Gidge

Really satisfying to see her come together.

Almost lost one of these after launching it with tweasers. Somehow recovered it

A small company bringing kids to market of this quality at this price point is pretty impressive. Getting into the ring with Tamiya and pouring up such a solid fight without the resources or economics of scale is no mean feat.

I didn't do the greatest job filling and levelling the gaps. Particularly because I'm new to the technique and materials. But just a once over will take it from something that catches the eye to something you need to know to look for. Someone with basic to intermediate skills can comfortably make this model look good. But to produce competition winning results it takes some real skill and attention to detail. Not an ideal first kit but a good 2nd or 3rd for someone who likes Phantoms and is up for a bit of a challenge.

Finally got the paint booth out to do the intake parts and section of the fuselage that'll be partly occluded when the intakes are assembled. This is my first project using all SMS paints and I'm really enjoying how user friendly they are. It's difficult to photograph, especially on such a small piece but their new Hyperchrome paint is seriously impressive. https://www.scalemodeller.com.au/products/hyperchrome-cold-tone-30ml

Yes it's on their roadmap, though I'm not sure when it's due. The wing in the E and EJ Kai kits has a ridge to mount the TISEO camera. The next version they're releasing is the F-4G. However there is a resin conversion kit on the market to turn the Zoukei-Mura F-4E into a late one. I think Hypersonic make it

Looking good. You've really nailed the subtle weathering of the well maintained Japanese aircraft.

After some test fitting it became apparent that the ejector pin marks on the back of the intake vein will be surprisingly visible, especially if the model will be displayed below eye level.

The ejector pin marks are unlikely to ever be visible without an endoscope but I'm not really good with putty so I figure I'll sue this as an opportunity to practice where the results will be well hidden

Prepping the intake parts have been prepped for paint

Life has an annoying habit of getting in the way. I'm hoping to get some progress in the next couple nights.

One minor peeve of mine is they offer a one piece resin part as an extra. Personally I'd rather pay a little more and have it in the box rather than have to pay for the regular one in the kit which you won't use and pay extra for the one piece part

At his rate all the aftermarket bits will be out before the kids even make it to Australia (still waiting)

And now she's looking more like a Phantom.

That last piece in the gear bay with the door actuator is such a tight fit you could probably get away with a tension fit. The small tab locks into the cockpit floor underneath the pilot's seat so a little extra thin cement will do the trick there nicely. For good measure I pried the walls wide to get some cement under there. Very easy to do without compromising the paint. The fine actuator is protected by the cannon hump so you can set the model down without fear.

Neatened up a bit with some thinner.

There's plenty of delicate detail in the nose gear bay, but it's very challenging to work with while fully assembled. For people who like hyper detailing these things or are out to win competitions I'd recommend painting and weathering the nose gear bay at the start of the build before assembling the cockpit tub.

Nose gear actuator door needs to be installed before mating the wings to the fuselage (unless you're up for some surgery). bottom that'll be a nightmare to access I'm going to paint and wash it before installing it.

Super Hornet's are pretty balanced so I wouldn't be too concerned. Pylon mounted weapons balance in front of or parallel to the rear wheels. The Hasegawa kits (similar design) don't need it so you south's be safe but if you're concerned put some weight in the nose. You can also get aftermarket metal landing gear which should also help

Coming together

After some wash

Wheel wells painted