Just read cybermodeler’s box preview of Zoukei-mura’s 1.48 Phantom. They seem to consider it as the best among Hasegawa’s and Academy’s offerings. It looks like the fuselage is split like Hasegawa’s and Monogram’s. For the life of me, though, for $75 bucks, could they at least provide seat belt detail and more than one marking option? Does it also have to be a “J” version that requires you to trim off the ecm bumps from underneath for the updated versions that won’t be around til later? You also have to build up two engines that will never be seen, can I trade those for seat belts? Oh, wait, Monogram’s has belts…
…but then the reviewer mentions that you can get seats, with belts, from the aftermarket. After spending $75?[bnghead]
No thanks… I’ll stick with my secondhand 20th century kits and add what I feel for a fraction of that price.
Yikes. I feel the same about Tamiya’s new Tomcat. Unbelievable kit but $100. I can get 2-3 Hasegawa kits for that or 4-5 Revell kits
And I hear thar your options are limited to a 70’s/early 80’s version. Can’t wait for the next $100 release to build a later version for sure…
Hmm, I’ve been following this release so far, as any legite Phantom Phan would,… I am intrigued, but another J version??? Blah. And of course, Showtime 100???[+o(]. Anyway, the most impressive part is the cockpit so far, nice canopy framing and finally some detail under the center window section. No molded instrument details and dials though, so using a decal is a must. I hope the one in the kit is decent. Any why must a person build two whole engines even if we don’t want them displayed? I was hoping for a short cut and not having to build them up, and only using the exhaust end of course. I don’t like the sprue attachments on the clear canopies, they are in a place where there is very little if any framwork, They should have taken a step from the way Tamiya designed their windscreen on the new Tomcat. It would also be nice to have multiple decal options, maybe for a Marine J and include some mud moving ordinance. As far as the price, I thought it would retail for around 60-70 US bucks?? The Academy one goes for 50?? And the Eduard re-box with a few goodies goes for 85?
Edit: Oh and the ECM bumps are moulded on? Don’t they look to fat and toyish?
That’s a bit over my budget phor a Phantom II.