New 1/32 F-4K/M (FG.1/FGR.2) Phantom kit announced by HKM

[Tony T]

10 hours ago, Chek said:

 

I took me 30 years to realise how undersized the Hasegawa 1/48th Phantom stabilizers were. I only noticed it by accident when comparing their Spey Phantom stabs and the F-4S ones with their earlier kits which had all had common sprues carried over from previous kits. Further investigation showed Monogram and Italeri (also want to say Esci but not totally sure now without an attic rummage) were also larger and correct.

 

I was surprised it seemed to not have been noticed before in the modelling world.

 

The very first 1/48 Hasegawa F-4 I built in 1983 had Monogram stabilators installed. It's as if the ones in the early kits were copied from plan drawings without factoring in the anhedral.

 

The Tamiya 1/32 F-4 does have its issues — poorly designed inlets, engine nozzles patterned by the 1/35 tank person, and avionics cooling scoops that need cutting back — but it's still arguably the best Phantom 2 in any scale. 

 

Tony 

[Michael931080]

Thanks for that Tony. 

[Tony T]

1 hour ago, Jennings Heilig said:

 

In any scale?  Don't think so.  In 1/32, for sure.

 

That's a matter of opinion Jennings, not fact.

 

Tony 

[Chek]

It's a fact that the rear fuselage contours of the Tamiya Phantom are way too boxy looking and need modded.

 

I'm kinda hoping the forthcoming LIDAR'd Tan Model F-4E will accept the Tamiya nose, based on the mostly good congruity between the Tamiya and Revell F-14 and F-15 kits

[LSP_Ray]

The Tamiya Phantoms, while good, are no where near the finesse of the F-16's, nor have the detail of the F4u or Mossie and are due for an upgrade. What are they, 25 years old?

[Tony T]

15 hours ago, Jennings Heilig said:

If you base it strictly on the number of items you need to fix to make it accurate, not really.  That’s objective, not subjective.

 

Items you need to fix is purely subjective.

 

When the 1/32 Su-33 shows we can begin to look forward to Tan Model's RF/F-4E. 

 

For now, the 1990s vintage Tamiya F-4J provides the best basis for a K/M conversion. I'd settle for new resin inlets, K NLG leg, the Spey burner cans and the fintop RWR, maybe with some frames to add to the rear fuselage to indicate what needs to be built up where, or vacform skin panels. I think that was the approach Derek was taking.  

 

Tony

[warriormcv]

Has anyone obtained/reviewed the F-4 Phantom II book below as to its accuracy in its plan drawings?

 

 https://www.aeroteca.com/en/military-1975-to-1990/5917-mcdonnell-douglas-f-4-phantom-ii-1-48-scale-drawings-dvd.html

[Chek]

I would need to see some recommendations by some heavy-duty names and quite a few drawing/photo comparisons before spending that amount of money on a book of drawings.

One thing I've learned since days of innocence and naive trust in plans carried over from the print era of model media to the digital era is that 99% of plans are glorified general arrangement drawings, and not any sort of last word on the 3-D reality..

[ghatherly]

On 2/7/2019 at 3:42 PM, Kagemusha said:

 

You can clearly see it, there have been threads in the past.

Just as I suspected,  gossip.

[Kagemusha]

1 hour ago, ghatherly said:

Just as I suspected,  gossip.

 

I recall, in a previous thread, Frank Mitchell saying he got his sums wrong with regards how much bigger they were. If you look at the Wild Hare intakes they don't curve inwards towards the intake opening, you can see it clearly in the second photo here. If you have either or both Double Ugly British Phantom books you should be able to find suitable photos to compare.

 

I visited Hendon after all the was discussed, and you can't see the engine fan, on the real thing, as in the first photo of the model.

 

It's not gossip, the Cutting Edge Peace Jack nose is inaccurate, as is the Revell Mig 29, and so many other models, sadly.

[ghatherly]

1 hour ago, Kagemusha said:

 

I recall, in a previous thread, Frank Mitchell saying he got his sums wrong with regards how much bigger they were. If you look at the Wild Hare intakes they don't curve inwards towards the intake opening, you can see it clearly in the second photo here. If you have either or both Double Ugly British Phantom books you should be able to find suitable photos to compare.

 

I visited Hendon after all the was discussed, and you can't see the engine fan, on the real thing, as in the first photo of the model.

 

It's not gossip, the Cutting Edge Peace Jack nose is inaccurate, as is the Revell Mig 29, and so many other models, sadly.

Did you read Dave Klaus's notes at the end of the link you posted above?    He confirms the accuracy of Frank's build and that it was not in error nearly as much as Frank thought it was.

 

[timvkampen]

7 hours ago, ghatherly said:

Did you read Dave Klaus's notes at the end of the link you posted above?    He confirms the accuracy of Frank's build and that it was not in error nearly as much as Frank thought it was.

 

 

And he measured the beast itself. I do wonder where the original molds ended up. That would help a company further that would be willing to take this further. Until then, not much alternatives, my price lowered a bit . ZM is still my best bet I think

[Cees Broere]

Does anyone know the colour inside the air-intakes of the FGR? And is the rear of a lighter colour compared to the front near the intake leading edges?

Thanks in advance.

Cees

[Iain]

On the photos in front of me - on an Air Defence greys airframe - I recon the intakes are Light Aircraft Grey BS381C:627 - on the Raspberry Ripple scheme it looks like white.

 

We spent a day at one of the museums/airfields a few years back measuring up/detail photographing Spey Phantoms.

 

Iain

[ghatherly]

9 hours ago, timvkampen said:

 

And he measured the beast itself. I do wonder where the original molds ended up. That would help a company further that would be willing to take this further. Until then, not much alternatives, my price lowered a bit . ZM is still my best bet I think

 

Yes he did, which is why I asked the original quest of Kag,  who maybe right about the fan face.   Have not had time to check  the book pics he referenced, pages would help speed thing up Kag if you have them.   I have all of the books, including Michael Burns book.

 

All of the CE molds were destroyed when Klaus shut down the company.   The way the company ended also released were all the intellectual property agreements under contract back to the pattern maker/ creator.  It was DonLogan and the creator of the CE F-105 items that prompted me us to start GTR.   Just a reproduction of the CE F-4L/M set with a full cockpit would be in that $500-$600 range with is not good for 99% of those wanting to build one.  That is the price to be profitable and deliver a quality product not dealing with the decal issue or the toner kit.   Then there are those that would pick it to death at the slightest perceived error as seems to be the norm now with every new release, regardless of the forum.   We do this the least of any of the sites, but still it happens.

 

The same goes for a F4H-1 set.  

 

I would bet the that HK bit off amore than expected, so we should be patient since no on has skim in the game.

Edited February 12, 2019 by ghatherly