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1:48 zoukei mura phantom landing gear strength


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I was wondering about the long term strength of the kit plastic landing gear.  I have bulked up my build with some added resin weapons, counter balance weights and strategic epoxy putty to aid in the fit and stability of construction. The net effect is a weight of perhaps double the original mass of the kit. The build is great, and likely going to be something i’lll have on my shelves for a long time, so I don’t want it to buckle under the weight.  Anyone have any experience with this kit?  I am thinking of going to the metal gear. 

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Given how much resin I’ve added to various Hasegawa F-4s over the years and never had a problem, I’d say it’s a safe bet that the Z-M kits will be just fine on the kit plastic gear, too. You could actually create problems if you add SAC’s gear struts, unless they’ve seriously improved the hardness of the metal they use. It’s become almost a reflex among many modelers to add metal struts, even though they’re rarely needed.
 

Also, there is no reason to add nose weight to any F-4 kit. I’m not sure if it’s even possible to add enough weight behind the main gear to get one to sit back on its tail. The fit of Z-M’s kits is good enough that you’ll only be adding a negligible amount of weight to the model filling seams.
 

Ben

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4 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

Given how much resin I’ve added to various Hasegawa F-4s over the years and never had a problem, I’d say it’s a safe bet that the Z-M kits will be just fine on the kit plastic gear, too. You could actually create problems if you add SAC’s gear struts, unless they’ve seriously improved the hardness of the metal they use. It’s become almost a reflex among many modelers to add metal struts, even though they’re rarely needed.
 

Also, there is no reason to add nose weight to any F-4 kit. I’m not sure if it’s even possible to add enough weight behind the main gear to get one to sit back on its tail. The fit of Z-M’s kits is good enough that you’ll only be adding a negligible amount of weight to the model filling seams.
 

Ben

Ben;

doesn't ZM offer metal landing gear as an option?

gary

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Yes, but probably only because there’s a market for them (see my comment above). I personally don’t think they’re necessary on a 1/48 F-4, or most other types for that matter. The plastic struts are usually just fine.


Cheers!

 

Ben

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16 hours ago, ChesshireCat said:

Ben;

doesn't ZM offer metal landing gear as an option?

gary

 

The metal gear I have seen from ZM is in extended position to allow take-off/landing poses... although the kit's flaps to not allow this without heavy modification.

Dunno whether they also offer non-extended version too, but these would be pointless, as already stated by others.

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