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Finally; a new 1/72 Phantom


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Here is the yellow bird. Obviously black stars, there is no question about that. Both on rudder and on the back it is black.

 

CkBv4Lc.jpg

 

wHBnmP2.jpg

 

The two birds are standing side by side under same light conditions and what is black should be black. Right?

But here under same light the back which has both the stars and the canopy surround as well as the thin black trim.

 

6GtJmfP.jpg

 

 

Here is the tail, OK it is from the other side and not same light but . . .

 

vhteAYY.jpg

 

The black stars on Yellow bird show perfectly while on blue scheme under same light conditions they are not visible at all! If they were black then we should see them the same!

 

gnu0uTA.jpg

 

Everyone can make up their mind about this question without starting any star wars.  : )   : )   : ) Completely pointless!

 

 

Have no idea what Hasegawa did, fortunately I haven’t seen their product. I don’t see any reason why anything that Hasegawa has made should be taken as a unquestionable standard. I believe more my own eyes. : )  : )

 

Photos are print screens from Japanese video from few days ago.

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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I know it is not a Japanese F-4EJ but still for anyone who wants to add a little extra in the cockpit to make it look even more busy then it is worth having a look at some Phantom cockpits from the USAF museum in 360 views here:

 

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Virtual-Tour/Cockpit360/

 

Phantastic and gives some excellent tips on few small extras (bit of wire, few small pieces of sprue, thin plasticards. . .) which will make the cockpit come alive.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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A lot of questions have been raised about the colour of those stars on the Blue version of the retirement scheme, on F-4EJ KAI Phantom 07-8436.

 

The interesting thing is that the answer is extremely simple.

 

Please everyone take a look at the chronology of photos.

 

The FineMolds new kit to be released on 15th of December 2020 represents the retirement scheme. If one looks at the actual 07-8436 Phantom today as we speak the stars on it are SILVER-Grey! So the kit is 100% right in representing this particular aircraft!

 

OK, so what about the Hasegawa representation of the stars as BLACK and if one takes a look at SOME photos of this aircraft then will see that the stars are really Black.

BUT

Those photos were taken at the start of this scheme when the stars were black, but that was months before the actual retirement!

 

Since then the stars were repainted to SILVER-Grey for the retirement!

 

So both kits are right in their own way. . .     : )   : )   : )   

 

 

Yellow bird is to be released on 8th December, while the Blue on 15th.

 

wpkkeFr.jpg

 

 

gS996XJ.jpg

 

 

PZDavG2.jpg

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Here are some pictures ( and the dates and locations they were taken ) showing the differences between the original scheme from April 2020 and the "touch up" scheme that seems to have been applied around October 2020. 

436_2056.jpg436_2057.jpg436_2053.jpg436_2054.jpg436_2052.jpg436_2053.jpg436_2043.jpg436_2039.jpg436_2037.jpg436_2040.jpg436_2047.jpg436_2045.jpg

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39 minutes ago, Craig Baldwin said:

 

Thank you ya-gabor for putting those together.

 

Craig

 

Hi Craig,

 

I only pointed to the fact that originally this aircraft had black stars (so Madcop & Hasegawas is right in this!) but later it was repainted with Silver-Grey stars, so FIneMolds is also right! Even more so since the so to say true final flights are with these Silver-Grey stars on it.

 

You should thank Madcop for getting all those photos together and taking the time to find out when they were taken. 

For me only the question of the star colour was interesting, had absolutely no intention of going into this puzzle so deep. Madcop had the stamina and did it all!

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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1 hour ago, ya-gabor said:

I only pointed to the fact that originally this aircraft had black stars ... .

 

Fact ... or your photo interpretation?

 

Here's a picture of the aircraft when it had no stars:

 

26shion.png

 

 

 

Opps ...   :OMG-OMG:

 

 

 

Gene K

 

 

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2 hours ago, GeneK said:

Fact ... or your photo interpretation?

 

If one looks at photos shared by Madcop then I would say yes, back in those early days of this scheme did have black stars. Please look at photos in previous posts.

 

What is important from modelling point of view is that everyone can make up their own mind if they want to do a Black star version or one with Silver-Greys, take a Hase or a FIneMolds kit. Individual preferences. 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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I'm glad the star color issue has finally been resolved. It remains nonetheless true that the problem of stencils remains relevant, at least for the decoration of 07-8436. If these stencils are present and correct on Hasegawa's blue decals, they are completely absent (or not identifiable in the photo) on the FM decal sheet. On the other hand Hasegawa leaves us in trouble when it comes to the stencils which must be applied to the black parts of the fuselage and the wings which have to be painted black before the decals are applied. For example on the front parts of the wings. Generic black stencils must be applied on a black background ! In short, Hasegawa only represents the stencils typical of 07-8436 on the blue parts of the decals to be applied to the fuselage and wings.

 

As for FM it seems to be content to deliver generic black / yellow / red stencils for any  version of F-4EJ not wearing special schemes, the blue decals with the stars and those on the wings being devoid of the kind of stencils specific to this version.

On this point I would therefore give Hasegawa a mixed advantage.
As for the model itself, and those who will follow there is no doubt, 30 years of technology differentiate them. The choice is easy.

 

Madcop.

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1 hour ago, ya-gabor said:

I know it is another scale and another producer but here is a brand new Phatom kit built in the Blue colours. 

 

 

And the stars are Silver-Grey and little stencils with grey background. . .

 

Best regareds

Gabor

 

 

Already preordered....but a little bit more expensive than FineMolds or Hasegawa ! That's gonna be my little Christmas...

I still wonder whether they will give us the decals for the wing tanks...

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  • 3 weeks later...

There is just one question left with the new box in February for the F-4EJ KAI  a/c 305. If one looks at the box cover it is perfectly clear that it has zillions of white stencils all over it. The decal sheet also has a lot of them. A closer look at 305 and other aircraft from 8th squadron show that the stencils are not really white but exactly those original black examples with light grey background and covered over with tape when the Blue camouflage was added. But from a distance they do look like "bright whites" as shown on the box top.

 

o9dcyLm.jpg 

 

Now take a look at the built example and the decal sheet. It seems that while the stencils are there but from these views the light grey background is not really visible. There is also aircraft 328 and 354 also on the sheet from the same 8th squadron with this striking Blue scheme which were painted the same way. 

 

The reason why I am worried is a look at the built kit, where one does not see any of those "bright white" stencils. On a closer inspections something of the grey background is visible but it is faint.  Hope I am wrong and in the final kit they will show it better. 

 

Rxjjt0h.jpg

 

o4bWEN3.jpg

 

Best regards

Gabor 

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If you look at this image you will see the stencils were actually taped over before applying the 8th squadron unique camouflage. Not totally wrong according to FineMolds decal sheet, you will just have to do a lo more work to create this. DXM did a sheet for this unit with the proper looking stencils.

 

9QMHkGe.jpg

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43 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

There is just one question left with the new box in February for the F-4EJ KAI  a/c 305. If one looks at the box cover it is perfectly clear that it has zillions of white stencils all over it. The decal sheet also has a lot of them. A closer look at 305 and other aircraft from 8th squadron show that the stencils are not really white but exactly those original black examples with light grey background and covered over with tape when the Blue camouflage was added. But from a distance they do look like "bright whites" as shown on the box top.

 

o9dcyLm.jpg 

 

Now take a look at the built example and the decal sheet. It seems that while the stencils are there but from these views the light grey background is not really visible. There is also aircraft 328 and 354 also on the sheet from the same 8th squadron with this striking Blue scheme which were painted the same way. 

 

The reason why I am worried is a look at the built kit, where one does not see any of those "bright white" stencils. On a closer inspections something of the grey background is visible but it is faint.  Hope I am wrong and in the final kit they will show it better. 

 

Rxjjt0h.jpg

 

o4bWEN3.jpg

 

Best regards

Gabor 

 

Hi Gabor 

 

Same problem with the Blue Bird "Phantom Forever". See my post from December 2.

Sounds like ZM will take this problem into account...but in 1/48 !

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9 minutes ago, Craig Baldwin said:

If you look at this image you will see the stencils were actually taped over before applying the 8th squadron unique camouflage. Not totally wrong according to FineMolds decal sheet, you will just have to do a lo more work to create this. DXM did a sheet for this unit with the proper looking stencils.

 

This is exactly what I did say:

 

. . .show that the stencils are not really white but exactly those original black examples with light grey background and covered over with tape when the Blue camouflage was added.

 

We are talking about the same thing!!! They look like White but in fact they are the taped over version of the original Black stencils. 

 

I am sure it is a problem in 72nd to reproduce it correctly and to have a perfect register for the base light grey. One needs a very good screen printer company. 

In 48th scale it is not so much a problem and we did try it with the Eduard MiG-21bis and it worked perfect. So possible. 

 

I think the Blue Bird decal mentioned by Madcop is a different question, but one would need to see the actual decal.

 

 

The intersting thing is the subject choice by FineMolds. It was perfect! It was time to do a good 72nd Phantom family. 

On the other hand I am not sure if they anticipated such a success with the kit. Based on what is visible it is very hard to get hold off, and as mentioned before it seems that even the February release kits are already sold out at some retailers just based on pre-orders.

That Vietnam Phantom will fly out at the speed of light from the shops!!!!!!

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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The Vietnam bird's boxart looks cool but I'm not sure if the pilots of those era wore that type of helmet. 

https://scontent.fsin5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/133248035_3576153692498942_2765536230929525075_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=2&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=ejkO5aKeHSUAX9jkHgF&_nc_ht=scontent.fsin5-1.fna&oh=43ad4c4c37d4a344e9deedaa8979562e&oe=600DC265

 

Gene, your opinion?

Edited by JackMan
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Good eyes, Jackman.

 

The helmet "back then"  featured a plastic housing under which the visor was stowed. To lower the visor, the crewmember loosened the knob in the center of the housing and slid it down, then tightened the knob to keep the visor in place.

 

1c995440684233e7e029f189316b0a2b.jpg

 

 

The illustration appears to show this later (lighter) helmet where the visor rested atop the helmet when not in use  (elastic straps on side). To lower, the visor was pulled out and down. When the helmet was not in use, the visor was protected by a leathery cover held on by velcro. 

 

s-l1600.jpg

 

I love the illustration (!!), and even "cleaned it up" to use as my desktop (still need to fix the bare metal area on the stab, and the inboard pylon needs new paint).

 

HvmCbN6.jpg

 

Gene K

Edited by GeneK
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