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Resin sets for 1/48 F-4 Phantoms


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I'm considering doing a 1/48 F-4 Phantom project and want to use some resin upgrade sets. I will be using an Academy and/or Hasegawa kit.

Is there any consensus as to which resin sets...True Details vs Aires vs Eduard/Brassin vs what ever else is available...fit the best with the least amount of hassle ?

Thanks,

Bob

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If you haven't chosen yet, I'd give the Academy kit a try. It's a wonderful build with good results. Some resin you might want to consider.

- Hypersonic tail planes

- Hypersonic a/c scoops for the nose

- Steel Beach intake plugs

- Steel Beach wheel bay jigs

- Brassin wheels

- Steel Beach mask sets (for both Navy and AF)

I'm not sure which cockpit set fits better. Hopefully someone will chime in.

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Hypersonic's parts for both Academy's and Hasegawa's F-4s are all must-have items. Excellent products!

Academy F-4s:

Intakes: I'd go with XMM or DMold. I think Alleycat's are just copies of the kit intakes, which are not right. XMM's intakes come with corrected ACS scoops, but I prefer Hypersonic's.

Cockpit - If you want to go cheap & basic on the cockpit, you can use some parts from the True Details sets, like the cockpit sidewalls, with a little modification, to dress up the kit pit. Fotios Rouche shoehorned an Aires cockpit into the F-4B kit over on Cybermodeler. He has some comments about some of the other available aftermarket, too. Academy's forward instrument panel sits even with the aft edge of the glare shield, and should go ~3mm forward. On my next one, I'll use Eduard's PE instrument panel to fix this. The kit needs something to represent the canopy sill details. One of Eduard's sets includes these details, IIRC. Get Hypersonic's canopy details.

Afterburners - Cobra Company for inexpensive. Eduard's short nozzles look OK, but their thickness and exterior details are overscale.

Wheels - Eduard or True Details (cheap)

Wheel wells - Aires are more trouble than they're worth. See Fotios' build.

Hasegawa F-4s:

Intakes - XMM or DMold

Cockpit - True Details is a good budget option. Aires is a pain to install. Eduard's PE sets look nice, but don't give you much in the way of 3-D effect. They do add some extra detail and are good for the cockpit sills, but don't do much with the canopies. Use Hypersonic's parts there.

Afterburners - Cobra Company for inexpensive. Same comment about Eduard's short nozzles.

Wheels - Eduard or True Details (cheap)

Wheel wells - Same comment about Aires as above.

Ben

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If you haven't chosen yet, I'd give the Academy kit a try. It's a wonderful build with good results. Some resin you might want to consider.

- Hypersonic tail planes

- Hypersonic a/c scoops for the nose

- Steel Beach intake plugs

- Steel Beach wheel bay jigs

- Brassin wheels

- Steel Beach mask sets (for both Navy and AF)

I'm not sure which cockpit set fits better. Hopefully someone will chime in.

I've used Steel Beach products and they are really good! Darren is not steering you wrong.

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Hypersonic absolutely recommended! Especially the Mk.5 seat and the canopy detail set!

For wheels my fave is Royal Resin...just check it out if there is ones for the F-4 too.

True details wheels are "overbulged". May only look good when you make a fully loaded Phantom.

For Afterburners: there is also Aires sets. Very nice details and longer than kit cans. But diameter is little bit undersized for the Hase kit. How it fits in Academy, I cannot tell.

For Academy: I would look look for AM stabs, there is rumour that Academy did goof the shape of those parts.

From Eduard I recommend the Placards set.

About intakes: do not forget the option to add FODs. So no need to work hard on adding seamless intakes (and FOD set is also Cheaper. There is one from Eduard in PE, also soem other AM companies offer FOD in Resin).

Form Wolfpack you can get a nice wingfold set! It s made for the Hasegawa kit, you have to check if it fits the Aca kit...

Taking a Eduard F-4 B/N is a good idea, you get a lot for a reasonable price!

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Nice rundown, Ben!

Gene K

Thanks! I've had Phantoms on the brain, lately. Academy F-4B, Hasegawa F-4S, and Academy's new J has had me eyeing my Yellowhammer Blue Angels decals....

BTW, forget what I said about True Details wheels and go for Royal Resin's. :thumbsup:

Phantom: Very impressive!

Ben

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