5068 McDonnel Douglas F-4 Phantom II aircraft were built during its production run in the United States, with another 127 aircraft being built by Mitsubishi in Japan. This famous aircraft served with the United States Air Force (USAF), Navy, and Marine Corps, and in many allied countries over a thirty-year span. Later on, a group of retired USAF aircraft would go out in blazes of glory as they were used as full-scale aerial targets for missiles.

Italeri’s 1/48 scale F-4E is a faithful reproduction of the real thing and can be built into a nice showpiece. The model uses recessed panel lines, with the flight controls being a bit deeper than the panel lines. However, one problem that this model suffers from is the mold being designed to represent multiple variants of F-4s. There are extra parts for an RF-4 nose, and the cockpit suffers from simplicity, with the detail consisting of decals superimposed upon semi-accurate dial faces.

Hasegawa has re-issued their 1/48 Ki-61 and Ki-100 models as a ‘dual combo’ and it has included a 1/32 white metal figure of pilot ace Kobayashi. The pilot figure is broken down into body plus legs, with separate arms and head. Being a very bad figure painter, I decided to leave the figure alone. Notice the highly detailed face and the virtually non-existing mold line on it.

Upon opening the box you have two full 1/48 scale model with an estimated 125 parts between both models. There are actually 3 canopies, but only two will be used. You are also provided with a huge decal sheet with two options for the Ki-61 and one option for the Ki-100

Being a dual combo I decided to construct them in parallel and benefitting by painting the same subassemblies (using the same colors) at the same time.

As the follow-on to the F-102 Delta Dagger and a beneficiary of the area rule applied to later models of that predecessor aircraft, the F-106 was known as the “ultimate interceptor”. Serving almost 30 years in the USAF, various ANG units, and as a NASA research platform, the F-106A saw a production run of 277 aircraft. Equipped with a Hughes MA-1 integrated fire control system designed to link with ground-based SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) equipment, the Dart was fitted out with four AIM-4 Falcon air to air missiles as well as one of several variants of nuclear-tipped rockets, all designed to take out an incoming Soviet heavy bomber. All weaponry was carried internally in a large weapons bay.