F`s are my favs

Oh wow!

Oh yeah, it`s beautiful!

Very interesting pattern. Looks very good! While for the airbrush paint cup - that`s why i always try to not forget to cover it with the lid.

The kit is awesome and honestly, I can`t see any imperfection in the shape of the nacelles. DirkE - awesome build! Btw the nozzles - well, this is a different story I could suggest at least some thinning of the edges of the turkey feathers.

Here it is, a quick walkaround of the SWS F-4J + one pic with a special backdrop.

Yep, me too I think that this kit is something like the new "thing". I can`t compare it to the other Phantom kits, cause this is my very first Phantom kit, except that i only saw and reviewed the Eduard`s Rockin Rhino kit. However, compared to the other 1/48 models that i`ve assembled, this is the best one. I also checked out many videos of the new Tamiya`s Tomcat and in my opinion (from just watching videos) - this Z-M kit can be compared only to the new Tomcat. Cause any kit of a Phantom should after all, look like a Phantom; but here the construction manner is different, the large parts fit literally seamlessly, the plastic looks strangely fine, all gives that feel of a PRO kit, although the choice of just 1 decal set.

Hm, rly?! I was so puzzled. Indeed i`m not certain about that. All the ref pics that i have really show that there are no dispensers on these places. Then, probably yesterday, i searched again for pics of these exact places (cause i kinda remember that there should be, now i realize that these might be remnants of memories from the C version), and i came across this pic - not from a certain source, i can`t even remember it, just from google pics. But yeah, i was so happy to see that there are dispensers that i kinda miss-saw that this is probably the F-15I version. Jari, thank you very much for pointing that out. I will go through a thorough research and will probably undo the dispensers. If anyone else is sure that there are no dispensers on the E version at this place, will save me some search ?? Tu PS: Yep, absolutely agreed - i should fill/sand them easily.

And, both "gaps" around the CFT vents are done. Some testfits, the vents themselves are just dropped in: Whilst for these Chaff/Flare boxes - i decided to leave them covered. The surface was blank, so i only scribed their contours. I used templates and yet it was quite a challenge to make them the same as the front ones:

That a monster!

Btw i was making the second fuel vent of the CFT and just got inspired and took care of these feathers. I first tried sanding, but they turned out way too narrow, way too narrow. So some very slight scratches with a flat knife was a better idea, and with light at nighttime to take advantage of the shadows. If you let me to post a couple of pics: Just a little... so to look flat.

Oh wow, i remember a couple of pages ago, you mentioned that the tail section is quite wrong and there will be a need of improvement, and i wondered why; what`s wrong with it... This is definitely an improvement! 2 suggestions: one - sand every feather juuuust a little on top so to look more flat, cause they are serries of flat sheets. And two - as far as i remember - there is really no seamlines along the vert. stabilizers, except for the areas on the inner sides, where are the boundary lines of the heat protectors, the metal sheets.

Thanks Thanks!

Here it is Chuck. Something like a teaser of my Phantom II model - the new SWS F-4J. Yeah, it`s in 1/48 and the textures were much much different, very small and subtle, but they are very good looking i think. So this Phantom II is my only finished model with texturising. Here are a few glimpses.

Take a look at what i was dealing with this Fall`16!!! The newest F-4J in 1/48 is a SWS kit from Zoukei-Mura and they invited me to participate in the kit`s Concept Note. Such an honor and excitement. About the model: i built it as a typical standalone model, nothing too fancy like movable parts, only some texturising, riveting, seatbelts from paper tape, and wiring. I may forget something, but the complete build review is in the book. I`m waiting it to arrive and to see which pics are included, and plan to post here something like walkaround pics. Here are just two from top and bellow. About the airframe: VF-92 Silver Kings from the Vietnam period - with the yellow tail, heavily weathered, parked, open canopies... Now some texturising Yet in the Concept Note should be included more info (about how it looks before/after painting, which areas, etc.) and i tried to capture only the final effect as much as i can. So this is my first finished model with texturising. It`s 1/48 and the "textures" are much smaller, more subtle, and thus even invisible. Still at a certain angle... this is in dark room and with a small light pointed at a very shallow angle. I don`t know if the difference between texturising and preshading is noticeable... ... but at normal daylight the effect is basically invisible, and i weathered it quite much too, so the surfaces are not exactly glossy: Here the rivet lines of the stabilators are texturised, and it is more noticeable: Phabulous Phantom! It`s a wonderful kit... it`s just connecting parts and the joint lines disappear. The canopy is so crisp and clear, because it`s very thin. The plastic is very strange - so dry and easy for sanding, like resin. The large parts are also thin and even look brittle, but when assembled and glued - become "rock solid". This kit in a word: sophisticated.

PS: Chuck, i actually have just one finished, painted model with this texturising effect. I`ll post pics later.

A couple of small upgrades - the boxes for chaffs and flares. At this step, i totally forgot that there are the same boxes under the tail tips of the fuselage, so i`ll have to edit them too. So far - only the font boxes. I saw ref. photos which show different compositions of these chaffs/flares boxes. I have no idea if this combo is possible, but i like it. This is before... actually on the right side are installed and on the left side - i just drilled the original grits and remembered to take a pic for comparison: And ready on both sides. The black ones are from a spare GTR vent from the two big vents behind/above the intake. This is a spare third vent, which was with a mirrored arrangement of the grit, but for this purpose i think that it is a great idea. And the rear boxes are filled and sanded. I don`t know... maybe this is not the right combination of chaff/flare boxes for my subject, but i don`t even know at this moment exactly which airframe to make. I like how it turned out.... it`s not bad... And i also upgraded this panel atop the radome - with long and the thinnest possible PE stripes. The holes are punched and then glued, and sanded quite a lot. Then after a thin coat of paint to see how it looks:

Lovely, pretty, stunning, beautiful, Lightning! I associate it with the black primer and its glossiness, which i saw for the 1st time how it looks in this build. While for the final result - the best Lightning! Chuck, Happy New Year, cheerz, and make an even more beautiful Eagle!

Hi guys and Haaaappppy Newww Yeaarhh, it`s around 4h till 12h here, but i`m happy to recall that it`s my first year here on the forum too... indeed i regularly followed you for about maybe... 2-3 years without subscribing, but as far as i can recollect after a couple of glasses of wine - this is my first year here. I wish you all a very happy New Year and more models! Much much more models, finished, better, gorgeous! Cheers!

Thank you guys! Happy New Year! All the best and even better in 2017! And of course - more models and always better in 2017!

This is a very very interesting upgrade. Looks like it turned out very well too!

The surfaces are smoothened even more, plus some very gentle texturising. And riveting too, of the areas that are away from the canopy frame, cause there will be a lot of sanding. This is at daylight, at very narrow angle and a little bit of white artificial light to enhance the rivets and i like how it looks with shadows

Quite a journey with the radar. Here it is finished:

The sign is DIY decal - letter by letter. I know about the horizontal line... but it may be better to leave it like that and to count on not noticing it when everything is assembled and busy in the radome. I tried to make the dish as reflecting and glossier as possible, and it really changes its hue at every angle. Now some wiring...

Now some radar dish improvements ... of course i did not reviewed more thoroughly the reference photos earlier... so i missed the issue with the size (diameter) of the dish. The pins are also.... quite surreal. And there should be a third axis for the rotation of the gimbal. Well, i couldn`t let it just like that so i get started with these major improvements... it will be a little bit more difficult cause it`s basically assembled, but it`s douable. So first, the enlargement of the diameter. Here it is before: And after. Via stretched plastic srpue. The diameter became just a little wider such as still to fit perfectly in the radome. The plastic pins are removed and the holes are prepped for 10 pins that i`ll make out of wire. They will be not thin enough, but should be much better than the plastic ones. And some stripes of electrical tape over the enlarged corners of the backside: Then the main colors on both sides:

A-haa, omg, so this is another monster... wow! Quite impressive!