Zaggy

Woah, General... Go get 'em! Any chance of getting a 3D laser scanner near the FGR.2? Whilst its not my thing, I do know people working on Object Recognition and Model Generation from 'Point Clouds' - which is what a 3D laser scanner would generate - who I maybe able to pressure into working on this sort of stuff for 'fun'... Me, I'm less interesting, being into Intelligent Systems for things like stochastically-scalable Path finding (ie: at one end of the spectrum, flying things like a UAV very aggressively at low level, but with a level of 'human-ness' to it, so everything is NOT mathematically precise, and thus predictable - at the other end, tuning things for a intelligent auto pilot that can react to dynamically changing airspace... Or tune things a different way, use swarms of small 'drones' to intelligently run a search pattern over complex terrain, for rapid response search and rescue)... But now I am babbling... 1/24th FGR.2 - yup, that'll be impressive! Dan

Nigel - mate, I will be honest and say that I had my doubts (but kept them to myself - why spoil the fun? And I come up with so many hair-brained schemes myself), but I have to just chime in here and say that its looking proper awesome! And great work with the wing reinforcing strap and outer panel plates... Looking forward to seeing some colour on it soon - which jet/scheme you going to go with? US applied colour or one of the Resprays? (I ask as I have a 'US' personal favourite, which looks greeny-bluer than most, which I plan to do in 1/48... Though I've been distracted with a Pair of RAAF Projects - a FA-18F+ and EA-18G of late) Congrats on the progress so far mate Dan

Yeah I was thinking of retaining as MUCH of the F-4J Spine as possible for strength and rigidty (one of those issues many have with Vac's); even possibly slipping vacuum formed sections OVER the 'nacelles' on the F-4J Kit.. Further scribbles and procrastination suggests we'd need (for this plan): a)Vacuum formed Nacelles that would fit over the existing plastic (and may need to be cut in at the rear) - and fit 'over' could help us avoid cutting the wing. b)Vacuum formed Intake (using the Kit inner wall) and possibly trunks too. c)Vacuum formed Lower rear fuselage (from Sparrow reccess, back). d)Resin Cast, 3D Printed or Lathe Mastered Exhausts e)Resin Cast Splitter plates with PE Boundary Layer. and maybe: f)Resin replacement cockpit panels and periscope. If you wanted to do an RN FG.1, you'd need a new fuel dump and oleo extension . And if you really wanted to go to town, Resin Rear Fuselage Grills and Aux Doors... But the Vast bulk would likely be 2mm Vacuum formed Styrene and some milliput depending on how good your dry fitting skills are, around the fuselage nacelle joins and wing root. Do you guys have ANY idea how tempting it is to go buy two or three F-4J's right now and just quit work for 6 months, hahahahaaaa (yeah work is grinding me down at the moment too) Dan

I really should find time to play with the 0.1mm 3D Printer at work - too busy with other stuff though (like work)! As for crowd sourcing/funding, well if the amount raised would cover my current income from Newy Uni and etc, for say 4-6 months (and two Kits), I'd happily give mastering up a vacuumform conversion a go (and learn how to model for the 3D printers down the hall from my research lab)... But realistically, thats a LOT of money! D

Yep, I hear you! A bit of Vac form fun never hurt anyone - I'm thinking making my own A-12 Avenger in Vac, just for the hell of it (and because the kits in 1:48th are rare as hen's teeth). A Brit Phantom conversion could be done a number of ways, from a FULL fuselage replacement (lots of re-engraving) at one end of the spectrum, to a intake and rear lower fuselage replacment (ie, sides that either fit OVER the existing sides and new intakes or cut the sides out, replace them with new sides/intakes, keeping the spine in place - then a lower rear fuselage part )... While 1/32 isn't my thing, that would be fun! Base it on the J-kit and you can use the Kit Cockpit, Canopy, Wheel Wells, Gear, Wings, etc... Then all yoiu need is those exhausts, that could be mastered on a lathe and cast in resin. D

Nozzels could be mostly Lathed up in Aluminium.

DACO are awesome... Wish they'd reprint some of the earlier stuff. D

That is a VERY cool pic, Tom... D

I have needles and hyperdermics and syringes and all the useful modelling stuff (I even have Sutures and Super Glue stuffed into my kit!) - in fact, I have even have a BIG 50mL syringe that I use to drip Absinthe over Sugar, for those relaxing nights at home. But as for thread, all I have is OD Green and Black! Its all I've ever needed! D

As for the IFR door, that's not an Iranian only thing - doors are removed to prevent damage from certain types of Hose baskets. ie: the USN often removed the doors when they know they'll be tanking from the Baskets attached to the boom's on the KC-135's... You can get an IFR Probe set from Wolfpack Resin - just leave the outer door off. Not that cutting the door out, scratching the visible part of the probe, then boxing the thing in would be tough (could even be easier than fitting the resin parts, hahaha)... D

Well the AirDoc sheet showed up and.... Low-Viz roundels are the wrong size and the colour is questionable to my eye - but the rest of the sheet is FRIKKEN AWESOME... I think I'll be buying a second set of Xtradecal X037-48 (RAF D Type Roundels and Low Vis Pink/Pale Blue Roundels) though just to cover the projects. And I'm waiting for those dry transfer stencils to appears as back in stock at Lucky Model... D

@XF442 - I took a chance on a Czech online store recommended by a chap on here, which claims to have them in stock and claims to have shipped them... We shall see tho; paid with Paypal of course, just in case! D

@T7 - Oh yes... Oh yes indeed! I like that Logic! Dan

Oh thats not a problem... I just got to shop and when they ask if its for my wife/gf I just tell them no - "its for my fetish; I like to tie my genitals up in stockings really tight..." Surprisingly, the pretty girl at the Hoisery shop almost ran away from me at that point! D

Yellowhammer bad also? @Dr. Evil, I do concur. In fact, this goes for all marks - how can one of the most photographed RAF jets (FG.1, FGR.2, J(UK)) be so poorly served? Especially in the AD markings... D

Being in the process of carving a balsa master for a Vac canopy to replace the forkin' 'orubble kit effort, I am curious to hear the rest of the story... D

Hey I'm single (a good thing for me, and probably good for any prospective significant other. I have a hard enough time being more responsible than my cat, Frank!), thus I have no 'SWMBO' or whatever, from which I can raid these threads! D

xvtonker - thats some next level sh|t right there! Totally approve! D

Oh of course - you need to happen upon some slime lights as Bill above correctly points out! Well played Sir! @feldr - where can one find this Yellowhammer stuff? Someone needs my money, I guess D

Quite a lot of them got the Periscope - which is about all that really needs work on the kit, because it is beautiful is most respects. XtraDecal make a 74SQN set that you can still get from Hannants, but its a bit of an abortion - Roundels: wrong size and colour - Tigers Head: wrong colour - but the outlined SQN Letters are useful and if you can fix the Tigers Head, get some correct roundels from the Xtradecal generic sheet, you're most of the way there. Yellowhammer did a set too, but I was too lame and never got a set before sellers started asking ungodly sums of money for some 'stickers'! Or drop Martin from RAM models a line... He seems to be hinting at some forthcoming AWESOMENESS of the Phantom variety Dan D

Martin, the more half-baked the better, hahaha. There is a reason that when I lecture at uni I 'accidentally' always turn off the lecture recordings, because of all the half-baked, politically incorrect and downright ridiculous stuff that sometimes comes out of my mouth... For example, apparently its Official University Policy that Lecturers/Tutors/Demonstrators/etc, are not allowed to call students 'Retards' any more; worst of it all though, when people are talking stuff - or just talking - I am no longer 'supposed' say "Oi! can you bunch of walters, just shut the flup up?!?!... But I got away with that last Semester Whilst I am ranting (I have had a couple), we're also no longer 'supposed' to show up a. half-baked, b. fully-baked, c. legless, or d. brandishing a 700mL bottle of vodka to Lectures/Tutorials/etc any more! Christ, if not for booze, I wouldnt have made it through under-grad; by the same logic, how am I supposed to make it to post-grad? Hahahaha, I am in no condition to be writing this paper, but hey, I'm a Computer Scientist - what's the worst that can happen? It's not Nuclear Physics or Pathogen Biology or Chemical Engineering or Genetic/Nano Engineering, etc; the stuff that when stuff goes wrong, could wipe out large chunks of the species. Sorry if I am rambling off topic

I believe Martin is ignoring us... he has been rather tardy in replying to my exquisitely rambling email... D

@Jabba - more info please? pics? D

PM received - email sent.. Extension to deadlines require that the appropriate 'Special Consideration/Adverse Circumstance' form be filled out and all supporting documentation be submitted with aforementioned forms, before this can be logged on the system. We are Borg! (Newcastle University) Resistance is Futile. (...it just is) You will be assimilated... (death is the only way out)

VERY Nice! May I suggest trying brushing on some PVA glue instead of CA? My reasoning is a) dries to a sort of satin clear on materials like this, could actually suck some of those furry bits back into the strand, c) should remain more flexible than CA (without having tried it obvious), and, d) you're not going to have the fuming/frosting issues that your do with CA. I'm going to have to try this! Dan