SPA Modeler

I emailed ZM a few days ago as to whether or not they were working on the F 4E because I hadn't seen anything concerning it for some time. Got the following reply from their president.

Dear Mr. William Kunert,
Thank you for your message.
Fear not, your dream will soon be realized!
As I write this, all of the members of the SWS Development Team are in the midst of working hard to develop the very best possible 1/48 scale F-4E.
Please enjoy the excitement of waiting in the meantime.
Hideyuki Shigeta

President

Zoukei-Mura, Inc.

I don't know exactly what soon means. Japan is a very old society and soon to them and soon to me could be very different time frames. I do appreciate their response

I’ve only seen their 1/48 F-4J kit up close and personal. But it was a real beauty. I’m betting that their F-4E kit will be more of the same.

Very good customer service, to get an answer that quickly!


- Kari

I've built their Ho 229,P 51K, and F 4J and they are on a par with Tamiya and ahead of Tamiya in dtail. The P 51K has all the cooling ducts from the radiator to the engine. The Horten has the compressor blades inside the engine. Their F 4 kits are considered the best available.

Word is also out that they will fix that area out back, and get rid of that "ate too many cupcakes" bustle area.

Now before anyone goes off on me for talking about that flaw,,,,,,and whether it is real or not,,,,,remember, they wouldn't be changing it on the F-4E tooling if they thought that they had the old tooling correct right there.

Here is a photo of Jeffrey's fix. And the way that the F-4E tooling will be changed. (if they do what they said)

Photo credit is Jeffrey at Hypersonic models, the guy that brings us correct McDonnell tanks, and correct bomb pylons in 1/48 and 1/72 scale.

So, the F-4E kit should look like the part on the right labeled Hypersonic Models.

Have not built a Phantom since the venerable Hasegawa kits,these look like good candidates,but so many kits and so little time.

RexCag wrote:Word is also out that they will fix that area out back, and get rid of that "ate too many cupcakes" bustle area.

Now before anyone goes off on me for talking about that flaw,,,,,,and whether it is real or not,,,,,remember, they wouldn't be changing it on the F-4E tooling if they thought that they had the old tooling correct right there.

lol, I know, Carlos.

@ Rex!

Insulting ZM is like insulting Tamiya or Hasegawa.... Blasphemy!!!!!

But I agree with your assessment, if they got it right the first time, why change it? And I’m not one to get bent out of shape for some contours that I have no real knowledge of or say in. I remember all the grumbling that was out there pre release for the Academy 1/48 F-4B of the shape of the nose based off of a couple of publicity photos. Once the kit was released, that all seems to die off double quick. I still want one, seeing that I have no B or N in my stash or collection.