F9F-2 Panther

Despite being over 30 years old, this kit is a marvel. The fitting was very good, and I needed to use no putty, and very minor sanding. However, like many Hasegawa kits, the decal films are pretty thick, and this made applying the nose decals especially difficult. The decals also tear easily, and the film also extends well beyond the edge of the decal itself, making parts of the clear film not want to conform to various surfaces, thus needing more decal solution. However, to fix this issue, a good coat of gloss spray paint will seal the decals to the surface. I used Testors spray dark sea blue for the color, and the result was beautiful. I didn't use the weight in the nose, because I like a taking-off look to my models. The nose gear must be handled with care, and some extra cement, because it is very weak, and the assembly of the doors on the underside of the model in between the nose and wing landing gear is a bit tricky to assemble as well. With some patience and a little bit of improvising, this kit is an absolute must-have for 1/72 scale collections, especially those of the Korean War.