Another Tamiya F-4J question(s)

[Gary V.]

I should have asked earlier. Besides the intakes, are there any other fit problems? I read someones review of the F-4C and they stated that they had a 1/8 inch gap where the wings and fuselage meet. I find it hard to believe (mostly because I want to believe this kit is as good as I hear)

 

Thanks

[mudrat]

The only problem with fit is the top rear portion of the intakes, and you can minimize this

by flexing (spreading/streaching) the parts a bit (without breaking them) on the upper rear,

so the curvature of the rear of the intake part matches the same curvature as fwd fuselage

(where the 2 surfaces meet). You still may not avoid using filler, but maybe less, than if you

did not do this. It is your choice, as to how much.

 

Just test fit, dry fit, tape assemblies together and study all the joints to see where problem areas

can occur. You can make this easy or hard, depending on weather you spend time doing this, on this

kit.

 

 

hth,

Stephen

 

http://www.stephenmudgett.com

[Ben Brown]

Hi Gary,

 

I didn't have any fit problems between the wings and fuselage on my F-4E (the same big parts as the J), although I wish I had put some sort of brace across the fuselage to strengthen it near the wheel wells. I did have a large gap when I tried to add the tail. I found that the large tab that sticks up out of the fueselage was hitting a brace inside the tail. I cut a couple of millimeters off of the top of the tab and ended up with hardly any gap at all.

 

Also, the keel between the engines is a pain to fit and paint. I had some large gaps there. I glued the keel in place without the stabilators, and cleaned up the seams. After the model was painted, I cut the stabilators off of their pivot mechanism, leaving the semi-circular tabs in place, and glued them on the model during final assembly. You lose the pivoting function, but it cures the large gaps between the stabs and fuselage.

 

HTH.

 

Ben