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1/48 - McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II by Tamiya - released - Blackdog detailing sets


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1 hour ago, Thomas V. said:

Regarding detail and finesse, while Tamiya kits

do fall together in my view today  they are behind GWH and Eduard, for a price 30-40% higher than mentioned competition, as of last 5 years disparity between mentioned categories and brands growing wider, not o

in Tamiya's favour.

If you're comparing a GWH & Eduard kit to Tamiya's 1998 1/48 Skyray, I agree.

 

But, if I look at Tamiyas recent 1/48 P-38, F-14, Bf-109G, Spitfire Mk1, I don't see anything in there that GWH and Eduard beat.

 

More rivets doesn't mean they're better kits and before I get flamed for this, I have far more Eduard kits in my stash than Tamiya! 

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1 hour ago, jpk said:

Once the Tamiya Phantom is released, check for a mold insert seam somewhere around the nose. If there's a seam it may be there to allow for alternate mold inserts to do photo or E/F/G noses. I would be surprised if Tamiya did not allow for that later. Obviously they did with their P-38. Whether they actually will release later versions, that's the question.  

Well, however to get B to something like E/F/G you need to change not only the nose and at the pace Tamiya is releasing new versions of the kits I highly doubt we would see E or S anytime soon (I want to be wrong though).

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26 minutes ago, Doom3r said:

Well, however to get B to something like E/F/G you need to change not only the nose and at the pace Tamiya is releasing new versions of the kits I highly doubt we would see E or S anytime soon (I want to be wrong though).

 

You do know that Zoukei Mura has a full line of long nosed Phantoms coming after their newly released E, right? And many folks like me really like the ZM short nose kits like the S, despite the rear fuselage "flaw" some point out as fatal. :wink:

 

Gene K

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4 hours ago, jenko said:

As we haven't seen the sprue shots YET lets not speculate.

 

Well ... in the spirit of this being a discussion board, here's some speculation, Dick -- 

 

 If one looks at the two separate built up models posted by Tamiya (one with and one without folded wings), it appears that the model with the folded wings also has separate drooped ailerons ... which is not so on the other (earlier test?) model. So perhaps the model with the folded wings also has the speed brakes down/drooping.  

 

QpJk4vr.jpg

 

 

Gene K

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3 minutes ago, Gene K said:

 

You do know that Zoukei Mura has a full line of long nosed Phantoms coming after their newly released E, right? And many folks like me really like the ZM short nose kits like the S, despite the rear fuselage "flaw" some point out as fatal. :wink:

 

Gene K

No I didn't... I've built Academy B and J few years back. For whatever reason I thought that F-4J from ZM is a repop of the Academy and was not following them. Just checked the scalemates and looks like it has nothing to do with Academy and something to think about. Thanks for the pointer!

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Have you seen the canopy contours, Coke -cross section and the transparent part going to the radome?

Together with FineMolds in 72 this is the only correct cockpit glass of a Spook

This will be great together with all gimmicks

Cheers

Phan-Tom

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15 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

Tamiya is not just a brand, it's a guarantee that all parts will be designed to give the modeller the easiest possible job to get a very good looking model, in a way that no other manufacturer does. Others may be more detailed or have more options, but when it comes to an enjoyable building experience nobody has consistently managed to do better.

This... so much this... I recently built their Toyota TS050 and wondered what I was doing with my life all these years...

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On 1/26/2021 at 5:30 AM, amos brierley said:

, here’s just a few reasons not to buy Tamiya : F-4B   think Academy - F-14 Tomcat   think Avant Guard - . 🤨

Those are reasons TO buy Tamiya.... 

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One thing is for sure. If I decide to buy one, I know that I don’t have to. I’m not expecting manufacturers to cater for my budget, I only expect them to provide a quality product. Much the same as my choice of motor vehicle or watch, if I want it and can afford it at that time, I’ll buy it. For this kit, that will depend on a closer inspection of what’s in the box. 

 

The question of why this aircraft and why this price is moot and it’s also seems the case that this company will do what they think is right. To misquote a famous football manager though, ‘Lads, it’s Tamiya.’

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Having said the above, it;s £66.20 on pre-order at Hobbyeasy, inc UK post. Clearly, there would be a risk of being stung for import fees and RM handling, but the question is, 

 

“Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?’

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On 1/25/2021 at 5:10 PM, B.sin said:

The speed breaks are not open, 

not a good sign. ☹

Looks like it is a separate part though, based on slightly inconsistent panel lines for it and the appearance of the pivot arm.

 

-Nick

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2 hours ago, Sundowner14 said:

Having said the above, it;s £66.20 on pre-order at Hobbyeasy, inc UK post. Clearly, there would be a risk of being stung for import fees and RM handling, but the question is, 

 

“Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?’

A little over $86.00 to the USA, with shipping which is almost $20.00 at Hobby Easy. 

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56 minutes ago, npirnia said:

Looks like it is a separate part though, based on slightly inconsistent panel lines for it and the appearance of the pivot arm.

 

-Nick

I hope all control surfaces are  posable. 

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1 hour ago, npirnia said:

Looks like it is a separate part though, based on slightly inconsistent panel lines for it and the appearance of the pivot arm.

 

-Nick

Japanese kit description says:

 

Quote

★ F-4 Phantom II, a masterpiece jet fighter adopted by the US Navy and Air Force and used around the world. Among them, the first mass-produced Navy type F-4B will be added to the series. 

★ Based on in-depth research, the exquisite outline and cross-sectional shape of the actual machine are accurately reproduced. 

★ The canopy can be opened and closed, and the outer wing can be assembled by selecting the folded / unfolded state. The horizontal stabilizer moves in conjunction with the left and right. 

★ Missiles and drop tanks are also available. 

★ A set of 2 pilot dolls and 3 types of markings of the Migkiller who participated in the Vietnam War.

 

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Can cancel my pre-order with Hannants if reliable dealer lower prices come along, guess we wont see this ship until summer time ish?

Keen to see how Tamiya create the intake trunking, last time I built a Hasegawa F4 there was nothing to see, no fan blades, not the easiest to view I admit on this Aircraft, but would enjoy building proper trunking and fan blade parts for sure.
 

I'm sure A/M will come along too, but will it really be needed? have none for Tamiya's 1/48 Tomcat, so long as the Phantoms cockpit is done well so that canopy's can be posed open for casual inspection I'll be happy, trying to stray away from my old habit of throwing A/M at kits, a different quality decal sheet perhaps would do for me.

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As for versions, it is not surprising since there is a hole in the market for the F-4B since ZM is doing an exceptional job on their Phantoms, but has not committed to the B model (seemingly the only highly produced model that they won’t release). 
 

Tamiya seems to be very predictable in terms of their work quality and chosen subjects:

-Highly accurate in shape and needed small details. It is very rare that a modern Tamiya kit has a real shape inaccuracy and detail out of the box tends to be excellent - except for cockpits which are simply very good. Their F-14 kit is still the most accurate in shape by a wide margin as a Tomcat fanatic.

-Engineering is exceptional and they have a real QA process that catches problems and ensures that you will have a very pleasant experience building. Highly unlikely that you will need to address any kit shortcomings or oversights during a build. They often develop novel and clever solutions to long-standing problems present in other legacy kits of the same subject 

-They only release subjects that have a big market that ensures high sales volumes. All that engineering and QA has a price and Tamiya seems to only do subjects where they can ensure big sales numbers. Nothing obscure or niche - just mainstream, popular subjects. They are also confident enough in their superior engineering and quality that they will release a subject that has been done by other companies. Seems like these gambles have paid off for them. But it also means that novel subjects won’t be part their repertoire.

 

-Nick

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5 hours ago, Gene K said:

Here's the link: https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/dkmmmxc9sytklcunrcgk.html

 

Release date is given as Apr 27 2021. The price in USD is $67.   :thumbsup:  Hope that's correct.

 

Gene K

Well if thats accurate it brings it on par with Academy’s Phantom price wise so more realistic for me.  

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3 hours ago, Nebbor said:

When the HobbyEasy price is true that would be MUCH more inline with what I would willing to pay. The truth will be revealed when the kits actually will become available. Fingers crossed.

Unless the £ bombs big time the Hobbyeasy price is what it is and they are accepting pre-orders now at the price quoted inc post. Apart from that, the only thing that would change what you pay in a big way is if you get hit for import VAT and Royal Mail handling. That’s the only chance you are taking and the only reason to keep anything crossed.

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