F-4B Phantom II
Cockpit Set

Black Box

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Black Box continues to work its way through the Hasegawa F-4s and this latest set is designed to replace the kit supplied cockpit parts for the F-4B.

The 1/48 scale Hasegawa F-4B/N kit has been around since 1983. It is a nice kit, but the main shortcoming is that is has a USAF rear cockpit. Modellers have had a few after-market options to correct this over the years but this set sweeps them all away. Not only does it correct the USAF/USN problem, but it also provides extra and exquisite detailing for the whole cockpit.

The set comprises 17 pieces finely cast in a brittle, light-tan coloured plastic. The parts are:

• The cockpit tub

• Front cockpit weapons panel

• Front main instrument panel/glare shield

• Front right side panel

• Front left side panel

• Front throttle handle

• Front cockpit control column

• Rear cockpit instrument panel

• Rear left side control panel

• Rear centre control panel

• Radar control handle

• Rear right side panel

• Two rudder pedals

• Two ejection seats

• Centre canopy piece

The cockpit tub is cast with the correct rear cockpit details to represent the changes made by the USN. It looks great but painting will be somewhat tricky because the sidewall is cast in-place.

The front cockpit side consoles also exhibit far more detail than the original kit parts. This detail is crisply and sharply cast and also includes a separate throttle handle. The fuselage sidewalls are separate pieces and the fabric texture is faithfully reproduced as are the various boxes as well as the undercut of the cockpit rails. The rear instrument panel is a work of art and it faithfully reproduces the tangle of electrical cables that power the instruments and radios on the panel. A good point about this part is that you can remove the centre of the plastic web that is supposed to join the two halves of the fuselage together and sit the instrument panel on the remains of the web. Of all the B/Ns that I have built, only one wanted to join there properly!

I also liked the front instrument panel. It is cast attached to the shroud so that you are able to remove the whole shroud from the kit part – no seam filling or great big hole where the kit’s gun sight is supposed to sit. The ejection seats have been cast with their harnesses in-place but the belts are in different positions on each seat – a nice touch. They also fit between the side consoles without any adjustment.

The instruction sheet is a single-sided affair with exploded view line drawings showing the construction sequence as well as construction notes, a colour guide and a list of helpful references.

Make no mistake, you need to read and follow the construction notes, especially the one with regard to the fitment of the kit’s nose wheel bay to the bottom of the tub- get this wrong and the whole thing just will not work.

All up, an excellent detail set. Black Box is to be commended for “going back in time” and providing detail sets for kits that really need them. My example has been slotted for insertion into a VF-111 F-4B. Gull Grey and White with it’s entire tail painted in red and white stripes - oh yeah!

Recommended.

Thanks to Mike Reeves from Jetset Models for the review sample.

Black Box products are available online from Jetset Models.
Click here to visit Jetset Models website

Review Copyright © 2002 by Rodger Kelly
Page Created 02 June, 2002
Last updated 09 November, 2003

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