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1/72 - McDD (R)F-4C/D/J/E/EJ Phantom II by Finemolds - (R)F-4C/D/E/EJ & J released - new boxings F4D & E in March 2024


Homebee

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On 9/7/2021 at 12:10 PM, Giorgio N said:

Mind, Revell issued other Phantom kits before these, including an RF-4, but I believe these were all based on Revell's old Phantoms from the '70s

They issued the Italeri/Testors F-4E/F/G too:

https://www.scalemates.com/nl/kits/revell-04307-mcdonnell-douglas-f-4f-phantom-ii--144889

 

Mind you, Scalemates is hardly up to scratch concerning the Italeri - (as opposed to) Esci F-4 lineage (between which there is no connection except Italeri's recent reboxing of the Esci kit).

 

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11 minutes ago, ivand said:

[Revell] issued the Italeri/Testors F-4E/F/G too:

:sad:  Unfortunately I fell for that unscrupulous marketing trick when that "new" Revell kit was first released. Left a lasting bad taste in my mouth for Revell. Thankfully it's much easier these days to get information on "new" kit contents, thanks in part to the manufacturers' being up front, as well as reviews in groups like BritModeller, and sites like Scalemates (although that site is lacking in this case, as ivand points out). Hard to believe that renowned Tamiya did the same. 

 

To get back on topic, here's F-4D decal fitting being done on F-4J plastic (F-4D release date this month is still not finalized):

 

Tixub57h.jpg

 

Gene K

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5 minutes ago, Gene K said:

...and sites like Scalemates (although that site is lacking in this case, as ivand points out)

 

I'd like to kindly point out, that Scalemates is a wiki-like database, and gives registered users the power to ammend the data provided. (I know it, as I have been editing enties up there, most currently the Revell RF/F-4 entry). Therefore I can only urge those ITK to contibute to the database.  

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1 hour ago, ivand said:

Mind you, Scalemates is hardly up to scratch concerning the Italeri - (as opposed to) Esci F-4 lineage (between which there is no connection except Italeri's recent reboxing of the Esci kit).

 

Point is: a lot of modellers can edit data but not so many has real knowledge about older kits. My entries are very often "corrected" by people who neither have old catalogues nor are familiar with the model market, sometimes entering shop names as manufacturers' names. Scalemates is a very good database, but one must always bear in mind its shortcomings and the fact that it will probably never be complete or error-free.

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10 hours ago, Gene K said:

:sad:  Unfortunately I fell for that unscrupulous marketing trick when that "new" Revell kit was first released. Left a lasting bad taste in my mouth for Revell. Thankfully it's much easier these days to get information on "new" kit contents, thanks in part to the manufacturers' being up front, as well as reviews in groups like BritModeller, and sites like Scalemates (although that site is lacking in this case, as ivand points out). Hard to believe that renowned Tamiya did the same. 

 

To get back on topic, here's F-4D decal fitting being done on F-4J plastic (F-4D release date this month is still not finalized):

 

Tixub57h.jpg

 

Gene K

Gene, I'm all for dry fitting and careful planning but isn't putting a whole kit together to test a few decals a bit obsessive? (asks he with 185 F-4s!)

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1 hour ago, iainpeden said:

... isn't putting a whole kit together to test a few decals a bit obsessive?

 

:giggle: I assume that's the FM "Decal Guy" checking his production handiwork. That's a job I wouldn't mind having.

 

But then, FM has been showing this snazzy test model for months:

 

4536318729471_06-1.jpg

 

Gene K

 

P.S. You only have 185 F-4 models? Rookie.

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Good news from FineMolds -- both Weapons Sets will ship from FM to shops on Sept 22. Here's an illustration that FM just posted to show some potential weapons load outs:

 

E_Ua9xUUcAA7IwC?format=jpg&name=large

 

Still no word on the F-4D ship date.

 

Gene K

Edited by Gene K
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On 9/15/2021 at 3:09 PM, ruudster said:

If they do reach HLJ around 9/22, that will mean my F-4C can ship with the weapons set i ordered.  Noice!

HLJ normally will have them ready to ship to customers 3-4 days after FM ships to them, so you're looking at around 9/26-27 in your (and my)  Private Warehouse for the Weapons Sets. :thumbsup:

 

Gene K

Edited by Gene K
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On 9/15/2021 at 6:41 AM, Gene K said:

Still no word on the F-4D ship date.

Ship date now listed as 5 Oct (was to be in September) .:selfie:

 

Some recent FM Milestones:

 

16 Sep - F-4J Marines shipped*

21 Sep - New product announcement (we Phantom fans may be disappointed since FM says (via Google Translate), "I want to sell products made in Japan from Japanese manufacturers! It is a new product with such enthusiasm".  :hmmm:

22 Sep - Weapons Sets to be shipped

5 Oct - F-4D to be shipped

* "ship" means leave FM warehouse to go to hobby shops.

 

What a great month for us from FM!! Well, at least for me.

 

Gene K

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15 minutes ago, Billy54 said:

As of a few minutes ago Plaza Japan had the Marine F-4J in stock, I am not sure how long that will last. Of course my two were pre ordered and will soon be on their way:) 

 

FM can special release these till the cows come home and people like us who stockpile them will never tire of the special releases. 

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On 9/17/2021 at 7:58 AM, Gene K said:

16 Sep - F-4J Marines shipped*

21 Sep - New product announcement (we Phantom fans may be disappointed since FM says (via Google Translate), "I want to sell products made in Japan from Japanese manufacturers! It is a new product with such enthusiasm".  :hmmm:

22 Sep - Weapons Sets to be shipped

5 Oct - F-4D to be shipped

* "ship" means leave FM warehouse to go to hobby shops.

Weapons Sets are on schedule.

 

E_svHo1VQAc587f?format=jpg&name=medium

 

And as concerns the product announcement scheduled on Tues 21 Sep at noon in Japan  ... that "translates to" 10PM CST tonight (Monday).  I'll be checking then to see if we get a slatted Phantom.:clap:

 

Gene K

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16 hours ago, Gene K said:

[As for FineMold's new product announcements], I'll be checking then to see if we get a slatted Phantom.:clap:

 

Well, that didn't happen. For FM Phantom fans, "just" two reboxings of the F-4EJ, the first in December, and the other in January. Shades of Hasegawa.

 

E_xsb0oUUAAHHYP?format=jpg&name=medium

 

Gene K

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2 hours ago, Gene K said:

Well, that didn't happen. For FM Phantom fans, "just" two reboxings of the F-4EJ, the first in December, and the other in January.

 

Shame; if they are going to repackage I would rather see reboxings of the C, D and early E. There's a lot of nice schemes out there and not many AM decals in print / available. I guess we will be looking another 12 months for a new version. I won't have finished all the FM F-4 I've already got by then anyway. 😉

 

Chris

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3 hours ago, Gene K said:

Shades of Hasegawa.

 

Utilising their assets to get the maximum return on investment for the minimum outlay?

(That minimum outlay including focussing on their home market, where the JASDF aircraft sell well, rather than investing in an export network.)

 

Looks like FM are going for two marking options per release, but the options are fairly similar (same squadron, same exercise).

 

https://finemolds.co.jp/FP/72737.html

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https://finemolds.co.jp/FP/72738.html

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I'm curious whether they will include both early and later reinforced standard sabilators for the F-4EJkai '95 kit, as the artwork shows one subject with early standard and one with reinforced.

Also curious that both kits push the JASDF weapons set on their respective web pages, even though the F-4EJ '82 kit features AIM-4 launch adaptors (as found in the 60's & 70's weapons set) on the photo and the artwork.

 

    Jonathan.

 

 

 

 

 

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On 9/17/2021 at 8:58 AM, Gene K said:

"I want to sell products made in Japan from Japanese manufacturers! It is a new product with such enthusiasm". 

Their focus was this statement, which the F-2A fits the bill. We all hyped ourselves up with our own Phantasties.

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  • Homebee changed the title to 1/72 - McDD (R)F-4C/D/J/E/EJ Phantom II by Finemolds - (R)F-4C/E/EJ & J released - F-4D in September 2021, F-4EJ & F-4 December 2021

- ref.72737 - McDD F-4EJ  Phantom II - Tactical competition 1982 (306th Sqn) - release December 2021

https://finemolds.co.jp/FP/72737.html

 

4536318727378-01-1.jpg

 

IEWQJyh.jpg
 

- ref.72738 - McDD F-4EJ  Phantom II - Tactical competition 1995 (301th Sqn) - release January 2022

https://finemolds.co.jp/FP/72738.html

 

4536318727385-01-1.jpg

 

aBbRwNm.jpg

 

V.P.

Edited by Homebee
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  • Homebee changed the title to 1/72 - McDD (R)F-4C/D/J/E/EJ Phantom II by Finemolds - (R)F-4C/E/EJ & J released - F-4D in September 2021 & F-4EJ in 12/2021 & 01/2022
4 hours ago, Homebee said:

- ref.72737 - McDD F-4EJ  Phantom II - Tactical competition 1982 (306th Sqn) - release December 2021

https://finemolds.co.jp/FP/72737.html

 

4536318727378-01-1.jpg
 

- ref.72738 - McDD F-4EJ  Phantom II - Tactical competition 1995 (301th Sqn) - release January 2022

https://finemolds.co.jp/FP/72738.html

 

4536318727385-01-1.jpg

 

V.P.

 

I saw that this morning, and yes, they are both interesting and striking schemes, not to mention excellent box photos. 

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58 minutes ago, Christer A said:

Well, I can only hope that I'm able to snag an EJ-Kai this time!

 

The F-4EJKai is currently available at both Hobby Link Japan (On Sale!!) and Hobby Search. But you may have to source more interesting decals if you don't  want these blasé  "generic" markings. 

 

Gene K

Edited by Gene K
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