1/48 Hasegawa F-4EJ Kai, 

Phantoms Phantom part 17

by Shawn Phantom Weiler

--------------------

 

First in the multi part phantom collection with only 1 aircraft.  Mainly because I don't have another Phantom scheduled to build for a few months.  This is the Hasegawa 1/48 F-4EJ Kai with Zotz Misawa JASDF pre 50th anniversary markings.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

The kit is out of the box apart from the decals, the addition of True Details ejection seats and some intake covers.  The decals are very colourful, rather expensive (understandably given the complexity of the subject) and very fragile.

They are also a 4 part decal when all is said and done.  A very helpful white underlay.  VERY fragile FULL COLOUR dragons, and other figures, clouds, then the kit decal stencils on top of everything.

 

Zotz Decals gives you MOST of the decals required.  But you must use the Hasegawa stencils.  Zotz suggests using the Hasegawa F-4EJ Kai 8th SQ Panthers (which is kit 09556).  Luckily Air support Hobbies in Kitchener had a copy, and Ed being the good guy he is got me a price that cannot be matched in the province.

Using the kit decals it really becomes apparent how white the Zotz decals can be compared to the ivory decals supplied by Hasegawa.  Also the kit does NOT give you the nose numbers required to do #384.  Luckily there are more then enough 3's provided so I put decals down for # 334, waited for that to dry a day then laid an addition 3 (turned backwards) over the middle 3 to create an 8.

The stencils by the way took me SEVERAL days to complete and many of you know I am a rather quick builder.

The clouds gave me some trouble, they are also a multi part decal, but the greys hardly changed the bright white so I had to repaint the grey by hand to provide some contrast.

Not an easy scheme, but it still turned out good.

Photo 10 shows all the JASDF (and British) Phantoms together, 11 where it WILL be displayed after a stint at the local hobby store.

Shawn 

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

Pic 7

  

Pic 8

  

Pic 9

  

Pic 10

Pic 11

Photos and text © by Shawn Phantom Weiler