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Academy 1.72 F -4J is weird

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  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: State of Mississippi. State motto: Virtute et armis (By valor and arms)
Academy 1.72 F -4J is weird
Posted by mississippivol on Friday, September 30, 2016 9:24 PM

I picked up Academy's baby Phantom with Jolly Roger markings at a hobby shop in Virginia Beach while visiting family. I was aware that it is a snap fit kit but that the $37 was worth it. It has some great exterior detail and the part that makes up the natural metal area is a totally separate piece which makes painting way easier. However, the seats are terrible, and there's no option for an open canopy. There are holes to fill on the intakes since the particular a\c didn't have them. You also have to remove the four sensors from the under fuselage\wing area as that was part of the "S" conversion. You get dropped air brakes and bleed doors, but no provision for dropped flaps. It seems a mixed bag that would be a good bargain at a vendor table one day, but the $37 asking price is steep for what's available already. 

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: 29° 58' N 95° 21' W
Posted by seasick on Saturday, October 1, 2016 7:03 PM

Snaps are a dice throw. I have a few in my collection of 1/72. I am able to pass them off as glue kits because I can usualy fix fit problems, and fill in holes and all that but canopies are a hard subject. If you can salvage a canopy from another kit it helps. I've found aftermarket canopies for ww2 aircraft but fewer for modern aircraft. 

The limiting factor to snaps is that they have to snap together and any option has to be designed so it can snap in. 

The best course of action is to see if you can find aftermarket parts or salvage parts from other kits or built models that have deteriorated been dammaged and are ready modelers Davis Monthan.

Chasing the ultimate build.

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: State of Mississippi. State motto: Virtute et armis (By valor and arms)
Posted by mississippivol on Saturday, October 1, 2016 11:17 PM
Yeah, it's made me rethink the sequence of build. It's tempting to paint and decal all the subassemblies, then put it all together. If it works out ok, and I could find enough at a more reasonable price, I could clear out about 3 to 4 decal sheets in no time if I kept them box stock.
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