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Are there decals available for this F-4E Phantom?


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On 6/30/2020 at 6:03 PM, Quixote74 said:

If you're in no hurry, Fine Molds has an F-4EJ scheduled for release around the end of this year that may blow away Hasegawa's for detail - but as yet the full package has not been seen, and it'll likely be a year before you could have one in hand. 

 

HUH??

 

The FineMolds Phantoms (F-4EJ and F-4EJKai) are both scheduled for release at the end of August, and hopefully shipping out of Japan will be "more normal" by then (Fedex and DHL are the current options -- $$). I'm looking for my kits to get to me the first week in September ... . 

 

The grand old Hasegawa Phantom kits are just that -- grand and old! The FM kits will unquestionably be better in many/most respects as previewed here, but I wouldn't say that they will "blow away" the venerable Hasegawa kits. 

 

Gene K

(Eric would want the F-4EJ, not the Kai).  

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Holy (insert your favorite expletive here)!  Thank you for that picture, Kursad!  If it's okay with you, I'd like to forward that picture to the guys I'm building the model for.  I think they'd like to see pictures like this showing the plane their dad flew.

 

Ben, I could not agree with you more.

 

Eric

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10 hours ago, GeneK said:

 

HUH??

 

The FineMolds Phantoms (F-4EJ and F-4EJKai) are both scheduled for release at the end of August, and hopefully shipping out of Japan will be "more normal" by then (Fedex and DHL are the current options -- $$). I'm looking for my kits to get to me the first week in September ... . 

 

The grand old Hasegawa Phantom kits are just that -- grand and old! The FM kits will unquestionably be better in many/most respects as previewed here, but I wouldn't say that they will "blow away" the venerable Hasegawa kits. 

 

Gene K

(Eric would want the F-4EJ, not the Kai).  

  Hi Gene!

 

Thank you for reminding me about the FineMolds offering.  I have never built any of their kits.  From the chat threads I see on the 'net, it seems like they produce some good kits.  I wonder how expensive it will be.

You had mentioned that I'd want the F-4EJ and not the Kai.  Forgive me, but what is the "Kai" version?  I've never heard of that before.  My brain is getting so full from all the information I'm learning here!

 

Thanks!

 

Eric

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18 minutes ago, echolmberg said:

 I wonder how expensive it will be.

 

Price reduced to 3,315 yen (about 30.92USD ) ... see here. Hope that holds!!

 

18 minutes ago, echolmberg said:

 Forgive me, but what is the "Kai" version? 

 

The EJ is a hard wing E model. The Kai has upgraded electronics. Externally: additional antennae; wingtips and tip of vertical stab have added "bulges"; radome has added strips. 

 

Gene K

 

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There are also early 4TFW markings on Microscale 72-198. Based on the comments above, they aren't too great: the 334TS badge has the wrong colours and doesn't have any lettering; the TAC badges has the wording in yellow but aren't well defined. The sheet and artwork are definitely of the time but along with the early 4TFW F-4Es, still has schemes not seen elsewhere such as the distinctive Sharkmouth used on the 43CW F-4Es at William Tell '76 and a Norm 76 F-4F in 35TFW markings). For reference here's a scan of the 334TFS profile from the Microscale instructions:

 

4f190b1a-0066-4550-b62c-65cea870ba2c.jpg

 

On the gun muzzle as shown above, I'd go with the longer Midas version for 69-0302. This was an important modification so would have been prioritised for combat units and by 1972 would be almost universal by then.

 

As has been mentioned, currently the best kits available right now are the Hasegawa F-4E (hard wing) or F-4EJs in both scales. You could use their F-4EJ Kai boxings with a little work as Hasegawa limited the changes to the wing tips and fin cap; these can be reprofiled with some careful sanding. The 1/72 kit has separate fin cap versions so the correct type can be fitted. If you can wait a couple of months then I'd definitely get either the new 1/72 Fine Molds F-4EJ or the 1/48 Zoukei Mura F-4E, depending on your scale preference.

 

HTH,

 

Jonathan

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Well, I done went and did it.  I just pulled the trigger and ordered the Hasegawa kit mere seconds ago.  It was a very tough choice between the Hasegawa kit and the Fujimi one.  I had read so many good things about the two of them, but whenever I read people's articles about each one, I saw more Fujimi builders saying they wished they had gotten the Hasegawa kit than the other way around.  So that was the clincher for me.

 

Johathan, a million thanks for posting that profile picture!  I am actually going to print that out and use it as a reference.  An extremely kind gentleman on Facebook sent me the correct squadron and TAC badges the other day.  Now all I need to get are the tail codes and the correct borderless national insignias and I'll be all set.  It's all coming together and none of it would have been possible were it not for the help of every single person here!!!

 

On a side note, when the decals arrived in the mail from the guy on Facebook, my wife asked "What'd you get in the mail?"  I told her that I got the squadron badges I was waiting for.  She said "Badges?!?  We don't need no stinking badges!!!"  My God.  I've got a wife who not only supports my hobby, but she quotes "Blazing Saddles" while doing so.  I've got the best wife ever!

 

Eric

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McDonnell F-4E-42-MC Phantom II/69-0302
Delivered to the United States Air Force.
USAF 525th TFS (36th TFW).
USAF 31st TFW.
USAF 334th TFS (4th TFW).
1972: USAF 334th TFS (8th TFW).
7/12/1972: Shot down by ground fire near the Sou Giang River mouth/Dong Hoi/Ba Don, North Vietnam. Both crewmen were killed.
 

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Eric,

Are you building 1/72 then?  In that case, I may be able to help with the codes, serial and badges from Microscale 72-198 plus some spares. Drop me a PM with your snail mail address.  BTW, the Fiscal Year "Pre-serial", i.e. "AF69" was black when first delivered and resident when the jet was assigned to the 31st TFW, but was changed to white during its tenure with the 4th TFW and before the 334th TFS deployed to Thailand in 1972. HTH. 

I always like to see when modelers create a memento for a fallen hero's family or a veteran. 

Kind regards, Dutch

 

Oh BTW, Mr. Boyer is esteemed!

Edited by Dutch
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Hi Dutch!

 

Yep, I'm going with the 1/72 version on this one.  Normally I build 1/48 but I want to send the finished product to one of the brothers.  I figured 1/72 would be a little bit easier for shipping.

As always, thank you for being a fount of information.  I will send you a PM in just a few moments.

 

Paul, yep.  We know about the "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" movie, but let's be honest.  Knowing it was used in "Blazing Saddles" is a heck of a lot more fun reference!  😄

 

Vamanos!

 

Eric

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Sounds like this project's coming together for you, look forward to seeing the research turned into "real" modeling 😄

 

If you're still having any issues collecting decals, especiallu for the "generic" markings, shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do for you.  I focus mostly on post-Vietnam but have a pretty healthy decal stash that I know includes a surplus of McDonnell style stars & bars.

 

Only the truly esteemed would get both the Blazing Saddles and Treasure of the Sierra Madre references 😆

Edited by Quixote74
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