WIP : Hasegawa 1/48 F-104J Starfighter Pt. 2 – Construction
Once properly painted, washed and weathered, the out of the box cockpit looks good. Fit in general is good. The instructions don’t call for it but I added some fishing weights in the nose just in case. The tip of the tail broke off during construction. This was fixed with plastic plates. As usual, some …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/48 F-104J Starfighter Pt. 1 – Construction
Trying to get my building routine going again, I decided to tackle a 1/48 kit next. This will be an F-104J flown by the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force dressed in ‘Aggressor’ markings in the 1970s. I got this kit used from an online seller and it came with a set of aftermarket resin wheel bays …...
Completed : Fujimi 1/72 McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II
Kit Info Brand: Fujimi K-3 Scale: 1/72 Media: Injection Markings: AirDOC Gulf War Warriors 72006 and Hasegawa 00954 The Subject The RF-4C was the unarmed tactical reconnaissance variant of the F-4 Phantom II deployed by the USAF. It was similar to the US Marine operated RF-4B but with different engines and a more spacious nose …...
WIP : Fujimi 1/72 RF-4C Phantom II Pt.5 – Finishing
Time to finish this thing. First an overall gloss coat to prep for decals. The AirDOC decals are printed by Cartograph and look very good. However, all the aircraft numbers and codes are individually printed and need to be added 1 at a time. I decided to use the slime lights from the Hasegawa sheet …...
Upcoming : RPG Models 1/35 Phalanx CIWS
Back in the early 2000s, I saw the resin Hobby Fan 1/35 Phalanx CIWS at a local model shop. I really wanted to get it but 1) it was resin and 2) it was expensive so I resisted. I’ve always wanted one though. Lo and behold, RPG Model has just announced the imminent release of …...
Upcoming : Great Wall Hobby 1/72 F-14D Tomcat
Who doesn’t want more F-14s anyway? This one is coming from GWH in June 2019 (I think). Parts break down seems to fall between the Hobby Boss and Hasegawa kits. GWH has developed a reputation for highly detailed and yet good fitting kits. Something that Hobby Boss and Hasegawa F-14s aren’t with the latter. The …...
WIP : Fujimi 1/72 RF-4C Phantom II Pt.4 – Painting
Finally ready for painting! I begin as usual with a base primer of black. I’m trying something new with a marble coat of medium gray and white colors. Not sure if it’ll affect the final paintjob though. Let’s see… Modern USAF F-4s came in a striking 2-tone gray camouflage of FS36270 and FS36118. For the …...
WIP : Fujimi 1/72 RF-4C Phantom II Pt.3 – Construction
So I was told by a fellow modeler that the fit of the 4-part canopy might not be great so I decided to do a quick dryfit. Thankfully they fit fine. Problem is the rear canopy has a crack in it. Nice. I’ll live with it. A dip in Future is next for these. The …...
Upcoming : Kittyhawk 1/48 AH-1W “Whiskey Cobra”
Kittyhawk is finally releasing the AH-1W variant of the AH-1 Cobra. I’ve been holding off getting the AH-1Z because I prefer the sleeker look of the AH-1W. No release details yet but their AH-1Z has gotten good reviews so I expect the same with this one....
WIP : Fujimi 1/72 RF-4C Phantom II Pt.2 – Construction
So I’ll be building a Desert Storm era RF-4C. The kit will require donor parts to get it to be configured correctly. For some reason USAF RF-4s used the US Navy straight-edged styled pylons and the kit is supposed to include them but alas, these were missing (I bought this kit used). I got a …...
