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Finally; a new 1/72 Phantom


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7 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

I see you got a box full of FineMolds Phantoms to do a lot of crosskiting.  : )  : )  : ) 

 

Good morning Gabor, and thanks for the comments. Yes, I've enjoyed this Phantom week immensely. I'll do a USN version next.

 

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Will the FineMolds cockpit fit into the Hase nose section? 

 

Perfectly!

 

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Will the FineMolds canopy fit onto the Hase nose?

 

Near perfect! You'll have to use the Hasegawa fairing behind the GIB's canopy or trim the FM piece. 

 

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Why not use only the bottom part with the covered over Sparrow bays and the just the extreme rece nose area from the Hase and grafted onto the FineMolds nose ... ?

 

After a little tweaking, I now have a very good fit of the entire Hasegawa nose, and have looked  at alternatives like you suggested. However, I'm inclined to keep the Hasegawa nose intact for simplicity. Looks good so far, I think

 

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But is it in the plans to do a pure out of box F-4EJ version too? 

 

That was my first fit-together so I could get a feel for the kit - and l love it! After enjoying many Hasegawa Phantom fit challenges over the years, it's a real pleasure to have the FineMolds parts click into place. Great engineering, and precision fit!!

 

Looking forward to your comments when you get your kit(s).

 

Gene K

 

 

 

 

Edited by GeneK
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Has anyone used the Nano seat harness detail set by FM? I have a set made some years back but found them very stiff and difficult to change from the flat shape. Is the plastic better now for forming to the contours?

 

I wish ARC forums had a like button for all the great posts especially here on this thread.

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48 minutes ago, Craig Baldwin said:

Has anyone used the Nano seat harness detail set by FM? I have a set made some years back but found them very stiff and difficult to change from the flat shape. Is the plastic better now for forming to the contours?

 

I wish ARC forums had a like button for all the great posts especially here on this thread.

Hi Craig, I just used them for my ZM F-4E build.  I found them easy to work with.   I may add some heat to the process next time though.   Go back a page in this thread to see them or, to see my F-4 seats with the Nano Belts painted up, check out my build thread in the “In-Progress” section.  

 

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This is completely off topic but speaking of scratch and conversion. Somewhere in early 90’s I did a bit of conversion from I think an Italeri kit of the RF-4 in 72 nd. Visits to airshows with lots of photos of the real metal, open nose section, plus some Detail & Scale info and Scale Models (one of the best publication in 70’s 80’s) made a scale plan with all the internal details, ribs, cameras, radar. . .  

 

Y4TmS62.jpg

 

A friend screen printed for me the Triple Nickel markings from my artwork, did some home brass etching with dipping metal into chemicals to do details of the radar and of chaff and flare dispensers on the tail. Used the prepared plans to make a vac-form nose section with appropriate wall thickness, plus a new nose cone. A vac-form copy of the kit canopy was made from ultra thin clear plastic. Scratched all the internal equipment.

 

XcvyO7D.jpg

 

The cockpit had Microscale decals with some scratch detail to it. Basic camo paint was applied with some Microscale stencils and my triple nickel decal.

 

 

IGJaBTn.jpg

 

At this stage the kit was put aside for whatever reason, mainly for doing kit-building articles every month for several publications.

 

All that remains of the kit today is the main fuselage body and few drawings as the box with all the other parts was stolen from the garage along with lots of other things, kits, my decal stash, etchings . . .  about a decade ago.  : (  : (

 

 

Now I will wait and see which other versions FineMolds makes.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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1 hour ago, ya-gabor said:

This is completely off topic but speaking of scratch and conversion. Somewhere in early 90’s I did a bit of conversion from I think an Italeri kit of the RF-4 in 72 nd. Visits to airshows with lots of photos of the real metal, open nose section, plus some Detail & Scale info and Scale Models (one of the best publication in 70’s 80’s) made a scale plan with all the internal details, ribs, cameras, radar. . .  

 

 

 

A friend screen printed for me the Triple Nickel markings from my artwork, did some home brass etching with dipping metal into chemicals to do details of the radar and of chaff and flare dispensers on the tail. Used the prepared plans to make a vac-form nose section with appropriate wall thickness, plus a new nose cone. A vac-form copy of the kit canopy was made from ultra thin clear plastic. Scratched all the internal equipment.

 

 

 

The cockpit had Microscale decals with some scratch detail to it. Basic camo paint was applied with some Microscale stencils and my triple nickel decal.

 

 

IGJaBTn.jpg

 

At this stage the kit was put aside for whatever reason, mainly for doing kit-building articles every month for several publications.

 

All that remains of the kit today is the main fuselage body and few drawings as the box with all the other parts was stolen from the garage along with lots of other things, kits, my decal stash, etchings . . .  about a decade ago.  : (  : (

 

 

Now I will wait and see which other versions FineMolds makes.

 

Best regards

Gabor

Those were the times....

I think I still have these Model Technology PE cockpit sills...

Have a nice day.

Madcop.

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Hi Madcop,

 

Yee, those were the times!

 

I think one can play around in a similar way with the new FineMolds kit like Gene is doing or go even further with some internal detailing.  .  . 

I dont know why but I was fascinated by the RF-4 aircraft.

Would I do that again today? Not sure, it had far more chalanges back then with vac-forming, etching, doing my own decals, scratch design of radar and other small parts . . .   It was a lot of fun!!!!!!!

 

Of course the long nose E is also a good subject, have somewhere a Vulcan gun from Master to "play around" with. : )    : )   : ) Will have to modifiy the end of it to make it good for Phantom of course.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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The next step in FineMolds Nano world is a collection of cockpit mirrors and formation lights for the Phantom.

 

How thin, authentic and realistic can it get will only be known when one holds the set in hands and adds it to the cockpit. We will see. 

 

1X9uq3b.jpg

 

Best regards

Gabor

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On 10/21/2020 at 3:52 AM, ya-gabor said:

The next step in FineMolds Nano world is a collection of cockpit mirrors and formation lights for the Phantom.

 

According to a Twit (Tweet)  on the FM site, the F-4EJ Kai Last Flight Memorial "Yellow"  and 
F-4EJ Kai Last Flight Memorial "Blue" http: //finemolds.co.jp/202011-NEW.html 
will come with Nano Aviation seatbelts, rearview mirrors, and panel lights. Hence, combined with the extensive deal sheet, the slightly higher price, I suppose.

 

Gene K
 

Edited by GeneK
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3 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

The extra sprue for the new RF-4EJ version is coming along nicely with all the specialized recce containers and pods.

 

 

There's even an ALQ-131 in there :clap2:

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12 minutes ago, pollie said:

 

There's even an ALQ-131 in there :clap2:

 

 

Have no idea what they are, but just a reminder, this is what (marked with bright yellow/green colour) there will be on that new sprue.

The new nose cone is clearly visible there on the steel mold, a new cover over the removed Vulcan gun, pods, containers and the pylons for them . . . 

 

t8lfI6M.jpg

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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3 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

Have no idea what [the pods] are ... .

 

Mr. Google gave this short description here:

 

[quote] These aircraft can carry three different types of sensor pods, depending on the mission requirements.These comprise of the TACER (an electronic reconnaissance pod with data-link),the TAC (pod with carrying KS-135A and KS-95B cameras, plus a D-500UR IR system) and the LOROP (with KS-146B camera). [/quote]

 

31194158252_f55927e6c3_b.jpg

 

But the same article also states:

 

[quote]These aircraft retained the nose for the M61A1 Vulcan cannon. While mounting no internal cameras or reconnaissance equipment in their nose, they were able to carry a centreline reconnaissance equipment pod. [/quote]

 

FM has obviously done their homework, so  I wonder what the differences are on the new nose cone and gun cover? :hmmm:

 

Gene K

 

Edited by GeneK
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23 minutes ago, GeneK said:

FM has obviously done their homework, so  I wonder what the differences are on the new nose cone and gun cover? :hmmm:

Gene K

 

Same question here!  Obviously there are differences if they invest in producing new molds for them!

 

In that statement "retained the nose for the VUlcan. . ." Yee this is clear and visible from the outside, no problem here.  But did they have the actual Vulcan inside, in technical terms I dont think so, since under the cover that FineMolds is giving (the new one) is where the barrels of the gun are, so if you have a camera somewhere over it, how will it work . . . 

 

But we dont expect our kit to produce HiRes images of shelf on which the kit sits. : )  : )  : )

 

From modeling point of view I dont really care about the exact name of a given pod as long as it is perfectly reproduced in scale. 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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33 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

... I dont really care about the exact name of a given pod as long as it is perfectly reproduced in scale. 

 

I can't tell from the first mold pics if FM includes the option to model the front of the TAC pod in the down position:

 

5831905.jpg?v=v49b9258f2bc

 

From watching film, it appears that the (FOD?) cover comes down when the gear does -- but appears up after the airplane is shut down. Anyone know for sure?

 

Gene K

Edited by GeneK
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The radome might have lightning stripes and the gun cover should have the dedicated antenna for RF-4EJ.

IMHO those details could only be replicated by having new parts as they are very small to be added as add-on parts to the old(!) ones.

Edited by clumsy
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18 hours ago, GeneK said:

FM has obviously done their homework, so  I wonder what the differences are on the new nose cone and gun cover? :hmmm:

 

Gene K

 

 

Two radalt antennas are on the lower gun cover surface. The nose cone doesn't have the lightning strips, but the wings and tails have all of the EJ Kai type antennas. Fine Molds would either have to include both the the EJ and EJ Kai sprues, have the modeller sand off the lightning strips, or include another nose cone. Seems like they picked adding another nose cone to the RF-4EJ sprue.

 

There is another panel on the starboard side of the nose that is specific to the RF-4EJ but that is further back and won't be captured by the new radome.

 

Cheers,

Hoops

Edited by Hoops
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11 hours ago, Hoops said:

Fine Molds would either have to include both the the EJ and EJ Kai sprues, have the modeller sand off the lightning strips, or include another nose cone.

 

Nice analysis, Hoops. Thanks.

 

Gene K

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An FM bonus (of sorts) -- one can go to this FM post  to download 1/72 pdf side, top, and bottom view drawings.

 

Google translation of the text accompanying the drawings is:

 

We have prepared a full-color painting drawing for making the kit. Click each image to see a larger image.
The PDF data version can be printed out in approximately 1/72 scale by selecting B4 size (horizontal) "actual size" and printing .

 

Although the  translation  says  "approximately", the prints perfectly match the kit!  Too bad FM didn't arrange the graphics to also accommodate letter size paper (not hard at all).

 

Looks like FM will post similar graphics for the December special markings releases.

 

Gene K

Edited by GeneK
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From FineMolds Twitter site some photos of further work on the RF-4EJ "extra" sprue. After initial machanical milling of the metal part now electrical "burning" of fine details is taking place.

 

Here is etching with the anode of the LOROP container

 

B9C8FIX.jpg

 

And that TACER container and there is that ALQ-131 also there next to it on this part of the mold.

 

fdGBIwx.jpg

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Taking full advantage of the kit and of the Phantoms retirement Finemolds will release in December two commemorative versions of the kit with bonus Nano parts (seat harness and mirrors).

 
Here are the two finalized box tops
 
One for the Yellow version
 
fJIGgZ6.jpg
 
And the Blue version
 
oiwuPNs.jpg
 
 
Best regards
Gabor
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If this has not been pointed out, courtesy of @GeneK, this photo shows the "drill out" dimples on the wing of this kit, applicable to USN/USMC verisons.  Already mentioned are the similar dimples inside the forward upper engine intakes. Paging through Japanese F-4 publications feature units that flew at NAS Atsugi. My money is on a release which includes one of those units.

 

gsOE1lu.jpg?1

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