy, the tip of the pilot's IP coaming (where the six-shooter nose should make no difference) in the Revell kit sits a good millimetre (maybe a tad more) lower than its Monogram counterpart. Combine that with the slightly lower intake/engine bulges, the grossly undersized canopy (Revell's fits inside the Monogram canopy in terms of breadth!) and it looks odd.

Maybe it would help to have add a piece of plastic strip on the lower fuselage/cockpit seam to bring the nose back up a bit. Don't know how that would affect the rest of the nose, though.

Using the Monogram canopy on the Revell kit won't work without major surgery. While length-wise similar, the Monogram canopy is much broader.

Oh, and the leading edge of the main wing is angled too sharply backwards on the Revell kit. Starting at the root at the same point, by the time they reach the point where the outer panels angle up, the Revell's leading edge is a good two or three millimetres behind the Monogram's LE. And the stabilos are a bit short.

I guess Revell's F-4F suffers from the "Fujimi Fishbed Complex" - great kits, not so great models. :lol:

[SmashedGlass]

"I guess Revell's F-4F suffers from the "Fujimi Fishbed Complex" - great kits, not so great models."

I rofl'd too.

Esci it is then, thanks for all the input guys.