Hasegawa 1/48
TA-4J Skyhawk

I just finished this Hasegawa 1/48 TA-4J Skyhawk. I have always loved the Navy Trainers and have been waiting many years for a decent model in 1/48th. To my surprise, two were released over the past year. The limited run Classic Airframes, and the Hasegawa. I purchased both and was torn between which to build. They are both great kits, but in my opinion the Hasegawa offers a few more strengths, especially in overall mold quality and ease of assembly. Absolutely perfect wing to fuse joint!

I did steal the ejection seats from the Classic Airframe kit, it still has two more spares in the box. I also added a small amount of scratch built details to canopy frame, cockpit, and brake lines.

Also, some will judge that the Hasegawa VT-7 decals are too orange. I thought so also, until I found some picturess of this VT-7 bird in a very orange like color. I believe for this particular bird Hasegawa is spot on, although most other VT training aircraft are more on the reddish side. I had to lighten Model Master International orange to match. I like the outcome.

Overall, very fun and easy build. Fantastic fit, except for nose cone, although maybe this was my fault. Kit would be outstanding right out of the box.

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