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Finally; a new 1/72 Phantom


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10 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

 Both separate and one piece version is provided for the two cockpits.

 

Well, actually a two-piece  "one piece" version.      

 

:whistle:

 

Looks like the clear parts include the nose gear door with the landing light (nice!!), and the HUD Combining Glass,  but not sure what the other pieces are. Since those pieces are on a separate tree, it may indicate  plans for trees for other variants. For example, a new separate tree could include the one piece front windshield.

 

Gene K

Edited by GeneK
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1 hour ago, GeneK said:

 

Well, actually a two-piece  "one piece" version.      

 

:whistle:

Gene K

 

 

Well, OK technically speaking yes, but you know exactly what I meant.   : )   : )   : )

 

The good side of it is that one can play around with different versions of canopies.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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FineMolds have started their dedicated Phantom  page on their website here, so that should be the place to get latest updates.

 

No new pictures, but it does repeat that the two versions will be released simultaneously.

 

Gene K

 

EDIT: I don't do Facebook, but there's a link on the FineMolds page to their page.

Edited by GeneK
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On 5/19/2020 at 12:33 AM, ya-gabor said:

 

Under some light conditions the perforation on the spliter plate is not visible. But it is there!

 

c8cCh6m.jpg

 

Nope, it's definitely not, because when the mediocre Airfix kits were released, all the Brits said the holes were impossible to do in 1/72.  So you must be mistaken.  😉

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33 minutes ago, MoFo said:

Nope, it's definitely not, because when the mediocre Airfix kits were released, all the Brits said the holes were impossible to do in 1/72.

Well... "were impossible" given the equipement owned by the mold maker used by Airfix.

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On 5/19/2020 at 10:42 PM, GeneK said:

 

But looks like (?) they didn't quite get the downward angle of the engines.

 

 

The definitive 1/72 F-4 kit should surely include separate droopy things like speed brakes and ailerons. 

 

 

 

 

That's a kit I anticipate as much as the 1/72 FM version!

 

 

Jonathan, I'll post what I have shortly.

 

Gene K

 

Gene, thanks for the stabilator photos. Hopefully there are two sets, the other without the reinforcing plates; maybe in the 'standard' kit. It'll be a pain to have to remove them for early F-4Es. it's bad enough doing it on the Hasegawa kit without alll that fine rivet detail. If the shapes are confirmed to be off, can we convince Jeffrey to downsize his excellent 1/48 ones? I think they're needed anyway; the Academy kit's suffer from the same issue as their 1/48 siblings, the Airfix FG.1 set is woefully underdetailed and who doesn't hate that annoying pin Hasegawa decided to use simply so we could position the stabs, even though the actual pivot is moulded level :bandhead2:  The Hypersonic stabilators have become a 'must have' for my 1/48 F-4s and I'd personally love to see a decent set available in 1/72 to the same standard.

 

On your other points:

 

I hadn't noticed the engine angle, hopefully it's just a perspective or test build issue. Im sure it'd be an easy fix if not.

I agree about the speed brakes and aileron, however it looks like it's too late now

 

On 5/26/2020 at 1:54 PM, GeneK said:

 

Well, actually a two-piece  "one piece" version.      

 

:whistle:

 

Looks like the clear parts include the nose gear door with the landing light (nice!!), and the HUD Combining Glass,  but not sure what the other pieces are. Since those pieces are on a separate tree, it may indicate  plans for trees for other variants. For example, a new separate tree could include the one piece front windshield.

 

Gene K

 

It looks as if the windshield part 1) looks like we might have an actual  F-4E style instead of a generic catch-all ; I think the other parts are: 2) Upper Landing Light 1 (it's not sharp enough for me to be sure); 3) Nosegear door Landing/Taxi light; 4) Kai HUD 5) LCOSS gunsight for standard versions. The area under the hand could be where they add any future parts (RF-4, Navy/Dual & Navy door lights, short nose windshield?). I too would love to see a frameless windshield option but it was only used on a few jets so is probably too obscure to be found in a mainstream kit.

 

On the the front instrument panel photo, this is for the Kai layout. Inclusion of the console panels on the Kai specific frame and two rear panels in earlier photos would mean that there'll be a completely separate set in the standard F-4EJ.

 

There's some more photos posted today on their Twitter feed (via the Finemolds homepage):

 

 

Finally, the fuselage, which looks to be indeed a single piece mould for everything aft of the intakes:

 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZKOUrTUEAA-bG1?format=jpg&name=large

 

With the upcoming ZM F-4E as well, this is proving a bad year to give up buying more Phantoms...

 

Jonathan

 

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2 hours ago, Craig Baldwin said:

<...>

TOO8Por.jpg

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Steel mould or Borg cube? Either way.... I, for one, welcome our new Phantom overlords! :worship:

Edited by ChernayaAkula
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40 minutes ago, Wild Weasel V said:

I hadn't noticed the engine angle, hopefully it's just a perspective or test build issue.

 

Oppps ... the downward engine angle is a trivial comment I meant in jest about the model's aft engine support piece. It will NOT affect the model's appearance ... at all!! 

 

GVjWExu.jpg

 

Gene K

Edited by GeneK
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Interesting to see a one piece burner can. At last someone is doing it this way. Now the only question is how will one paint the details of the turbine stage. But we are modellers and will find a way.

 

Second one is giving a good true plan view of the lower side of the stab. Now is there someone near a real Phantom to go out and measure the outer panel and inner panel on the trailing edge to see how it compares with the FineMolds rendering.

A reoccurring mistake by some to look at full top view or side view instead of the real plan view (a right angle view of the surface) of the given aircraft part and making deductions from it. Some manufacturers also make this mistake unfortunately.

 

The last photo looks like the inner side moulding tool for the fuselage top /back with locators for the engine assembly and of course the top of the fuselage is given as an interchangeable version specific part. Here the cut-out for it is visible.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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On 5/29/2020 at 10:02 AM, Wild Weasel V said:

Finally, the fuselage, which looks to be indeed a single piece mould for everything aft of the intakes:

 

Just keeps getting better and better, huh, Jonathan?

 

Next big reveal, I hope, is the intake pattern.

 

Gene K

 

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Looks awesome BUT I hope they do the early B/N models.  USN versions are my favorites. 

 

 

It seems you can do a plethora of late models E's from this kit

 

 

Steve,

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Really interesting/intriguing  to watch the mold development. Glad FineMolds shares the progress.

The split of the front and rear fuselage sections seems to follow the Hasegawa demarcation ... meaning that I may be able to use Hasegawa "fronts" like the RF-4, etc.

 

Gene K

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36 minutes ago, Tomcat Trebor said:

I am confused by the picture from Gabor. It appears to be the male metal mould but it is covered with panel line details. Surely that would be on the female mould or am l missing something ?

 

Regards

Robert

It's the EDM master. You use this to spark-erode the fine detail into the female steel mould cavity. The mould will then have raised detail on its surface so the plastic will have the same recessed detail you see on the EDM master.

J

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8 hours ago, JeffreyK said:

... into the female steel mould cavity

I believe there's a cavity mold half (outer side of the main parts with all the surface details) and a core mold half (inner side of the main parts with all the ejector pin holes).

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Here is the spark-erode process with the brass part on top and the steel (future production mould part) on bottom. All is submerged in a special fluid. Electricity is doing all the hard work! : )  : )   : )

 

I know not much is visible here, but it will be with the final product!  : )

 

tcdNhat.jpg

 

 

 

Oh yes and the photos are unfortunately : (  : (  : (  not from me but from FineMolds page. 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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I too am very excited for this release.  I do hope they get the IP coaming correct between the Ka/non-Kai versions.  The Kai version has a different IP which affects the shape of the coaming.

Edited by knovak
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And here is the result of electro etching or spark erode process. The after fuselage part.

 

The brass anode. One can see the area (grey) where it was in contact with steel. You can see the same part further up in this forum before it was used for etching. This is what the final kit surface will look like.

 

lvsUGf8.jpg

 

 

and here is the steel tool from it. See that all the surface details are negative here in comparison with above image.

 

i5Zq0l0.jpg

 

Dont know about others but for me it is fascinating to see how a kit is made. 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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29 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

One can see the area (grey) where it was in contact with steel.

Not "in contact" but "in close proximity". The idea is to maintain a voltage difference between the anode and the cathode so that sparks erode the cathode in the shape of the anode. If anode and cathode were in contact, no sparks but a short-circuit.

29 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

Dont know about others but for me it is fascinating to see how a kit is made.

Well this is how high-pressure plastic injection molds have been made for 40 years. What impresses me is the amount of ressources (machines, raw materials, man-days, etc) necessary to produce toolings. Retooling molds is something that's to be avoided at all cost so everything must be done to ensure that the CAD model has no breakdown and accuracy issues. I believe that no other application than plastic model kits use that much EDM process when producing molds.

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57 minutes ago, Laurent said:

Not "in contact" but "in close proximity". . .

 

 

Hi Laurent,

 

Yes, you are absolutely right. I did not want to go into it so deep, I believe it is already a bit too technical for most. 

 

I did write a longer, tow part article for a modeling publication on our visit (together with Ken the Flankerman) to Zvezda where all the fine details were explained including the liquid you see in the process. I think it was too much detail but it was good to get it over with for those few who are interested. 

 

I think FineMolds is doing a great job in showing how a kit is born and in the process make excellent marketing for the new kit!

 

Stay Safe!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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