Look what the UPS man brought!
Finally broke down and got the new Academy F-4B, I had been waiting for a state of the art Phantom for years, and this looks to be it. I know this bird has been reviewed to death, but one thing I never saw in the reviews I read, and something that impressed me, was the packaging and how much plastic is stuffed in the box so I thought I would share! This is up next after I finish building the USS Wilkes.
I, too, was impressed by the cursory look-see when I got mine a few weeks back. The only negative (if you can call it that) was the multi-colored sprues. I don't think any of us will actually build it as-is without painting it - and all those stencils... OMG!
It remains on the pile with my other recent acquisitions, the Kinetic Goshawk and the KittyHawk F-35B. I have started (sort of) the Ventura, by de-spruing all the parts/pieces in preparation for painting - but that's as far as I've gotten. The Academy 48th Sherman is way down the list of "priorities" - as is the Tamiya PBR Vietnam patrol boat in 1/35th scale.
So much to do, so little ambition to do it...
That 48th scale Sherman is a Tamiya, not Academy - brain fart (again). DOH!
LOL, I went through the stash last night and set a few out I plan on sending to Vets or active duty guys using the IPMS site addresses. Then I decided I am going to (after the Wilkes and F-4) not buy any more kits (except maybe the 1/350th USS Indianapolis, but I am trying to resist pre-ordering one) and build from the stash in reverse chronological order. That would mean my Academy UH 1 gunship would be up, followed by the Hagegawa PS-1 Flying Boat...though I may swap the two around since I got them about the same time when I was stationed in Japan.
I'm looking forward to your build of this kit. I may soon get a request to build a Phantom kit in a special scheme for a pilot who flew 135 missions in them over North Vietnam. If so, I think I'll get this kit for the task.
Academy certainly can produce great quality kits, and this one looks like no exception. I'll be looking forward to your build and eager to hear more opinion about the contents of that box.
Look forward to seeing this one in Headlines Rob, theres been a lot of hype about how great it is.
Well the Wilkes should not take me too long to build, I am having to make some gun tubs and I bought a ton of PE for it, then I will definaltey tackle the Phantom. My wife ordered me a couple of new Phantom books Osprey's US Navy F-4 Phantom Mig Killers part 2 and Shiffers' Grey Ghosts US Navy and Marine Corps F-4 Phantoms, that and a bunch of other books I have collected over the years should get me there!