Hasegawa

1/72 RF-4E/J Phantom II "501SQ ACM Special"

Kit Number: 00862

Reviewed by  Ned Ricks, IPMS# 36013

MSRP: $41.00 Review kit provided by Dragon USA. ( www.dragonmodelsusa.com ) Hasegawa has released a 1/72 scale kit to represent the JSDF recce version of the versatile McDonnell Douglas Phantom II. I was attracted to try this kit because of Hasegawa's reputation for quality engineering in their kits and some real life interactions with the F-4. The folks at Hasegawa did not disappoint. The plane has the correct look and the brute attitude of the F-4. If you like an aircraft kit that is well done, with crisp molding and attention to detail, read no further and get one. First some history: Initially flown in May 1958, the Phantom II originally was developed for U.S. Navy fleet defense and entered service in 1961. The USAF evaluated it for close air support, interdiction and counter-air operations, and in 1962, approved a USAF version. The USAF's Phantom II, designated F-4C, made its first flight on May 27, 1963. Production deliveries began in November 1963. In its air-to-ground role, the F-4 could carry twice the normal bomb load of a World War II B-17. USAF F-4s also flew reconnaissance and "Wild Weasel" anti-aircraft missile suppression missions. Phantom II production ended in 1979 after over 5,000 had been built -- more than 2,800 for the USAF, about 1,200 for the Navy and Marine Corps, and the rest for friendly foreign nations. The F-4E and RF-4E were also used by the Japanese Self Defense Forces using the added "J" designator. Instructions come on a large format, eight page, fold-out sheet. Be sure to search under the bagged parts for the extra instruction sheet for the "501SQ ACM Special" that is represented in this limited edition kit. The builder needs to pay attention the extra sheet telling you what to do with sprue "X" and the second, supplemental decal sheet. The kit is cast in light gray plastic and of a good consistency to hold the nicely recessed panel lines and other details. The 100+ parts are on thirteen sprues, including two sprues marked "Q" and two marked "S." That is on purpose, as these hold parts of which there are multiples such as landing gear, engines, and engine cowlings. Also note the sprue marked "X" which is for the EJ variant. There are several parts not used in this build, so note the diagram which designates the spares. The cockpit is basic with decals for the instrument panels, front and rear, as well as arm consoles. There are ejection seats, but no seat harness of any description. Some aftermarket resin and/or photo-etch could make a real difference here. In assembly step 9, when the two halves of the main fuselage (Parts A5 and A30) are glued together, there are supposed to be two positioning tabs on the forward edge where the assembly mates with the cockpit assembly of the fuselage. These were not present in my kit and getting the correct alignment was the cause of some un-gluing and re-gluing. Dry fit first. Also note that the detail box included near step 9 is instructing the builder that the famously-positioned tail surfaces of the Phantom are correctly aligned when 23° below horizontal. There is a small pin for mounting the tail sections, so use caution as they break easily. Construction is straight forward, with attention to the special instructions as noted above. The most complex step is the assembly of the landing gear. The camera compartment under the nose has a large clear cover which is masked to leave the openings for the photo optics. When it came time for painting and decaling, I had another eye-opening experience. As usual, the color key printed in the instructions shows Mr. Color and Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hobby Color. No problems there. The decal sheet has lots of "No Step," "Grab Here" and all the other markings of a modern warplane. I stopped counting at 100 decals, some of which were quite small, on the sheet. There are four paint/decal schemes shown; two are JDSF and two are German Air Force. The decal sheet does not include any of the German markings, NOR one of the JDSF! There is a supplementary decal sheet that has the nose art, tail numbers, etc. for four other, particular aircraft of the squadron. Decals for 5 aircraft of 501st Squadron Air Reconnaissance Group JASDF: 57-6908 Seiryu; 57-6914 Kirin; 57-6909 Suzaku; 57-6907 Byakko and 57-6906 Genbu The only problem I had with those decals that I applied were those on the wings with the red circle insignia placed over a white circle to create a white outline. These had difficulty settling down even with decal solvent applied twice. This kit is "Recommended". The standards of design and manufacture live up to the quality expected of Hasegawa. IPMS thanks Dragon USA for providing this kit for review.

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