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26 minutes ago, Mr Matt Foley said:

I'll wait for SB to start their pre-order. 

 

Same here, Matt. Sprue Brothers is my go-to shop. In my experience, they can't be beat for fast, excellent service.

 

Gene K

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2 minutes ago, juanchopancho said:

I already asked SB about pre-order for this kit. They said they're in the business of selling in stock items. Hmkay

 

Then days later they put up pre order for Tamiya P-38H and Meng Fokker Triplane.

 

Gordon what is going on? lol

 

You know, there has been more than one SB email response where I have had a snarky remarks made as well. SB has a good thing going for them, I just wish at times they add a bit of politeness to (we) customers as well.

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9 hours ago, juanchopancho said:

Volks charging $34 shipping for two of these kits? Hell no

 

I checked what it would be to Milwaukee and it was $30.75 for USPS Priority mail for two. Doesn't look like they offer the less expensive USPS options. Bright side is you should get it faster once it is released :thumbsup:

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On 8/23/2020 at 4:14 PM, Mr Matt Foley said:

 

You know, there has been more than one SB email response where I have had a snarky remarks made as well. SB has a good thing going for them, I just wish at times they add a bit of politeness to (we) customers as well.

I had an business transaction with SB couple years ago with my day job, I was amazed by their owners arrogance but more so his out-of-the-blue attacks on my company just because at the time we did not accept Amex and came 'this' close to telling him to take a hike.  Petulant people light the bridges they cross.

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So, the fuselage "issue" appears to be fixed!

Fuselage%20Comp%20Old%20New.jpg

Fuselage%20Comp%20Old%20New2.jpg

 

The shape is very similar to my "Correction Set" for the short nose and it looks "right" to my eyes. As ZM used actual loft lines this time and of course CAD and I made my set by hand I guess the new ZM fuselage is closest to reality in this case and my correction set very near that... 🙂

Fuselage%20Comp%20HM%20New.jpg

 

Other observations:

The general shape of the canopy hasn't changed (my canopy sets still fit!), but the forward tip of the windshield part is more blunt and as such in keeping with J. Temma's canopy/nose intersection analysis (i.e. the long nose top profile sits a little higher than on the short nose and as auch encloses the wind screen more).

 

The wing is moulded almost identical (no hook recesses though, naturally). My new wing and C/L pylon sets do fit  🙂

 

ZM have included outboard pylons this time, but there are four! Two canted pylons and two vertical pylons.... Did AF Phantoms have vertical o'bd pylons??

ZM%20Pylons.jpg

ZM%20Pylon%20Instr.jpg

 

The slotted stabilators have raised outlines for the stiffener "fish plates" moulded on both sides. The instructions tell you to sand them off... Will they include PE parts for those on later releases? And, did F-4E fly with plate-less stabs?

Stab.jpg

 

Cheers,

Jeffrey

Edited by JeffreyK
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p.s. I've found another raised outline moulded on and that's in the position for the TISEO device. I haven't found anything on it in the instructions yet nor parts for the TISEO, but I may have missed it.

I've seen at least one photo of an early F-4E with hard wings and early gun fairing with TISEO...

J

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1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

Pretty sure that the triangular plates on the stabs didn’t come until some time after the F-4E was in service.  They weren’t on Vietnam era F-4Es.

 

Alright, thanks!!

J

 p.s. now I seem to recall the plates appeared with the introduction of the slatted wing...? Or perhaps even later?

Edited by JeffreyK
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I think the stab plates started appearing in the mid-70s.

 

Thanks for posting the pics, Jeffrey!

 

Also, suggestion for a future product (assuming Z-M doesn’t provide the parts): an ARN-101 conversion for slatted Es. It would have the doghouse antenna cover on the fuselage spine, a right rear console with the keypad, and a rear instrument panel with the display.

 

Ben

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11 hours ago, JeffreyK said:

So, the fuselage "issue" appears to be fixed!

 

Fuselage%20Comp%20Old%20New2.jpg

 

The shape is very similar to my "Correction Set" for the short nose and it looks "right" to my eyes. As ZM used actual loft lines this time and of course CAD and I made my set by hand I guess the new ZM fuselage is closest to reality in this case and my correction set very near that... 🙂

Fuselage%20Comp%20HM%20New.jpg

 

Other observations:

The general shape of the canopy hasn't changed (my canopy sets still fit!), but the forward tip of the windshield part is more blunt and as such in keeping with J. Temma's canopy/nose intersection analysis (i.e. the long nose top profile sits a little higher than on the short nose and as auch encloses the wind screen more).

 

The wing is moulded almost identical (no hook recesses though, naturally). My new wing and C/L pylon sets do fit  🙂

 

ZM have included outboard pylons this time, but there are four! Two canted pylons and two vertical pylons.... Did AF Phantoms have vertical o'bd pylons??

 

 

The slotted stabilators have raised outlines for the stiffener "fish plates" moulded on both sides. The instructions tell you to sand them off... Will they include PE parts for those on later releases? And, did F-4E fly with plate-less stabs?

 

 

Cheers,

Jeffrey

 

 

That is some FAST and damn good news about the Fuselage!

 

You are being a little modest about your correction... It's a beautiful easy to accomplish correction to install.

 

From the photos though, the surface seems a tad ROUGH especially next to your correction piece. When I get to my examples to paint I know the surface will have been sanded and polished out a lot, but man you shouldn't have to.

 

 

Thanks for getting that example and showing us the news! Can't wait to get mine for that Edwards white wing and camo fuselage former T-Bird Phantom II!

 

 

Cheers

 

Larry

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Thanks Ben!

Edit: I just did a search and found that the ARN-101 mod was introduced in '77, so it might not be applicable to this early hard-wing F-4E?

 

Further investigation: I didn't find any parts for the TISEO, nor any for the longer Midas gun fairing.

 

Can anyone shed a light on the vertical outboard pylon? Was there such a thing? Were the pylons originally mounted vertically before the canted pylon was introduced?

 

ZM included a set of closed J79 nozzles as well as the open ones and there is an extended nose gear strut in plastic as well. Also, you can mount the stabs in three positions now, there's already a cutout in the fuselage for the inserts to go in.

 

J

Edited by JeffreyK
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11 minutes ago, Incaroad said:

 

From the photos though, the surface seems a tad ROUGH especially next to your correction piece. When I get to my examples to paint I know the surface will have been sanded and polished out a lot, but man you shouldn't have to.

 

 

Hi Larry, thanks! Yes, the plastic is notably pebbly, even the clear parts display a certain degree of roughness, even though the moulds are polished...

The tooling is precise and there are really small parts with very fine details, no flash or such problems.

 

The shapes of the new F-4E fuselage and my resin correction set are very close indeed, only the scribing of some detail gives it away. I just wanted to point out that they can't be 100% identical. I scaled and drew cross section curves from the same McD loft lines that ZM used now, printed onto cardboard and cut out as templates. Everything else was manual work as opposed to 100% CAD in  case of the new ZM fuselage.

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15 hours ago, JeffreyK said:

ZM included a set of closed J79 nozzles as well as the open ones and there is an extended nose gear strut in plastic as well. Also, you can mount the stabs in three positions now, there's already a cutout in the fuselage for the inserts to go in.

 

This is good news to me .... I think.  Am I correct that one could model a rotating aircraft with these options?  What would the proper configuration be for an F-4E taking off?

 

What flight mode would the closed nozzles be correct for? 

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I would guess the closed nozzles would be appropriate for cruising flight (without afterburner) and landing - that will also permit the extended nose wheel strut, but it seems you will have to extend the main gear legs yourself.  Odd choice to add closed nozzles, but no crew figures, although resin ones are available.

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Hi Jeffrey,

Yes the ARN-101 mod would be for whenever Z-M releases the slatted F-4E. I just thought I’d get that suggestion in early! 😄


Jenshb, the nozzles would be open on takeoff because of the afterburners. They’d close at high power settings but out of afterburner. Perhaps @Gene K can stop by and educate us on when the nozzles would be open or closed.

 

Ben

Edited by Ben Brown
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3 hours ago, jenshb said:

Odd choice to add closed nozzles, but no crew figures, although resin ones are available.

 

What are the options for suitable resin crew figures?

 

I am interested in some type of in-flight display for my old man.  His second tour was with the 4th TFS 366th TFW from April 69-70 at DaNang.  This early F-4E release is just the thing for him!

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1 minute ago, wadeocu said:

 

What are the options for suitable resin crew figures?

 

I am interested in some type of in-flight display for my old man.  His second tour was with the 4th TFS 366th TFW from April 69-70 at DaNang.  This early F-4E release is just the thing for him!

 

Very nice! I'm sure your Father would love it!

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