Kit review for Fujimi 1/48 F-4E Phantom II (1970s kit)?

[Dutch]

So I see a couple of Fujimi 1/48 F-4E Phantom IIs on evilBay.As a Phantophile, I'm slightly interested. I missed these growing up, built several Revell 1/48 F-4E/J kits, a Monogram F-4C, and have not started any of the Hasegawa F-4s in the stash yet. Curious if anyone has any notes available or a link to any Fujimi kit reviews? R/ Dutch

[Paul Boyer]

That may be because no one has built that kit since the internet came along! That's a real moldie oldie and I don't think you have anything to gain by getting one. So many better kits have come along since then.

[balls47]

I agree with Paul. Forget the OLD Fujimi F-4 kit. Start working on those Hasegawa kits. Also, those old Monogram kits are pretty accurate as far as Phantoms go. I have a couple of Monogram Pro Modeler F-4E's in my pile of kits. They are from Hasegawa molds in a Monogram box. If you can find one of those out there in Phantomland, that is a nice kit.

[Dutch]

Thanks lads, I'll do that.

[Alpagueur]

I had the old Fujimi F-4E kit but it was 1/50 more than 1/48 scale and his wheels were way oversized

[DonSS3]

IIRC, Academy (or was it Minicraft) released what was expected to be a new-mold F-4E a few years ago. Turned out it was modified Fujimi molds...

[kellyF15]

I have a monogram promodeler one if you're looking for one.....

[chek]

The Fujimi F-4E is not a great Phantom model.

The proportions are out, and the bulged wing for the larger main gear are simply two 'U' shaped lumps sticking out at right angles to the centreline.

They're crisply moulded and when they came out I bought four with a view to converting two or three using the Entex kit.

But the more I researched Phantoms, the more un-Phantomlike the Fujimi became. I finished one, but then rumours of a new Phantom coming from Monogram

and then a family from Hasegawa killed any further interest.

I kept a set of wings with a view to sanding off the bulges for an F-4B combination with the Monogram F-4C, but they were too small and the outlines woeful.

Edited June 5, 2016 by chek

[habu2]

The kit is not worth buying IMO. I literally gave mine away, couldn't bring myself to charge someone for it.

[F4DPhantomII]

I remember buying that kit in the fall of 1969 at a local hobby shop in Sumter SC,I was stationed at nearby Shaw AFB.At the time the only 1/48 Phantoms were Aurora's. The Fujimi was a crude kit compared to today Phantoms. I have often thought of getting another Fujimi as a collectible from my younger days.Even the original boxart was crude.

[F4DPhantomII]

Original boxart,look at the pilot.Starngest looking American pilot.

[F4DPhantomII]

http://www.oldmodelkits.com/jpegs/Fujimi%20FP-1-389%20F-4.JPG

[Alpagueur]

my kit was this:

but as I said it was totally misshaped... (I had compared it with the Hasegawa kit and it remained decidedly smaller with thin and very wide in diameter wheels)

Edited June 6, 2016 by Alpagueur

[F4DPhantomII]

my kit was this:

but as I said it was totally misshaped... (I had compared it with the Hasegawa kit and it remained decidedly smaller with thin and very wide in diameter wheels)

That was the later boxtop.Mine was the pic I posted.Smaller because it was 1/50 scale.

[Gene K]

Genesis is here.

Gene K

[andrew.deboer]

You have multiple Hasegawa Phantoms in your stash, yet you're shopping for ancient kits that suck? Here's how bad the Fujimi Phantom is: people aren't even nostalgic about building it.

I'm in the middle of Hasegawa's RF-4B, switching it to the far-cooler RF-4C, and it's sweet. Showing its age just a tiny bit, but lovely plastic and molding. After this I might just go on to the E-model for comparison purposes.

I don't know what your motivation is, but if you take a tiny bit of the energy that you are putting into obsessing about this old turd and use it to build one of your Hasegawa Phantoms, you might end up with a finished model. Maybe you're afraid to start a Hasegawa Phantom because you're afraid to screw it up, but in my experience it's better to take that chance.

EDIT: didn't mean to sound like a jerk! I just want to encourage you to go ahead and build a good kit and enjoy it.

...have not started any of the Hasegawa F-4s in the stash yet.

Edited June 6, 2016 by andrew.deboer

[Dutch]

@Andrew: Good point. I am not afraid to start the other Hasegawa F-4s in my stash, it's just that they are F-4B/Ns and one F-4J, so I was looking for a cheap, but fairly accurate F-4E. I mentioned the older Revell F-4E/F kit, because I built 2 or 3 when I was a teen and they are readily available for ~$15 on evilbay. I thought to graft the Revell F-4E nose to a Monogram F-4C (as someone else on the web has done.), but am thinking I'll just get a Hasegawa F-4E.

@all the other commentators: Thanks for all the warnings, reminiscing and convincing. I think we can end the discussion now.

R/Dutch