Cutting Edge 1/32
F-4B/N Airframe Supplemental Conversion Set for Tamiya F-4J

Cutting Edge has stepped up to the plate with another series of interesting conversion sets - all with the sole purpose of transforming either the Tamiya 1/32 F-4C/D or Tamiya 1/32 F-4J kit into your choice of an F-4B or F-4N Phantom II. I was mildly puzzled when I saw the Cutting Edge 1/32 F-4B/C/D/ E/F/G/J/N Seamless Intakes as I thought it odd that there were no kits or conversions for the F-4B nor F-4N yet on the market. 'Yet' was the key word.

The conversion involves two conversion sets out of these three:

• CEC32180 is common to both Tamiya kits
• CEC32185 provides all of the parts necessary to transform the Tamiya F-4C/D into the Navy F-4B/N.
• CEC32187 (this set) provides those parts for the Tamiya F-4J to backdate the airframe into the F-4B/N

Of course, if you're going to all of the time and effort to create the F-4B or F-4N, you're going to want these:

• CEC32183 seamless intakes
• CEC32183 J79 short nozzles

This supplemental set is very straightforward as you're already starting with the F-4J kit, so you'll just need a few things to backdate the airframe. Since the F-4J didn't have the chin fairing under the radome, this set provides a replacement radome to accept either the fairing in this set for the F-4B or the fairing from the basic airframe set for the F-4N. The F-4J kit comes with slotted stabilators, so you should use those if you're building a late-life F-4B (check your references) or F-4N. If you're doing one of the F-4Bs, this set provides the earlier unslotted stabs. The last item in here are the fillets needed to fair the rear fuselage undersides for the shorter afterburner nozzles.

This set must be combined with the basic airframe set listed above to complete the conversion, but you're probably going to want the seamless intake trunks while you're messing with the conversion. Cutting Edge will be releasing the shorter nozzles very soon. These will also be needed whether you're modeling the F-4B or F-4N.

Definitely recommended!

My sincere thanks to Meteor Productions for this review sample!