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1/72 Airfix Phantom


T8247741

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Anyone else as disappointed as me ?

 

HEAVY mould lines

 

Poor clear parts

 

Soft plastic

 

Poor fit

 

Airfix appear to have taken a couple of steps backwards..............not sure I want to take the Sea Fury out of its bag now :thumbsdown:

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Good shape, good options, nice decals.

 

They might have been forgiven for omitting the louvres on the inlets had the decals included them (even Hannants dropped the ball on that one, three times, otherwise its stencil sheets might have been a worthwhile extra expense). 

The styrene of my example seems crisp enough but we've known since the 1970s that Airfix and Hasegawa home-grown are worlds apart. 

 

My score, not having yet started a build, is 7/10. Would have been 8.5 with moulded or decal louvres, 9.5 with landing gear door interior detail, and a 10 for slightly crisper plastic. 

 

Do I buy a second or third? Maybe an FGR.2 but I'm not planning on a Leuchars line-out.

 

Tony

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I have to agree unfortunately, though I haven't started building it yet so can't say about the fit.

When you consider how good the Victor kit is in the regards that you mention, the only very recent Airfix kit I have to compare and strikes me as almost Japanese quality, it does indeed seem a big step back.

Could it be because the Victor was designed and produced in the UK, and the Phantom and Sea Fury etc are molded overseas? Or not that simple?

 

I was hoping to be building a raft of Airfix Phantoms, but it will be my Fujimi stash getting the attention.

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I agree with everything above. And won't be disposing of my Fujimi kits any time soon.

One thing I've noticed different between this kit and the Victor also the new AEW Shackleton is the plastic. Not only is the plastic in the Victor and Shackleton darker but it isn't as soft, seems to make the panel lines crisper. look at the difference between the panel lines on the Shackleton MR.2 and the AEW.

 

Regards Glenn.

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12 minutes ago, cardiff guy said:

I agree with everything above. And won't be disposing of my Fujimi kits any time soon.

One thing I've noticed different between this kit and the Victor also the new AEW Shackleton is the plastic. Not only is the plastic in the Victor and Shackleton darker but it isn't as soft, seems to make the panel lines crisper. look at the difference between the panel lines on the Shackleton MR.2 and the AEW.

 

Regards Glenn.

 

The Airfix plastic is a known issue - the Victor and Shackelton were produced in the UK, and the plastic was much better. Unfortunately it seems this wasn't economically viable.

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1 hour ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

The Airfix plastic is a known issue - the Victor and Shackelton were produced in the UK, and the plastic was much better. Unfortunately it seems this wasn't economically viable.

 

And here lies the matter: the technology to make supercrisp panel lines and details has been around for decades but has a cost. Each company will decide to have a certain kit made using more expensive tools or chaper ones and the decision will be based on financial and market factors and business model. I remember when the heavy panel lines of early Hornby era Airfix kits were explained by modellers with things like "they do it because modellers add washes" or "heavier panel lines are better for beginners" and a whole lot of other theories, in the end however the reason is much simpler: it's money !

 

 

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4 hours ago, tony.t said:

My score, not having yet started a build, is 7/10. Would have been 8.5 with moulded or decal louvres, 9.5 with landing gear door interior detail, and a 10 for slightly crisper plastic. 

The louvres are worth 1.5 on their own, really? 15% of the total score?

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32 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Yes, but the only original thing left of the kit after one of your builds will be the decals:lol:

You really think I am using those transfers?

 

 

:)

 

All of 'em?

Edited by perdu
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I remember nothing but pleasure in building Fujimi Phantoms and all those lovely Modeldecals (regret none survived a couple of house moves)

 

I'm sorry to say I’m not enjoying the Airfix offering as much, but it has rekindled my interest in the subject

 

Fortunately I have quite a few Fujjmi’s in the stash, and I will hang on to them once the 20’ container is ‘liquidated’!

 

SD

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2 hours ago, Procopius said:

The louvres are worth 1.5 on their own, really? 15% of the total score?

 

Yes, admittedly it is highly subjective, and I was including all of the grilles - under the fuselage and above the nozzles too.

On a white bellied beast they really are very noticeable. And if you sit in the back of an F-4 the upper inlet louvres are impossible to ignore. 

 

Eduard's external set due in April seems to take care of the LG door details, and might be deemed essential. 

My own preference in 1/72 is for decals rather than replacement resin parts with louvres, but I can't see any out there.

 

Tony

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3 hours ago, perdu said:

You really think I am using those transfers?

:)

All of 'em?

You're not going to build one of the early Navy delivered ones (XT597 maybe?) that had the accentuated stenciling to aid in the getting to know the Phantom business then!

 

 

47 minutes ago, tony.t said:

Eduard's external set due in April seems to take care of the LG door details, and might be deemed essential. 

My own preference in 1/72 is for decals rather than replacement resin parts with louvres, but I can't see any out there.

 

Tony

There is an aftermarket set for the intake side plates and vents being toted around now, 

 

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1 hour ago, 71chally said:

You're not going to build one of the early Navy delivered ones (XT597 maybe?) that had the accentuated stenciling to aid in the getting to know the Phantom business then!

Of course he is! All hat waffle about stencils is a double-bluff.

Regarding the Phantom.

I don't have a ready supply of Fujumi ones salted down so am just pleased that a British version is readily available. I may splash out on the resin set for the splitter plates and louvres though.

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10 hours ago, T8247741 said:

Anyone else as disappointed as me ?

 

HEAVY mould lines

 

Poor clear parts

 

Soft plastic

 

Poor fit

 

Airfix appear to have taken a couple of steps backwards..............not sure I want to take the Sea Fury out of its bag now :thumbsdown:

Give you a tenner inc P&P for it......

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Interesting thread.

 

Someone has made a Phantom and published his finished  over on the Airfix forum and he didn't report any problems. This is what I find fascinating about modelling; two or more people can make the same kit and have completely different experiences with it.

 

I've got one of these in my modest stash, along with a Victor, so I'll compare the plastic. I'll be interested to see the difference. Thanks for the heads up :yes:

 

 

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It is, a couple of friends of mine, who are both very experienced and talented modellers with a natural affinity with and interest in the subject, built it (separately) and neither was enamoured by it. Even leaving aside the softish plastic, variable details (Some good, some bad), strange design choices (Fitting the folded wings BEFORE painting for example) and too many options along with some sloppy fit meant neither of them enjoyed the process enough to want to build a second.

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On 2/20/2018 at 3:53 PM, Giorgio N said:

 

And here lies the matter: the technology to make supercrisp panel lines and details has been around for decades but has a cost. Each company will decide to have a certain kit made using more expensive tools or chaper ones and the decision will be based on financial and market factors and business model. I remember when the heavy panel lines of early Hornby era Airfix kits were explained by modellers with things like "they do it because modellers add washes" or "heavier panel lines are better for beginners" and a whole lot of other theories, in the end however the reason is much simpler: it's money !

 

 

 

And yet Airfix still demands a premium price for it...

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I'm making an Airfix FG.1 alongside a Fujimi FGR.2 at the moment. Both are on wheels and have the first coats of paint on, with the FG.1 having folded wings. I'm just hoping that Fujimi twig that there's still a market for the British Phantom and re-release theirs. The variation in levels of detail on different parts of the Airfix kit leads me to two possible conclusions; that it's been designed by a committee tasked with diferent parts or it's a new designer, given licence to try things out, who's not a modeller.

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On 2/20/2018 at 4:43 PM, Swamp Donkey said:

I remember nothing but pleasure in building Fujimi Phantoms

SD

just finished one.  Although nicely detailed the kit is really starting to show its age now IMHO - and despite what I read elsewhere I had to work hard to get bits to fit - the intakes especially and the canopy, especially at the back. The canopy is perhaps a little flat as well and there is a nasty step at the front. The kit decals are pretty poor too and the stencils silvered badly - hence not on my kit

 

FujimiF4part0.jpg

 

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5 hours ago, Phantome said:

 

And yet Airfix still demands a premium price for it...

 

And there lies the rub. if you charge a premium price then you need to produce a premium product to survive nowadays

 

For some, the premium product is folding wings, radar detail, that decal sheet and (later down the line) strengthing plates under the belly. Ergo Airfix

 

For others (like me) sharp detail and better plastic is the guide for premium.  I'd like to support Airfix but the reality is (for me) the Fujimi is better value, even after all these years since it was released.

 

If I'm not careful I'll start to well up over the golden age of Esci next ...:crying:

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that's my point. When was the last time you actually built one ?  Even if you do happen come across one on ebay (that you win) they are still more pricey than the Airfix new-tool 2018 release. I've never paid under £28 for any of my Fujimi stock!

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