One of the most difficult things on a modern jet to get right are the intakes. If they are long, there is a good chance that there will either be a seam that is difficult to remove, or that the kit maker will take the easy way out and only have it go so far back into the fuselage and then have it end in a blank wall.

Cutting Edge has added a pair of resin intakes to their listing of aftermarket parts and these are for the Hasegawa F-4 Phantom family. At least, the US ones. What makes these neat are that the intakes are molded in white resin. Since modern jet intakes are often white, this obviates the need to paint them. There are a pair of intake compressor faces molded onto a bulkhead as well as the inlet probes and new splitter plates and backings. Actually, I think you could probably use the kit ones, but the backings are solid so there is no need to fill in the hollow ones that the kit has.

Complete instructions are provided and one must basically cut away a large section of the kit fuselage before installation, but the instructions are very clear as to just what is to be removed. Set 48455 is for the F-4B/C/D/N and 48458 for the E/F/G/EJ. In case you are wondering why two different sets when the look identical, looks can be deceiving and there are differences in the wing/intake mating surface between the two types that make it important to have two different sets. Try to cross match the types and you'll run into extra work that isn't needed so be sure to order the right set for the kit you are building.

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