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They did show this on very first images of this USAF version a long time ago. I know it, the wing walkway looks strange but I am sure they did have some evidence to support this. ( I hope )  Look at all the other Phantoms they made, the walkway was always right.

 

Surely they know something about this!!!!????

 

https://www.finemolds.co.jp/FP/FP46S.html

 

You there on the other side of the pond have more info about this so if there is evidence contrary to this image it is possible to contact FineMolds people to warn them!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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3 hours ago, GeneK said:

......I sure hope they correct the wing walkways before Craig B has a coronary. 

 

Definitely a head scratcher. So they've done this wing walkway for all three aircraft on the decal options in this release? I could see for one, as anomalies of restored birds or even possibly of a screw up on one aircraft but not on all three. And the horizontal tail triangular stab patches are looking like a decal? That would be a shortcut I didn't expect from them.

Notwithstanding these revelations, I'm not changing my order.

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Hi Craig and Gene,

 

Why dont you tell them???

There is still time to release and hopefully the decals are not mass produced. While I dont see the cards of FineMolds but surely they had some reason to make the walk way different on this particular version. Why would they make it so wrong, while on all others they got it right!?!?! Surely it is not a simple mistake.

 

There are contacts towards FineMolds on the different sites where they publish these images. Last year I had absolutely no problem in speaking to them. They do respond.

 

Dont be shy if you see something wrong! 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Hi,

 

My F-4EJ and F-4EJ Kai  finally arrived last thursday (delayed by Covid's impact on international shipping).  

The parts look wonderful in the box.

 

I took a major hit from Customs (easily doubling the price). 

I'm probably an "even Steven"... on that same day I got 3 hours off work for my first vaccination.

 

Cheers, Stefan.

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, clumsy said:

Of course, I keep in mind  that it is a museum piece.

 

Thanks, Clumsy, but that is one of the  absolute worst I've ever seen. Out-embarasses the example at The Air Force Armament Museum here in Florida and the one at Maxwell AFB in Alabama. No, I don't think there's any way in this universe that one could use that hellacious paint job as evidence of anything except a REALLY bad paint job.  :crying:

 

Gene K

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On 6/11/2021 at 10:52 AM, Craig Baldwin said:

 

Definitely a head scratcher. So they've done this wing walkway for all three aircraft on the decal options in this release? I could see for one, as anomalies of restored birds or even possibly of a screw up on one aircraft but not on all three. And the horizontal tail triangular stab patches are looking like a decal? That would be a shortcut I didn't expect from them.

Notwithstanding these revelations, I'm not changing my order.

I think they are correct for the MI ANG markings.

Talking with a retired Crew Chief and his photos look similar to the walkways depicted in the decals.

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8 hours ago, Da SWO said:

I think they are correct for the MI ANG markings.

Talking with a retired Crew Chief and his photos look similar to the walkways depicted in the decals.

 

I know it is a lot to ask, but would there be a chance to show/share this evidence in any shape or form????

 

 

 

I dont know if Craig or Gene in the end did or did not ask FineMolds about this. But just in case I wrote to them last night. They should be in on Monday morning so if anything  . . .

Have to add that it is FineMolds company policy not to comment ongoing developments but since they do share so many things on different forums it would be interesting to see any, so to say "reasons" for doing the walk-way the way they did for this particular aircraft.

 

Best regards

Gabor 

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11 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

 

I know it is a lot to ask, but would there be a chance to show/share this evidence in any shape or form????

 

 

 

I dont know if Craig or Gene in the end did or did not ask FineMolds about this. But just in case I wrote to them last night. They should be in on Monday morning so if anything  . . .

Have to add that it is FineMolds company policy not to comment ongoing developments but since they do share so many things on different forums it would be interesting to see any, so to say "reasons" for doing the walk-way the way they did for this particular aircraft.

 

Best regards

Gabor 

Here are a couple.:

 

171FIS F4

 

The walkways were not always painted in, sometimes they just put the outline on. 

 

MIANG F4 01

 

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On 6/11/2021 at 11:42 PM, Stefan buysse said:

Hi,

 

My F-4EJ and F-4EJ Kai  finally arrived last thursday (delayed by Covid's impact on international shipping).  

The parts look wonderful in the box.

 

I took a major hit from Customs (easily doubling the price). 

I'm probably an "even Steven"... on that same day I got 3 hours off work for my first vaccination.

 

Cheers, Stefan.

 

 

 

 

 

And my F-4EJ Kai yellow special arrived on Friday, so it seems our boxes were indeed in the same container!  

 

Although the price quoted on the box was above the tax limit, it arrived at my house without the customs mark-up....

 

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1 hour ago, Da SWO said:

Here are a couple.:

 

171FIS F4

 

The walkways were not always painted in, sometimes they just put the outline on. 

 

 

Hi Da SWO,

 

Thanks for sharing the images!

 

Yes, the walk-way marking is there OK. But the problem is that the after part of the outline is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Just as it should be on Phantoms. The FineMolds version shows this same line at right angle to the axis. This is the problem or the question concerning the decal.

 

Was the actual walk-way area painted on or not is not so much a question for me. There are some cases when only the outline and the text is there. It is the shape of the outline which is important and a little strange on the FineMolds art work for this particular paint scheme. On the image you have shown the front and back lines of the outline are parallel as they should be and both are at an angle to the axis. So at least for this particular aircraft the FineMolds marking for the walk-way is wrong.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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I did mention that I have written to FineMolds on Saturday. Work week started Monday morning which for Japan was way ahead of our European time and even more so for US. I had both a mail directly from FineMolds but also there is a response on their Tweeter page. Sorry I have no idea what is going on in the Fakebook department. : )  : )

First of all I would like to sincerely thank FineMolds for immediate and professional response to my question about the walk-way area design.

 

Yes, there were some aircraft with this sort of “abnormal” walk-ways! So the decal design is right after all! Nice attention to detail at FineMolds!

Here is what they said on Tweeter (basically the same as the letter I received):

Google translation

 

"If you look at the image of this tweet and think "?", You're a phantom enthusiast. The dark gray shape that indicates the "walkway" area at the base of the main wing is different from the usual one, which was found in some of the Michigan ANG aircraft to be reproduced this time. The source is from the February 1983 issue of Monthly Koku Fan."

 

It is on FineMolds Tweeter, I have no idea how to attach a link of it. I am sure someone will help with this who knows a bit more about computers. : )  : )

 

The easiest solution to a “problem” is to ask the original source! Once again this has proven to be the right way forward. Of course one needs the professional approach and communication from the other side also!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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6 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

It is on FineMolds Tweeter, I have no idea how to attach a link of it.

https://tinyurl.com/56hb9dwc. Use Google Chrome/Translate if needed.

 

Thanks, Gabor.

 

Apparently  good research on the part of FM, but I sure would like to see the pictures (plural since they say "some of the Michigan ANG aircraft"). I have a good selection of Koku Fan magazines featuring the F-4, but unfortunately not the Feb '83.  

 

 

At any rate, not a biggie ... but I hope FM also includes "the usual" outline of the non-skid walkways for the other markings in the kit.

 

Gene K

 

 

Edited by GeneK
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46 minutes ago, GeneK said:

. .  . since they say "some of the Michigan ANG aircraft" . . .

 

Gene K

 

Hi Gene K,

 

At the 1982 (or 1983) William Tell at least two aircraft did have this sort of wing walk-way’s:

 

*  a/c 63-7529 with added Number 10, nose art “TRUSSST ME” the one featured in the decal sheet

 

*  and a/c 63-7476, Number 07 with “DEFENDER OF FREEDOM” art work.

 

I think an import point here is to say that this strange marking was on the given aircraft in 1982 (or 1983)!

 

It is a vague memory but if I am right the British Scale Aircraft Modelling (I do have it somewhere, anyone remember this great monthly???) did have an edition where some William Tell aircraft were featured. If I remember right this issue also had a special decal sheet included inside the publication. I sure don’t have the decal sheet, it was stolen along with all my decals from the garage (some 20 years of decals, old Microscales, ALL Brit Modeldecals from the professional design of Richard L. Ward (R.I.P.) and lots of others. : ( : (  : (  

 

I would even say that maybe that aircraft (63-7415) on display with that horrid nightmare phantasy camo example in Texas Air Museum (referred earlier here) could be an ex ANG aircraft with roots going back to actually having this strange and unique walk-way.  Based on the photos it did have some QF-4 conversion to it also at one point but somehow managed to survive.

 

I would think for certain that for the other two paint schemes a “classic” so to say walk-way is provided on the decal sheet. This part of the story was not discussed with FineMolds but based on the research they did, this would be for sure!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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34 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

At the 1982 (or 1983) William Tell at least two aircraft did have this sort of wing walk-way’s:

Thanks, Gabor for that very specific data.

 

Did you find that information in the referenced Koku Fan, and if so could  you post the pictures here, please?

 

Gene K

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13 minutes ago, GeneK said:

Thanks, Gabor for that very specific data.

 

Did you find that information in the referenced Koku Fan, and if so could  you post the pictures here, please?

 

Gene K

 

Hi Gene K

 

Sorry, I got the information from a friend, no photo. Surely someone somewhere will come up with it. 

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

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On 5/10/2021 at 2:48 PM, GeneK said:

These are the markings included with the forthcoming short nose kits ... as shown in this tweet

 

 

E1AQcv6UcAMuuLm?format=jpg&name=medium

Gene K

 

Regarding the very specific reference:

 

Reference to William Tell 1982    (OK they have there Wiliam Tel but google translate I would imagine . . .)    was given in your quote of the new kit release.

 

Best regards

Gabor 

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5 hours ago, ya-gabor said:
6 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

*  and a/c 63-7476, Number 07 with “DEFENDER OF FREEDOM” art work.

 

I think that should be 63-7475. To which decals are you referring that show the skewed walkways? I'm skeptical. :hmmm:

 

Gene K

download.jpg

Edited by GeneK
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10 hours ago, GeneK said:

I think that should be 63-7475. To which decals are you referring that show the skewed walkways? I'm skeptical. :hmmm:

 

Gene K

download.jpg

 

 

Sorry it is my type mistake, yes, for this Number 07 it was in real life 63-7475 and not 6. Sorry, my wrong there!  

But the FineMolds decal is for the other known aircraft, 63-7529 with "given" Number 10.

 

I like the chrome nose sections of fuel tanks, travel pods, intake lip and missile pylons.

As far as I know the "strange" walk-way was particular for the 1982 (or 83) William Tell event ONLY! It is exactly this is why FineMolds is stating that the particular paint scheme is for this time period!

 

I believe it is always important to give a time frame when a particular scheme or special markings were used on that given airframe! What was before or after that is not so important.

 

 

Stay Safe!

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Hi Gabor .... if these can help.

 

Author Lindsay Peacock stated that artworks  were applied on the port sides and that aircrafts of 171st FIS were all wearing a small Apple design in red on the front of the nosewheel door. The nose arts were the work of one Andrew Isola.

 

CCE150621_0006.pdfCCE150621_0003.pdfCCE150621_0004.pdfCCE150621_0005.pdfCCE150621_0002.pdf

 

Have fun 

 Madcop.

 

 

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