Best F-4 phantom kit??

[David]

I am planning on adding an F-4 phantom to my collection and am wondering who makes the the best, most detailed kit out there in 1:48 scale??
I usually go with Tamiya but they dont have an F-4 in 1:48 (yet). Its very important for me to have engraved panels lines and fine detail. A little filling and fit issues are ok with me, and I'm more concerned with a scale appearance of an F-4 than it to actually scale out to the accurate dimensions.
I'd really like to model an Israeli version, but I'm sure I'll have to buy aftermarket decals, but if anybody knows of an Israeli version that would be awesome!!

Any feed back on any F-4's in 1:48 would be great!!

Thanks!

[admin]

I'm not much of an aircraft expert but I know we've got several members who are into planes and should be able to give you some suggestions.

Come on guys, don't be shy!

Ray

[Brad]

Hi David,

Although I have two F-4 kits in my stash, I haven't built either of them yet...so I can't give you feedback on their quality.

I thought I'd "pipe-up" though because your question would be put to literally thousands of modellers if you posted it at Fine Scale Modeler's aircraft forum. You don't have to subscribe to read or post. It can be found at:

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http://www.finescale.com/fsm/

Another great resource (perhaps better) would be Aircraft Resource Center, although at the time of this writing (Mar 01/09) their forum is closed for the weekend to repair a crash. They can be found at:

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http://aircraftresourcecenter.com/

Good luck...and if you find out the most accurate kit...come back and tell us which one it is...

[Colin]

Best F-4 Phantom kit out there that I have built is Hasegawa. The detail is what one would expect from Hasegawa, nicely detailed parts, recessed panel lines, etc.

I have also built the Monogram F-4J Phantom, which, while not quite the same standard as Hawgawa, it can still be built into a very nice model.

[David]

Well, since my original post I've done a little research and found that the hasegawa kit is generally regarded as the first choice for many people, and the same tooling can be found reissued by Revell Germany, for a lower price. I have also seen the monogram kit at Hobbyworld but most reviewers echo Colins comments that it isnt quite as nice.
As far as finding an Israeli kit it seems my only choice is aftermarket decals, which shouldnt be too hard seeing all the aftermarket for Israeli subjects released lately.