Area 88 – 1/48 scale projects

While Hasegawa has released several Area 88 kits under their Creator Works line, most of my 1/48 projects will not rely on the official releases.  Instead, I will try to use the best/most cost effective alternative, coupled with the best homemade decals I can manage.

The finished models:

Coming Soon!

The 1/48 Scale Projects:

Given the larger size, I’ve been quite selective over which kits make it into my 1/48 scale project.  While it might grow, based on the kits currently in my stash the list is as follows.

A-4E Skyhawk
As an inexpensive attack aircraft with excellent reliability and easy maintenance, the A-4 Skyhawk is one of the most often seen aircraft in the series.  A favourite of many of the Area 88 pilots, including Greg, the sightings are too numerous to list.  However, A-4Es were featured prominently in Chapter 039 (v03c10), Of Ants and a Monster, as Greg and Campell attack the Desert Carrier.  They were also used by Shin and Kim as the primary training aircraft at the base in Greece in Chapter 056 (v04C11), A New Set of Molars.  Given that Old Man McCoy likely gathered A-4s from all over the world, there are several variants in play.

F-4E Phantom II
One of the most widely adopted fighter aircraft across the Western Hemisphere, the F-4 is seen throughout the series – mostly type “E” (equipped with a Gatling gun in the nose), but some type “D” can also found.  Some of the more prominent appearances of the F-4E Phantom II include “Phoenix” Charlie’s return to Area 88 (flying solo in the two-seater) in Chapter 022 (v02c08) Clinging to Life. it was also flown by Shin and Warren in Chapter 047 (v04c02) 88 Desperate Situations, as part of the operation to “break the Big Leg” and stop the Grand Slam. It was also flown by Sera and Kim in Chapter 124 (v08c09) Supersonic Goddess, during their attempt to gather together the remnants of the Brasian air force.

  • Phoenix Charlies’s F-4E Phantom II (F-4B/N “VMFA-531 Gray Ghosts” by Academy)

F-5E Tiger II
An early icon of the series, the F-5E Tiger II was Shin Kazama’s second signature aircraft, and the first to bear his personal flaming unicorn mark (in the manga the F-8E was unbranded). It first appears in Chapter 005 (v01c05) The Crossing Point of Solitude, as Shin has a close encounter with a Yamato Airlines B-747-100 flown by Satoru Kanzaki.  It was destroyed in a crash landing in Chapter 010 (v01c10) Longing at Dawn, after its battle-damage landing gear fails.  Later, in Chapter 081 (v06c04) The Queen of the Sand, Shin flies another F-5E (on loan from McCoy while his F-20 is in the shop), but is shot down by Sera, making her first appearance in her MiG-21. The F-5E Tiger II also makes a memorable appearance in Chapter 124 (v08c09) Supersonic Goddess, flown in formation by the remnants of the Brasian air force.

  • Shin Kazama’s F-5E Tiger II (KF-5E by Academy)

F-8E Crusader
Right from the second page of Chapter 001 (v01c01) The Blue Skies of Betrayal, the F-8E Crusader makes an impactful first appearance as one of Shin Kazama’s most iconic fighter jets.  However it is probably most well known for its appearance in Chapter 002 (v01c02) A Man Named Boris, as both Shin and Boris use the F-8E’s ability to fly with its wings folded to make their way through the “Fang” air defence screen.  Iconic though it may be, the F-8E Crusader only lasted 3 chapters, making its final appearance in Chapter 003 (v01c03) The Endless Desert when Shin gets shot down by a MiG-17.

F-14A Tomcat
Mickey’s iconic F-14A Tomcat, with his signature Playboy Bunny mark is probably the second-most iconic plane (after Shin’s F-20 Tigershark) in the entire series.  First introduced in Chapter 025 (v02c11) The New Wings, The then cutting edge fighter jet was improbably procured by Old Man McCoy for Mickey by using a serial number mix-up with a few F-14As sold to Iran before the fall of the Shah.  Mickey’s original F-14A – with the rear seat removed – appears until Chapter 033 (v03c04) Saki, Again when he’s shot down by the Desert Carrier while investigating Shin’s disappearance.  McCoy replaces it in Chapter 064 (v05c04) Betrayal of the Funeral March, after Area 88 relocates to the mountain base, and it appears until the end of the series.The F-14A also appears during a flashback scene in Chapter 006 (v01c06), Blue Mirage as Mickey recollects a ‘friendly fire’ incident involving an A-1 Skyraider during the Vietnam War.

MiG – 21PFM “Fishbed”
As the best-selling fighter of the Eastern block, it’s no wonder the MiG-21 is the main fighter of the Anti-Government Forces. The first appearance of a MiG-21 is in Chapter 010 (v01c10) Longing at Dawn, in the dogfight that damages Shin’s F-5E Tiger II and causes it to crash upon landing.  However the MiG-21 really becomes becomes the most prominent enemy aircraft after Gary MacBurn and Project 4 arrive in Asran in Chapter 075 (v05c15) The Grim Reaper’s Fugue.  From the shape of the windscreen, they mostly appear to be the PFM type.