F-4J cockpit conundrum

[Anders_Isaksson]

With the advent of 3D decals from Quinta et al I find myself having difficulties on choosing which path to go.

 

1. Quinta IPs + resin seats + resin canopies with inner frames etc

https://aerocraftmodels.bigcartel.com/product/mcdonnell-douglas-phantom-replacement-canopy-set-for-tamiya-kits

 

2. All resin+PE cockpit set (like Aires) which caters for all areas but probably with more assembly and trial fitting involved.

 

And yes, I dislike doing cockpits but still really like the look of a well-finished office.

 

Any thoughts?

Edited March 21, 2021 by Anders_Isaksson

[Anders_Isaksson]

Jennings, you certainly have a point about Aires stuff. 

[dashotgun]

I agree they look so good but fit so poorly

[geedubelyer]

Hi Anders, I hope all is well with you and yours.

This is probably a decision that many will face since these new 3D decals surfaced. 

There's little doubt that the printed versions are crisp and relatively easy to apply but they are also often quite uniform and artificially bright when compared to a real aircraft cockpit. 

Of course it comes down to personal choice but if I were commissioning you to build me a model, having seen the quality that you are capable of, I'd prefer a beautifully painted resin pit over the quick, easy but less realistic looking decal version. 

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Gary Needham]

Personally, I find AIRES confusing and frustrating in equal measure. Superb details and yet whilst their 1/32 cockpits tend to be very good fits (their SU-27, MIG-23 and Crusader F8 ones that I tried just slotted and 'clicked' into place) I have never yet used a 1/48 cockpit set of theirs which didn't either need the kit's cockpit sides grinding to transparent levels and in danger of going through the plastic or in about 50% of the cases, simply giving up and just using the resin ejection seat and instrument shroud.

 

I would love someone from AIRES to publicly answer these questions and confirm whether or not they ever actually Q.C. and fit their products (1/48) before releasing them onto the market....?

 

And if the answer is "Yes we do", then what are they doing right (IF they say they fit fine) that seemingly the rest of us are not?

 

Gary

[jenshb]

I find that a lot of Aires products suffer from shrinkage - possibly because (some) sets used the kit parts as a basis for the master, then there is shrinkage from moulding the part in rubber and then further shrinkage from the resin copy.  They might even make resin copies to make multiple masters for moulding, further increasing the shrinkage problem.  Their 1:32 F-15C cockpit is about 3 mm too short to fit  the bulkheads on the panel lines where they should.  You just can't line up the cockpit bulkhead with the panel line and line up the rear bulkhead of Bay 5 on that panel line - you will have to cut the part and slice it.  The detail is beautiful though...  Don't know if the same problem exists with Aires' Phantom cockpit, but it may be worth checking to confirm as it may affect your choice.

[Anders_Isaksson]

Thanks all for your input. While I've spoken to the Aires guys a couple of times I never thought of asking why the fit of their stuff is so and so, guess I was too blow away by all the sets they offered at their table. 

My very own theory is that when a cockpit set has several base kits, say like the 1/48 Tomcat, Aires is tailored for one of those Tomcat kits and the fit to other kits is what it is. Case in point is my Aires cockpit for the 1/48th Tamiya Tomcat, IIRC the tub and IPs are identical to the older Aires set made for the Hasegawa Tomcat. But then again, the Hasegawa kit still need some real surgery to make the Aires set fit as intended...

But when it comes to subjects with only a base single kit available, like the 1/32nd F-8 or MiG-23, I can imagine the fit of the Aires set should be about spot on.

 

14 hours ago, geedubelyer said:

Hi Anders, I hope all is well with you and yours.

This is probably a decision that many will face since these new 3D decals surfaced. 

There's little doubt that the printed versions are crisp and relatively easy to apply but they are also often quite uniform and artificially bright when compared to a real aircraft cockpit. 

Of course it comes down to personal choice but if I were commissioning you to build me a model, having seen the quality that you are capable of, I'd prefer a beautifully painted resin pit over the quick, easy but less realistic looking decal version. 

 

Cheers.

 

 

  

Hello and long time no see. I am well and I hope everything is fine with you and yours too.

I have pondered this a bit and I lean towards your view. In 1/32nd scale the 3D items still may appear a bit flat and artificial. Perhaps 1/48 is the perfect scale for 3D, with PE doing the job for IPs and stuff in the smaller scales.

So maybe a resin cockpit is still the way to go in this larger scale. In the case of the F-4 there is the exposed area between the two canopies that I assume still could use some detailing even if a 3D set is used.

And thanks for your trust in my abilities!