Re: Which kit is better? Now A.W. Meteor...

PR19_Kit · February 08, 2011, 06:14:35 PM

P1127,

That's an interesting piccie, the HC3 at Leuchars has quite a few differences to ZH902, the gubbins on the front pylon being just one.

Apparently the HC3s are going to be 'upgraded' to HC5s soon, and the HC2s upgraded to HC4s. Curioser and curioser.

rickshaw · April 19, 2011, 12:52:20 AM

I'm now on the hunt for a Spey powered Phantom model. I am given to understand that the Spey powered F-4s were "subtly" different in shape compared to the standard ones because of the different engines. Which kit is best? I'm aware of the following in 1/72:

Fujimi F-4K
Fujimi F-4M
Matchbox F-4K/M
Hasegawa F-4K
Hasegawa F-4M

Any others? Which is the best one?

The Wooksta! · April 19, 2011, 01:19:14 AM

None of them. Phantoms suck.

But if you *must* have the most boring and over rated aircraft in the Universe - and the Spey ones are the worst because they wasted good engines that could have been used on better things - then the Hasegawa ones are reputedly the best.

Thorvic · April 19, 2011, 04:45:35 AM

Its the Fujimi F-4 K/M Phantom in 1/72 thats the best, the hasegawa kit is the old frog one adapted from an F-4B and the matchbox one is of their usual quality.

For some reason Fujimi did a superb joob on detailing their British Phantoms, when there US Phantoms are average to say the least, Hasegawa updated their US Phantoms to new super detailed kits but left out replacing the British ones.

The Hasegawa 1/48th British Phantom is a nice kit which could be the one Wooksta is thinking of.

G

Nigel Bunker · April 19, 2011, 05:54:47 AM

I agree with Geoff - for 72 scale RAF/RN Spey Phantoms the only choice is Fujimi kits. However, if you want to build an F-4J(UK) Phantom, as operated by 74 Sqn in the eighties, the Hasegawa F-4J kit is a good place to start (just remember you'll have to source your own weapons) or Fujimi did a kit of this based on their F-4J which has armament & decals included.

PR19_Kit · April 19, 2011, 05:57:20 AM

I'd go along with Thorvic's thoughts there. I have a couple of the Fujimi Spey 'Toons and they're nicely done. Why they put so much effort into them and skated around the J-79 powered ones I have no idea, but they did.

The Matchbox one is, well, I better keep my thoughts to myself there.......

Revell did one too, in an FAA 892 NAS scheme, but they omitted to change the moulds from the USN version, so don't even think about that one!

pyro-manic · April 20, 2011, 11:40:37 AM

Quote from: The Wooksta! on April 19, 2011, 01:19:14 AM
...the most boring and over rated aircraft in the Universe...

I can think of quite a few less interesting than the 'Toom!

The Fujimi kits are very nice indeed. A bit pricy, but then Hasegawa will shaft you at least as badly for their J79 'Tooms.

anthonyp · April 20, 2011, 06:42:18 PM

Agree with Thor, the 1/72 Fujimi ones are the best (as are their F/A-18's and F-14's). Hasegawa made a bees knees F-4M with photoetch bits back in the mid 90's, and I was thoroughly impressed (though I got out of modeling not long after, gave it to my cousin, and it disappeared).

rickshaw · June 27, 2011, 03:05:05 AM

So, I have now a hankering to acquire a BAC Hawk T1 or two. Which kit is better in 1/72?

Airfix
Mathbox
Italeri
Fujimi (which has a very oldly shaped picture on the box, I must say):

JayBee · June 27, 2011, 03:11:16 AM

For my money it has to be the new Airfix one.

Jim

Army of One · June 27, 2011, 03:54:04 AM

Not looked at it for a while....I have a Finnish boxing and if I remember the detail was quite subtle.....sure its that kit....strange shape/pic on the front of that box as well.......

Spey_Phantom · June 27, 2011, 09:45:26 AM

well, ive build the Matchbox one, that one's pretty basic.
the revell version is a rebox of the matchbox kit.

my choise, Airfix (recent T.1 and Red Arrows boxing), for the low price its much better detailed and better quality then the Revellobox kit.
not to mention that the Airfix kit actually has an intrumented cockpit

Mick Keenan · June 27, 2011, 12:13:52 PM

For what it worth, I building the Airfix Hawk T1A/51. It is very good for the price it at, the only thing is it is missing some rocket pods.

Martin H · June 27, 2011, 01:32:13 PM

The current issue of the Airfix 72nd kit is great. The original issue is also very good, considering the age of the tooling.
Italeri/Revell 72nd T-1/T-1a looks like a Hawk to me, but the purists hate it for some reason. The Hawk 100 is passable, I havent built a T-45 yet so no view either way from me yet.
As for the Matchbox one. again looks like a Hawk to me but its a typical Matchbox kit. Basic. like wise for their Hawk 200 (which is a model of the original 1/1 fiberglass sales mockup)

kevincallahan · June 28, 2011, 03:44:19 PM

Having built a lot of 1:72 Hawks (not the Fujimi one, but if that Saudi aerobatic team boxing ever gets in my crosshairs...) I can say that the new-tool Airfix kits are well engineered and easy to build. I'm not the one to ask about detail accuracy, but the buildability index is very high indeed. And with all those aftermarket decals out there, how can you not build a few of them!?