F-4J Phantom II One Piece Canopy

Very good details on recess panel lines and rivets. Some very small and delicate parts meant patient work but generally the parts fit well. I built the kit with open canopies. The hinge contacts and the lift actuators are very delicate with minimum contact points to effect a good cementing. The decals are extremely thin and they looked like they were painted on after drying. But while handling the larger pieces of decals, they could tear easily or even disintegrate if you had to re-position them. The forward wing attachment to the fuselage didn't fit well and some vigorous sanding or putty work was necessary. This would not a problem except some surface details were lose and could not be readily replaced. While overall details are very good, there are some details which I wish the kit had. The air inlets are large and it would be nice to have visible turbine inlet blades included in the duct interiors. With some patience the product is a very nice looking airplane.

Worth the money. Everything fit nicely together and the decals were great quality. I actually bought two kits.

Hasegawa's usual high standard of fit, fine detail, and low flash on molding is maintained in this kit. The parts fit well with minimal cleanup and the proportions match well with the actual jet dimensions. However, I didn't analyze the kit too much, preferring to get started! Most importantly, it look correctly sized compared to the F-14s, F-18s and an F-8 on the shelf The decal sheet provides plenty of good stencils, etc. The kit is a great value for the price. I purchased this kit as a base for the 2011 IPMS National decal sheet. One of my modeling areas is USN jets, and I am pleased with this latest addition to the collection. Pros are the excellent fit, neutral plastic color and options, although I didn't get too carried away with hanging much ordnance and tankage underneath. A con is the cockpit detailing, although it is important to remember that Hasegawa's cockpit detailing set the standard many, many years ago before the proliferation of the aftermarket resin market. Based on the item title, I thought that the canopy would indeed be one single piece. I resigned myself to carefully cutting the canopy apart to build the model with the canopies open, or the less likeable alternative of wrestling with a vacuform aftermarket replacement canopy. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that there are kit parts for closed and open canopies. Had I found that information in the product description, I would have purchased the kit immediately, and not spent time looking around for other part, kits, etc. This is neither a pro or con, but a suggestion of rewording in the description area. Summary: great kit, no unusual challenges, good experience!