I thought I'd share a few shots of my build of Zoukei-Mura's magnificent 1:48 scale F-4EJ Kai wearing the 'Phantom Forever' special scheme, as seen at Hyakuri Air Base during November 2020. This has been a slow build around work and other commitments so all in all it's been 'on the bench' for nearly a year.
The kit is out of the box apart from a set of 3D printed decals in the cockpit (produced by Quinta Studios - absolutely superb!) and a set of Armory weighted wheels. The decals (over 420 of them!) are exceptional in their quality and detail. Getting them just right was a massive challenge and took a lot of time and patience, especially when it came to getting them to sit correctly on the drop tanks.
F-4EJ Kai 07-8436 301 Hikotai by Daniel Beeden, on FlickrThe kit is painted using AK and Tamiya acrylics, plus Mr Color metallic blue on the drop tanks.
F-4EJ Kai 07-8436 301 Hikotai by Daniel Beeden, on FlickrThis was the first time I've used Alclad lacquers for the metal areas around the tail, horizontal stabs and exhaust cans. Takes a bit of practice and preparation is key, but some really nice results can be obtained.
F-4EJ Kai 07-8436 301 Hikotai by Daniel Beeden, on FlickrIf you look closely you can just see the top of the circuit breaker panel on the starboard side of the rear cockpit. These are the 3D printed decals which take cockpit detailing to an entirely new level.
F-4EJ Kai 07-8436 301 Hikotai by Daniel Beeden, on FlickrClose-up of the starboard side of the nose:
F-4EJ Kai 07-8436 301 Hikotai by Daniel Beeden, on FlickrI hope these are of some interest. Thoughts and feedback would be welcome.
Merry Christmas,
Dan
