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Finally; a new 1/72 Phantom


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12 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

The only question will be how easy it is to get the kit.

 

In general, easy enough to get kits from sellers like HLJ and HobbySearch -- provided  you reserve before the "Stop Order". Even then, you stand a good chance of successfully ordering as soon as the kits are in stock.   The updated FM Phantom release dates are published on the  FineMolds site, and YES, they sell out quickly.  Scheduled release date for the F-4E is March 8. 

 

Backorders are not likely soon since smallish FM is likely at capacity turning out the new Phantom kits.

 

Of course be prepared for high $$ COVID shipping options.

 

Gene K

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I had absolutely no intention to flood this thread with photos of the kit so started a separate forum in the Build in Progress section. It is just a look at the parts to help those who have not seen them before, don’t have the kit, interested in the kit, want to see a bit more of the details and don’t want to be bullied with a reviewers own opinion but based on the photos can make up their own mind.

Also I am surprised that there are no real builds of the kit by anyone, in comparison to the fact that it is selling out in moments or even as pre-orders. There should be hundreds of them with modellers. So where did all the kits go . . . ???

 

My “look at the kit” is here:

 

 

 

For the moment it is not a build as I have a lot of other tasks to attend and little if any spare time for kit building. On the other hand it is a closer look at the kit and maybe some answers to questions raised in the past year about this kit.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Hi Craig,

 

This can be anything or everything. FineMolds is not an exclusive aircraft kit producer as one can see from a visit to their sites. They are making all sorts of scale kits like AFV, figures, toy / fantasy figures, ship extra parts or even a strange subject: industrial equipment in scale. Also we should not forget the branch dealing with all sorts of aftermarket turned and etched brass products.

 

In comparison to the fact the FineMolds is a small company they have a very wide and numerous range of products all going in parallel.

 

It is a question of taste but how many of the heavy machining scale replicas can be sold in comparison to a Phantom kit world wide???  I like the caricature figures they are making but certainly would not buy the whole range, but again this is a question of individual taste.  

 

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We can wish that these new parts in making are something for a future Phantom kit version but just as well it can be ANYTHING from the above.  : )    : )

 

Best regards

Gabor  

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On 2/26/2021 at 8:08 AM, Craig Baldwin said:

FineMolds Tweeted this ~. Even though the development of new products is progressing, it is stressful that I can not tell you ... .

 

Great, thanks, Craig. I can see the outline of the RF-4E nose.  :whistle:

 

Gene

 

Edited by GeneK
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On 2/17/2021 at 4:09 AM, ya-gabor said:

For those specially interested in Japanese forces F-4 Phantoms there is a new book or should I say Manual on the subject. Believe it can be an important reference book for those who plan to build many of FineMolds different special camo version.

 

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The book is, what can I say with its 290 pages is more than comprehensive review of the Phantom history in Japan, versions used, special schemes, some fine details for modellers and year by year collection of some amazing photos. Quality of printing and of photos is astonishing, but I think this is a standard for Japanese publications. Have to add that it is an all Japanese language book.

 

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Best regards

Gabor

 

Hi Gabor,

 

Just got my copy of this book in the mail!  As you have said it is the pinnacle book of information of the Japanese F-4's!

 

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5 hours ago, clumsy said:

The early E version is out for sale and already shipped to the customers who did pre-order.

Yes, I had the e-mail yesterday from HobbySearch that my trio of early F-4Es were on the way. As a bonus, later in the day (and much to my surprise) the Ocean Blues & Blue Farewell livery F-4EJ Kai kits I'd also ordered from them arrived along with the JASDF F-4EJ book previously posted by Gabor.

 

As Rocketdrvr says the book is absolutely Phantastic, the example pictures in his post only hint at the quality. You have to backorder it [link] but although it says 14 days to receive stock, it was just over two weeks from placing the order to having in my hands! It's definitely filled a big gap in my Japanese F-4 references!

 

Jonathan

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Hi Rocketdrvr & Jonathan (Wild Weasel V),

 

Glad you like the book! The only thing I could do was to show that it is released and out for sale. Good to hear that you managed to get it.

Have to say that there is a debate about Hard copy books versus internet. I am not sure if publishers know exactly the potential in the market for modellers.

Think that internet has its good sides (and bad) but still in many cases I prefer to hold a REAL book in my hands!!!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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On 3/11/2021 at 10:21 AM, clumsy said:

The early E version is out for sale and already shipped to the customers who did pre-order.

 

Got mine last week.  Very nice.

 

Regards,

Murph

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Pages and pages of singing choirs about the kit but who besides me is actually building it? ALL MAJOR joints need puttying, wing-fuselage ones still to be taken care of, see picture. There is quite a step between wheel wells and flaps/ailerons, see picture. Heavy sanding will take care of it (done actually). However, much of the kits' highly praised scribing will be gone after this. Is the kit better than Hasegawa? Yes. Significantly? No, it could, and should have been better.

Cheers,

Mario

in NYC

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Hi,

I am trying to build this kit too. I need to say that I am not a master hence I do proceed very slowly.

Dry fit takes my time with trying to reduce the steps and to find a way to reduce the thickness of the gaps between the joints. For that my way is to use Mr.Surfacer and 0.1mm plastic paper to reduce the thickness of the gap. For me the hardest point, so far, was the gap at the joint of forward sections of the wings. There I had to use plastic paper and putty to eliminate the step and the gap.

I do admit that the gaps are wider than the rest of the detail lines but I think it is due to the needs of the production process. Japanese way of approach is different than we are used to I think. 
Still my humble opinion is that it might have been better that they applied the detail line width as they had done with their F-14 kits. Then the joints would not be that much eye catching.

Also the details in the cocpit area are so tiny that I could not apply the normal brushing techniques so I scratched lightly my nail against the surface of the side panels which helped the paint worn off letting the lighter color appear against the surrounding black.

 

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Just got word from Hobby Search mine is underway...by boat

 

Interesting to read it does have its problems. I have built quite a few Hase F-4s and will carefully compare the ease of building with the Finemolds example.

 

I am all for accurate kits with fine detail but if they are a dog to build then I'll pass. Still have 25+ Hase, three Fujimi and an Esci F-4 in the stash, including four F-4G 🙂 so no shortage of 1/72 F-4s in the near future

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Hi Pollie, 

If I may ask permission to type regarding Your reply I would like to say that I do not name the things that I encounter as problems. The reason for my humble opinion is simple, no model is perfect, especially in 1/72. Sure that there are the ones those are close to perfect but none is absolutely so. 
In this instance I still consider Fine Molds is way better than the others. 
And may be it is a matter of taste how I comment the width of the joints. (Again my humble opinion is Hasegawa ones are even require more and real attention in fit due their age.)
Pleas check the photos of the finished models published in Japanese sites again and I am almost sure that You will decide that I might be exagerating.

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1 hour ago, clumsy said:

Hi Pollie, 

If I may ask permission to type regarding Your reply I would like to say that I do not name the things that I encounter as problems. The reason for my humble opinion is simple, no model is perfect, especially in 1/72. Sure that there are the ones those are close to perfect but none is absolutely so. 
In this instance I still consider Fine Molds is way better than the others. 
And may be it is a matter of taste how I comment the width of the joints. (Again my humble opinion is Hasegawa ones are even require more and real attention in fit due their age.)
Pleas check the photos of the finished models published in Japanese sites again and I am almost sure that You will decide that I might be exagerating.

I value your opinion and that of others! Usually I try to read as much opinions about new models as I can, but the decisive factor for me is always my own experience with it. If I like it; I will buy more. If not, I'll stick to Hasegawa; simple.

 

In other news:

Yesterday (wednesday 17 March) three JASDF Phantoms of the testunit made a last flight from Gifu airbase. The Phantom no longer flies in Japan. The very first JASDF Phantom, number 17-8301, was part of this formation. Phorever in our hearts!

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17 hours ago, pollie said:

I am all for accurate kits with fine detail but if they are a dog to build then I'll pass. 

 

Sorry to hear that your anticipation may have been dampened by Sakai's horrendous puttying.

 

[quote=pollie]  ... the decisive factor for me is always my own experience with it. [/quote]

 

:thumbsup2:

 

I think you'll be pleased when you get your hands on one.

 

Gene K

 

Edited by GeneK
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On 3/17/2021 at 10:51 AM, clumsy said:

Dry fit takes my time with trying to reduce the steps and to find a way to reduce the thickness of the gaps between the joints.

 

Great job, clumsy.

 

Like you, I use Mr. Surfacer, but mainly for very thin gaps. For larger, I use PERFECT PLASTIC Putty after taping to expose  the smallest possible amount of plastic around the gap. Easy to smooth with a wet finger immediately after application, as well as after it dries and the tape is removed. 

 

Looking forward to more of your progress!

 

Gene K

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11 hours ago, GeneK said:

 

Sorry to hear that your anticipation may have been dampened by Sakai's horrendous puttying.

 

[quote=pollie]  ... the decisive factor for me is always my own experience with it. [/quote]

 

:thumbsup2:

 

I think you'll be pleased when you get your hands on one.

 

Gene K

 

Let me see your "non-horrendous" puttying. And your building in general, you've been just talking.

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2 hours ago, sakai said:

Let me see your "non-horrendous" puttying. And your building in general, you've been just talking.

"Horrendous" in terms of how much was required for your model, not your skill in applying it.

 

Gene K

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It's not really the volume of the putty, it just needs to go on all part joints! Putting them on actual

panel lines was not a good idea. Gap will always be much larger than the other panel lines and surrounding material never leveled. FM focused a lot on representing engine intakes accurately but I would very much prefer better buildability. One can always put FODs on.

Edited by sakai
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