tony.t
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Agree 100% *********** Kit looks very good. Currently building fighting the 1/32 Trumpeter, so the 1/48 Ammo MiG will be a delight afterwards. Tony
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My hope too. I'd rather Tamiya produced a J or hardwing E/EJ, but next year will tell whether we get another variant or if another boxing is just something that in a decade will be a dream in the mists of time. My other hope is with the 1/32 Red Pills Models venture, which also apparently will kick off with an F-4B. My two Tamiya 1/32 F-4C/Ds are enough for the timebeing. Tony
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So you can fill them with glow-in-the-dark paint? I'm inclined to sand them down a bit and use decals I'm hoping Aires Quickboost does a set of antennae. Tony
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1/32 Revell Hunter FGA.9/Mk.58 Review/Preview
tony.t replied to Ranger_Chris61's topic in Jet Modeling
That's the best boxing for an accurate FGA.9 or export Mk.58. It has the slightly more detailed cockpit wall from the F.6 boxing as well as the corrected, constant chord, ailerons. (The original FGA.9 release had tapered ailerons.) It hasn't been available in Europe for a few years but hopefully Revell will repop the kit, maybe with more exotic markings like Jonathon Whaley's Miss Demeanour with the snazzy meteor rainbow and starred scheme? The panel detail is akin to the real thing and not suited to those who like filling troughs with gunge. If I could buy a second new exam -
Nothing personal Gene. If you like the Z-M kit, great. The Meng looks better to me, if a little rougher and omitting some essential features like the belly strap (but I'm really waiting to see what Red Pills Models does in 1/32 scale). I'm building the Meng F-4G next year as a stocking filler and it will need some work, including the strap and stabilator doubler plates, sourcing a long ALQ-184 pod etc. Happy Holidays Tony
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The Z-M canopy profile, especially in plan view, is so off that it spoils the whole model. The Meng kit looks a bit rougher in some regards (but the real plane was too!) and to my eye, at least, looks much more accurate in shape. I honestly believe that a thoughtfully made Meng will yield a way more accurate result than the Z-M, even though the latter is probably slicker for an airliner type finish. Essentially, we're lucky to have two such good kits to choose from: the last new F-4G came out 37, nearly 38, years ago! Tony
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Hello Tony
In the recent Phantom threads here at ARC, I realized, that you are very knowledgeable about the F-4E and -G details in the context of the new forthcoming kits. This and the fact, that you are coming from Bristol leads me to the conclusion, that you may be the Tony Th., who has produced some nice books of USAF(E) subjects in the 90s. If so, we had a bit of correspondencece about 30 years ago.
My name is Christian Gerard and I have shifted my interest from aviation photography in the 80s and 90s subsequently towards scale aircraft modelling today.
From 2024 I intend to build some USAFE Phantoms from the new kits in 1:48 and hopefully a new 1:32 kit, too. From next year, I will having more time, which is quite limited nowadays after I was struck by several occasions which almost kept me away from modelling. Then, I will show here some photos and memories from the good old times.
Take care and until later.
Greetings
Christian
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Hi Christian,
Hope all is well. I passed all F-4 and F-111 material to Andreas Klein at AirDoc/Double Ugly publications, and no longer write. They do such great books!
Back to just modelling for me: easier and more fun!
I'm interested in doing USAFE Phantoms too soon, starting with a 1/48 RF-4C Pave Drag and then seeing what Red Pills Models do with the new 1/32 creations.
Take care, and happy holidays,
Tony in Bristol
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Hello Tony
Thank you very much for your reply.
My contact to Andreas Klein were a bit rare in the last months due to my limited time. Yes, he is doing great stuff!
Yesterday I have visited my friend Pascal Klasen, who is a very talented 30yr young guy. In his first 25 years, he lived near former Bitburg AB, now a few km from Spangdahlem AB. A couple of months ago, he founded his own enterprise, PK Productions. First release were two 36.TFW and 52. FW F-15 Eagle sheets, meticulously researched and produced. A 1:32 version is in the work. Some of my photographs from the 80s and 90s were used as references.
Next year, a 50. TFW F-16A/B Hahn Falcons sheet is scheduled. I shot some of those in the early 80s, but missed to do a close up shot of the 496. TFS squadron badge on the intake. I did this well with the 10. and 313. TFS aircraft. Since 50. TFW F-16A often visited airshows in the UK, I would like to ask you, if you have a detail photograph of the 496. TFS badge on the airplane, which considerably differs from the badges worn by the pilots on their flying suits.
Have a nice Sunday and happy modelling!
Greetings
Christian
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Meng have modelled the ab initio slatted wing with the thicker lower torque box skin and its noticeable lip or step along its rear edge. A vinyl strap should fix things satisfactorily if it's not included in the kit's etched metal fret. Sorry, but the almost parallel canopy profile of the Z-M is utterly horrible. Crisp detail isn't going to fix that, ever. The Meng is looking a whole lot more like an F-4G and the Standard ARM is particularly cool. Shame there are no Shrikes or ALQ-184, but those are available elsewhere. Tony
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I'm liking the look of the Meng way more than the Z-M. The canopy looks to be correctly bowed in the middle in plan view, even though the windshield might be a fraction too wide. Thanks for posting the pic Solo. This one's getting my money. Curious to know if any other variants will follow, e.g. Israeli F-4E with refuelling probe. Tony
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Good to hear that you're on the mend Chris. I'm definitely up for the Su-27 canopy correction set so hope you can work out how to deal with the UK tax system. I believe Jeffrey of Hypersonic models in Japan has worked it all out. Best Tony
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Agree, and the Reid Air Publications operational Clark Field PN markings are a must for me. However, Caracal, which has released a string of early scheme sheets might cover the testbeds as they wouldn't take up much space: 697254 with the international orange and spook insignia, and 69-263 when it wore GA codes around 1977 (WW by the time the first true deliveries took place in April 1978 — though Caracal would need to redo the 35th TFW insignia for the latter, which was wider and squatter than the usual back-stabber design drawn for the F-105G sheet, which would be fine for '263).
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While committed to the box top Hill Gray II offering of 232/YGBSM from the Southern Watch era, I am curious what the other two markings options are. A Standard ARM indicates at least one from the period 1978-1985, i.e. SEA, wrap-around SEA or European 1, and a Clark Field jet would be nice for a change — although the prototype SEA scheme with international orange tail and wingtips (69-7254, first flown in December 1975) would be cool, especially if it featured the Weasel Spook insignia on the intake cheeks. I can't believe that the Meng F-4G would be a one-shot deal: there's
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I noticed that too and wondered if we're supposed to fill them in with glow-in-the-dark paint? The terms emery paper & elbow grease spring to mind. It's looking like a great kit. Just wondering what the other two markings will be? Looking forward to this more and more, Tony
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There should be one low band antenna on each side of the fin (vertical stabiliser). The arrowhead-shaped doubler plates, like the missing belly strap, would be well-served by a pre-cut vinyl or etch set. (Might be in the kit?) I'm liking this kit a lot. The windshield looks a little fat in the computer renderings — we'll have to see the actual plastic — but the canopy looks to correctly bow out laterally in the middle. Definitely buying one. Need to source a long ALQ-184 ECM pod from Wolfpack, and need to know if the kit has inlets (and not blanked off like the ancient
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You'll want the different Navy Aero 5 or later LAU-118) launcher. The LAU-34 is completely different and was used by USAF F-4C/G Wild Weasels. Tony