1/48 Zouki Mura F-4J Phantom VF-84

Gallery Article by Gary Hatherly on Mar 10 2017

 

      

Just completed the brand new Zouki Mura. F-4J Phantom. The new kit is fantastic and easily the best 1/48 kit produced. While I did intend to do this as a build thread, I did not have the time to build, photograph, and post with all that is going on, so this will be the quickie version showing the cockpit, seats and some construction pictures. 

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First the kit contains detail on par with the 1/32 scale offerings. What is nice is that ZM made the assembly as such to get the detail built and installed hiding seams and allowing for a clean installation. This is evident in the:

  • cockpit sill as it attach to the fuselage halves and offer a full sill for the canopies 

  • The top fuselage seam is hidden under 2 panels, the top panel and the canopy rear faring 
    the wing attachment to the fuselage at panel lines in the forward and rear fuselage 
    and the wing leading edge flap made separately and as one piece.

The kit has full intakes and engines, and the details of the landing gear, wheels, tires, stores and other components are very nicely done. The instruction booklet is a true booklet with very detailed instructions and notes to assist the builder in the assembly process. I had just under 100 hours into the build over 2 1/2 months. The pictures were taken both with and without a flash and are mixed.

I used Furball's decal set along with the kit decals, Eduard Brassin Seats ( I used F-4B seats that fit perfectly), and Master Metal pitot and AOA probes.

Gary Hatherly

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Photos and text © by Gary Hatherly