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Airfix 1/72 Phantom FG.1 in Stock at Hornby


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3 hours ago, Geoff Arnold said:

HI Phil and All group members 

You were very lucky to have had the extra parts in your kit  

Can you tell all of us out here if the EMI recce pod is as large as the old Matchbox kits pod as this was

the wright size compared to the Fujimi  offering which was way to small and very round.

 

Geoff Arnold 

 

From what I remember of the Matchbox pod - approx 32ish years ago I built this kit as a old 29 sqn FGR.2.  It looks to be similar sized to the new FG.1's centreline drop tank, not seen the Fujimi one only ever built USAF F-4's in those so cant comment on their offering  On the sprue its 100mm long by about 15mm deep at the centre and about 10mm wide as the widest part of the lower camera/sensor plate. Has a far less 'chunky' look than that the Matchbox one of old, has a much sleeker shaping to it. To my eye looks about right, recon FGR.2's were a little bit before my time to have seen one in the metal (2 sqn were Jaguars when I knew about them) but cross referencing the shape of pieces of the real thing from photos I've seen it looks pretty good, I assume this is to drop on the 2 Sqn variant of the FGR.2 Airfix are bundling decals in for.

 

Interestingly Airfix have the sprue labelled as frame G in their instructions this one is labelled up as ATML---462 Frame H

 

My Xtradescal low-vis FG.1/FGR.2 sheet with its frightening amount of 1/72nd scale stencils also arrived as has the 74 sqn markings for the FGR.2. My theme for this model will the aircraft Airfix have used for reference XV474 of 74 9Tiger sqn boss bird circa 1992, undecided to go with a slick APC weapons fit (dummy Skyflashes forward, centre line SUU-23 and  AIM9L(s) on wing pylons no outer Sgt Fetcher tanks. Or go for a full QRA 'AIRCRAFT ARMED' live weapons fit with tanks and live Skyflashes/AIM9L's. 

 

Going to try the Hataka modern RAF acrylics on this chap via the airbrush which should be here pretty soon. With little in the way of resins for this particular kit I think works on the using the standard kit  cockpit/seats, will be doing canopies popped on this too. 

 

PhilB 

Edited by philbrad
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19 hours ago, Blackfordhibby said:

Duncan 

Just as I had thought, the Yeovilton Museum bagged the ex 43 Squadron FG1. Out with the big airbrush, and Walla!  an 892 Squadron Phantom complete with nose flash. The nose flash had a Squadron badge on it IRC as opposed to the 77 you'd expect. As said that a/c was the only one that I have seen in FAA colours with the ILS aerials. 

Peter

 

XV586 does NOT belong to the FAA Museum

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9 minutes ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

XV586 does NOT belong to the FAA Museum

Okay Dave i'll bite, who DOES it belong to?. I saw it at Yeovilton so assumed wrongly. Never even crossed my mind that it would belong to someone else. I also missed the periscope on the port side of the canopy. Having said that i'm pretty sure that I only saw the stbd side.

 

Cheers

Peter

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4 hours ago, philbrad said:

Well it finally turned up today, opened the box and looked through the sprues and came across this ... 

 

4JBuztu.jpg

 

 

 

 Hj8lvLD.jpg

 

Expecting the SNEB/Radar/slatted tailplane sprue; I appear to have a rather nice SUU-23 gunpod, FGR.2 front oleo, EMI recon pod and non-slatted tailplanes... that's saved me a whole heap of time as I was planning to build and FGR.2 

 

Think someone at Airfix has dropped the FGR.2 here 10 months early :)

 

PhilB

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was instead of the FG1 bits or did you get that too?

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1 minute ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

 

This was instead of the FG1 bits or did you get that too?

I got that as well, but no frame G. So I get an FGR.2 with FG.1 decals. Fortunately, I have loads of FGR.2 decals.

 

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1 minute ago, Blackfordhibby said:

Okay Dave i'll bite, who DOES it belong to?. I saw it at Yeovilton so assumed wrongly. Never even crossed my mind that it would belong to someone else. I also missed the periscope on the port side of the canopy. Having said that i'm pretty sure that I only saw the stbd side.

 

Cheers

Peter

 

It belongs to the Royal Navy side, this is what i saw

 

Someone with an interest in the F4 and felt strongly that an original 892NAS airframe should be preserved has after a lot of work managed to get permission to move the aircraft to VL where it will be preserved and looked after by a group on the airfield.

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39 minutes ago, philbrad said:

 On the sprue its 100mm long by about 15mm deep at the centre and about 10mm wide as the widest part of the lower camera/sensor plate. Has a far less 'chunky' look than that the Matchbox one of old, has a much sleeker shaping to it. To my eye looks about right,

 

PhilB 

That is about the same length as the Matchbox one (which as said earlier is much closer to correct size than Fujimis).

There is a complete EMI pod in one of the RAFM stores, so hopefully Airfix got access to that.

 

 

Phantom XV586 is homed by a group within the Navy establishment at Yeovilton, it isn't related to the Historic Flight or the museum, they always made it clear that it was an ex RAF FG.1, all be it with significant Navy history.

Preserved aircraft shouldn't be relied on for historical reference, unless you know its provenance.

Edited by 71chally
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5 hours ago, philbrad said:

Expecting the SNEB/Radar/slatted tailplane sprue; I appear to have a rather nice SUU-23 gunpod, FGR.2 front oleo, EMI recon pod and non-slatted tailplanes... that's saved me a whole heap of time as I was planning to build and FGR.2 

 

Think someone at Airfix has dropped the FGR.2 here 10 months early :)

 

Phil, 

Great find there, but did you still get the FG.1 sprues with slatted tailplane etc? Does this mean that the RAF FGR.2 kit is unlikely to have the radar option when this comes out later in the year? 

 

Cheers and thanks for posting.. Dave. 

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34 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Phil, 

Great find there, but did you still get the FG.1 sprues with slatted tailplane etc? Does this mean that the RAF FGR.2 kit is unlikely to have the radar option when this comes out later in the year? 

 

Cheers and thanks for posting.. Dave. 

No Dave the FG.1 sprue with SNEB pods, slatted tailevators and radar unit were not included - If I was doing and FG.1 this would be on its way back to the supplier now. As the instruction set was FG.1 and has no crossover with the FGR.2 bits this is probably a packing error at manufacture, I seem to be the first who have received the kit in this fashion - to be honest I'm not complaining. The Sparrow/Skyflash/Sidewinders and tanks are still in there as are the 1000lb freefall bombs - more than enough weaponry for my project but anyone receiving this kit with this sprue only will be pretty hacked off. 

 

PhilB 

Edited by philbrad
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1 hour ago, Dave Fleming said:

 and you might expect a different nose wheel door too

I could be wrong, but it looks like the nose wheel door will be the common clear part, just need to add the deck lights for the FG.1.

 

If it was me that received the FGR.2 sprue in the box, I would just request a replacement FG.1 sprue form Airfix.

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Mine arrived this morning whilst I was at work. Opened the box this evening and was very surprised with the quality. I've read this thread with interest and I didn't realise just how many differences there were between the RN and RAF machines.  I knew about the 2" rocket Vs SNEB and the girt big cannon the RAF used , but I thought that most of the differences were in the avionics.

 

Can anyone suggest a good reference book for both the FG1 and the FGR2? I've nearly finished the renovation of my cottage and thiskit may just jump the que ahead of my Sea King HAS 2 and Buccaneer...

 

Regards

 

MM

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I agree with Trevor on the aeroguides, I had that book when it first came out and its awesome as a modelling reference. 

 

The new Key Publishing British Phantoms magazine is also very good. It's not long come out and there are some nice references in it. You should be able to pick it up in W.H Smiths easily. 

 

PhilB

 

Edited by philbrad
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On 10/01/2018 at 8:22 PM, Black Knight said:
On this kit, for the open canopy option a hoop part is supplied with framing marked. There are two of these hoop parts but only one is mentioned in the instructions. It looks like the other is to fit in a depressed part of the closed canopy but its not mentioned at all.
 
 
 
 

The second "hoop" is for the RAF a/c with the blanked off window (Kit part has window engraving on the starboard side only) I assume part 11 on the clear frame is the periscope but you will need to drill a hole for it.

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11 hours ago, philbrad said:

I agree with Trevor on the aeroguides, I had that book when it first came out and its awesome as a modelling reference. 

 

The new Key Publishing British Phantoms magazine is also very good. It's not long come out and there are some nice references in it. You should be able to pick it up in W.H Smiths easily. 

 

PhilB

 

Thanks for that... I didn't know about this magazine, I'll probably add it to my two "Double Ugly" British Phantom bibles -

https://www.shopofphantoms.com/rhino/Pulsar/en_US.Shop.displayShop.5284./doubleugly-books-and-publications

 

Note - for us Aussie readers, expect this magazine at your local newsagent 'from' Monday 15 Jan!

 

Cheers.. Dave  

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Just got my hands on one of these yesterday. Can't believe that Boeing have insisted on this as being an "officially licensed product" with a little hologram sticker on the box. Wonder if this is corporate greed (i.e are they taking a cut on every one sold) or is it purely for recognition and to recognise their brand?

 

Sign of the times I suppose...

 

GJ

 

PS kit is lovely!

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With regard to FG.1s and the fitting of the RWR fairing and ILS aerials I have found a picture in Richard Ward's book of a 111 squadron Phantom with the RWR fitted but no ILS. The a/c is XV589/P and is overall gray with very small, low-viz markings. The picture is on page 46 and I think was replicated on a Modeldecal sheet.

 

I have just been organising my RAF Phantoms with the aim of gap filling; current count is 34, including the A+AEE XT897, and with all squadrons repesented.. I need at least another 11.

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Had a look in my box but no stray FGR.2 bits;), which is good as I want to build a Navy one. Can someone explain (or even better, show) for those of us who are hard of thinking, where the missing vents are/should be? I realise the Phantom experts are likely to wail and gnash their teeth but despite looking at a lot of pictures I'm just not seeing the omission. 

 

I'm not doubting the error btw, just am too thick or ignorant to see it.

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1 hour ago, Robert said:

Having seen this at the model club meeting l take back what l said about red boxes coming home with me.

 

Still waiting for a WiP.

 

Robert

I wasn’t going to post an WIP but if no one else is going to then I may well have to, just got one build ready for decals so I’ll be starting it shortly

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