Reviewed by Brett Green
 

HyperScale is proudly sponsored by Meteor Productions

Hasegawa offers a large family of 1/48 scale F-4 Phantoms. The more recent of these, including the F-4J Phantom, feature beautifully crisp and consistent recessed panel lines.

The earlier offerings, such as the F-4B and N kits, retain their raised panel lines even in the latest re-releases.

One of the most frequently see Phantom questions on HyperScale's "Plane Talking" Forum is "Does the latest boxing of Hasegawa's F-4B have recessed panel lines?". Sadly, the answer has always been "No".

If you are one of the many modellers who do not feel confident to completely rescribe an entire plastic kit, your options have been few.

Cutting Edge has finally addressed this shortcoming with a new resin conversion designed to backdate the Hasegawa 1/48 scale F-4J to an F-4B/N. The result will be an early Rhino with fully engraved panel detail.

This set is supplied instructions including both text and colour photographs.

The instructions advise in several places that this is a complicated conversion, and actually advises that the sets may be returned for a refund if it appears beyond the modeller's skill levels. Even so, although this is undoubtedly a comprehensive conversion, I think that most modellers who have tackled a few resin conversion projects will have little trouble with this one.

The centrepiece of this large conversion is the thin upper wing parts. These are very impressive and perfectly cast on my sample. These wings include the small bulges over the main landing gear attachment points that were fitted to F-4Bs from 1966, and to all F-4Ns. If you are building a very early F-4B, you will want to sand these off - a straightforward task.

The F-4B and N requires more modifications than just the thin wings, and these are also supplied by Cutting Edge. In this set, you are supplied with new "flat" landing gear main gear doors and speed brakes, narrow wheels, new nose with ECM fairing with "horn", separate flaps and resin parts to extend the rear fuselage and the lower wing.

Unslotted stabs are also supplied in case you are building an early F-4B/N up to Block 25.

Without doubt, the most complex aspect of this set is the lower wing modifications, which does require some precise cutting of kit parts.

Cutting Edge's 1/48 scale resin F-4B/N Conversion Sets are comprehensive, well detailed and beautifully cast. The best news, though, is that it will give you an early Phantom airframe with complete and consistent recessed panel detail.

And think of all those great 1960s US Navy markings!

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Cutting Edge Modelworks for the review sample

Images and Text Copyright © 2007 by Brett Green
This Page Created on 26 June, 2007
Last updated 24 December, 2007

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