This is Black Boxes
newest release the F-4E cockpit update for your Hasegawa 1/48 kit. The set
includes 21 sharply cast cream colored resin pieces to dress up that Rhino that
you have been waiting to build. The masters for this set were made by the
very talented Mike Kirchoff.
You get a superbly cast cockpit with excellent detail and all of the trimmings
such as: control panels, MB MK.7 seats, control panels, sticks black boxes, side
panels, rudder pedals and throttles.
This is one of Black Boxes best looking sets that I have seen in a while. Of
course accuracy is all subjective when you are talking F-4E's. When
looking at pictures of different F-4s from different eras or during mods, they
can almost all be somewhat different! This one sure looks the part though. I am
very impressed with the level of detail on all of the parts. They are all clean
with no flash or bubbles.
I have done some test fitting and I can say....thin the sidewalls and make sure
you get as much of the casting block off of the cockpit tub as you can to make
it fit. That pesky nose wheel well is a pain to get the cockpit over. The
seats are very well casted as well. I wish that Black Box would also just cast
their seats separately without belts so the modeler doesnt have to have two
seats with matching belts in the cockpits of their station wagons. I
really like the wiring on the back of the rear instrument panel. Care must be
taken not to lose it when assembling this part of the set.
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Rear
instrument panel. |
Overall this set is a very welcome addition to my ever growing Black Box
collection. Yes they have had a couple of "disappointments" lately but
that can be due to several factors. I think that their resin quality is still
among the very best and I for one will continue to buy their sets in multiples!
We need companies like black Box to continue to flourish and this is one set
that will help them do that.
I will recommend this set to anyone who wants a NEW pit in their old Hasegawa
Rhino. My thanks to Black Box and North American Hobbies for the review sample!
Mike Reeves
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2
ejection seats with belts folded differently.
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(click on pictures below to bring up
full screen pictures)
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Instrument
panel |
Front
cockpit tub |
Rear
cockpit tub. |
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Various
consoles for front and rear. |
Sidewall
panels for front and rear. |
Various
remaining parts. |
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