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F-4B Phantom II, VF-31 "Tomcatters" USS Saratoga 1966 - completed


trickyrich

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Our dear and gracious leader @Enzo Matrix has said I (and a couple of others) am not allowed to talk about the new Tamiya F-4 Phantom (as if!!!  :rofl2:  ) any more because he has no will power!!!   

 

I reckon proposing something like that would send him over the edge!  I have been trying by saying want until Tamiya releases the RN & RAF variants and we'll see how his will power is then!! :D

 

But a "New Tamiya Kits GB" does sound the go....especially if they were to release a 1/32nd F-14D!! :inlove: Now that would really open my wallet!!

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7 hours ago, trickyrich said:

 I may have to stall this build until either these or the Bullseye decals are available....i really don't want to stuff it up with the dodgy Chinese decals i have now! 

There is always the option to delay a build!

(says the expert)

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Great progress already, glad this kit has sharpened your modelling appetite!

On 8/15/2021 at 1:04 AM, trickyrich said:

I expect we might see 1 or 2 of these in the build?  

🤨 Ya think? 😂

 

Alan

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16 hours ago, trickyrich said:

But a "New Tamiya Kits GB" does sound the go....especially if they were to release a 1/32nd F-14D!! :inlove: Now that would really open my wallet!!

 

 

Yes!!!! Their old 32 scale Tomcat is based on moulds literally older than I am. Between the roaring success of their 48 scale kits and the upcoming release of Top Gun Maverick there's almost certainly a strong market for such a kit. They've got the CAD models of the 48 kit as a starting point for their engineering work as well to speed things alomg.

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20 hours ago, Dansk said:

Maybe our gratious leader @Enzo Matrix could have his arm twisted if we promise he can build three of them in a potential ‘urgent’ SKGB and we’re nice to him :kissing2:

 

 

18 hours ago, trickyrich said:

Our dear and gracious leader @Enzo Matrix has said I (and a couple of others) am not allowed to talk about the new Tamiya F-4 Phantom (as if!!!  :rofl2:  ) any more because he has no will power!!!   

 

I reckon proposing something like that would send him over the edge!  I have been trying by saying want until Tamiya releases the RN & RAF variants and we'll see how his will power is then!! :D

 

Stoppit!  :nono:

 

You are evil, evil people!!   You are all going to Hell.  :devil:

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Great start Rich. I am glad I checked in otherwise I may of blinked and missed it. Thankfully your wait for Quinta and Bullseye has slowed you down, although, hopefully, not for long.

 

Ray

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On 8/22/2021 at 8:12 PM, trickyrich said:

I refuse to buy them from those clowns at SprueBrothers!!! :fuyou_2:

Que? in my several experiences with them I've always found them excellent, I'd be keen to know what riled you so much, a link perhaps?

Though not my scale, this does appear to be a triumph of the model makers art, I'll be interested to see it progress.

Steve.

 

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26 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

Que? in my several experiences with them I've always found them excellent, I'd be keen to know what riled you so much, a link perhaps?

Though not my scale, this does appear to be a triumph of the model makers art, I'll be interested to see it progress.

Steve.

 

 

An item I bought has gone missing, I tried to get info from UPS, told I needed to talk to the sender, contacted SB. Got a very short reply, basically oh well, UPS handed it to Aust Post, it's now there problem, go sort it out. All I was after was details from UPS seeing they wouldn't take to me direct, on when and were it was delivered so that it would help Aust Post track it down. The UPS site only said delivered to Australia....... it's a rather large place!!  I didn't expect a customer support response like that i got! The worst I've ever received from any company.

 

So SB can take their collective shop and.............. :fuyou_2:

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actually in all the stuff I've bought oversea, and I've bought from everywhere I've only lost 2 or 3 out of hundreds and they were from high name places as well. Gosh my parcel postie knew me by name, he was almost like family!! :D

 

What wee weed me off the most was the attitude of the e-mail!!If my guys ever sent an email like that to one of our customers there'd be all hell to pay!!!

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Ok update time…. And I have actually done quite a bit more that the photo’s I’ve taken…… been slack again.

 

First up the rudder tip. I ended up using the Flying Leathernecks one, correcting the shape, then cutting it in half and added a new resin section. The new section is actually quite a bit more that I originally though it would be as the front bit of the leading edge was off, it wasn’t shallow enough.  You can actually see it here, the tip starts to drop away way too much.

 

IMG_6084-L.jpg

 

So here’s how it looks now, I just have to re-scribe the line at the base of the new section and it should be goo to go. Oh and the trailing edge of the fin tip was vertical and not slightly angled as the rest of the rudders trailing edge either. Now it looks like a proper Phantom tail!

 

IMG_6142-L.jpg

 

So far the only join that actually needed any work was the folding insert for the outer wings, the join was perfectly level, just a fine hairline to fill. Interestingly with the unfolded part (you get 2 sets of wing tips) there was no gap at all.

 

IMG_6146-L.jpg

 

The main centre section of the wing and all the bits in the wheel wells just fall together, joins are near enough non-existent!  I have to repaint the lower airbrake housings, I had thought they were meant to be red as such I only undercoated in acrylic and not lacquer…. , completely forgot what I did and then applied panel wash…… which didn’t end well!  A wee bit too grubby so another coat of white, lacquer this time, should fix this.

 

IMG_6154-L.jpg

 

The leading edge join just isn't there, no sanding require there to finish it at all!

 

IMG_6153-L.jpg

 

The intakes are just about done…. And I forgot to take a photo…will do next update, same with the exhaust. :doh:

 

To show you just how precise the fit is on this model, only the wing centre section is glued, and the out wings and their folded section, they are jet sitting there (the unfolded ones won’t sit there). Everything thing else is pretty much just sitting there… took a few attempts to get it to sit like this. The wing / fuselage join is insane it’s so good.

 

IMG_6152-L.jpg

 

Even that elevator unit just sits there so nicely!

 

IMG_6151-L.jpg

 

I’ll slow right down on this one new, as I really do need the Quinta bits to finish the cockpit before I can go any further.

 

Sorry to keep harping on about this model, but with just taking your time and being careful, even the most inexperienced modeller could build this model no worries at all and produce an awesome looking build…the model is just that good.

 

 

Go on @Enzo Matrix buy one, you know you want too!!!  :wicked:  :D

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  • trickyrich changed the title to F-4B Phantom II, VF-31 "Tomcatters" USS Saratoga 1966 - 30/8 update
55 minutes ago, Marlin said:

Look great Rich. :D

And the kit seems to be an excellent one.

I've no interest in the B-version. 

But if/when Tamiya releases the E version I'll buy a few. 

 

/Bosse

I reckon they'll sell out when they release the E version, especially it they include the "extra" bit for the different E versions. I'll but 2 or 3!! :D

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57 minutes ago, trickyrich said:

I reckon they'll sell out when they release the E version

 

Hi Rich,

It is great see those parts going together. I really like the surface treatment. As to an E we can only hope. I was ready to buy the ZM F-4E to build a RAAF version and then held off to do the Tamiya F-4B instead. Now, what to do? Are they the old Tamiya or the new Tamiya? The F-14A early model 2016, late model 2021. I still think we will wait some years for and yet it would be a money maker for them. 

Ray

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3 hours ago, DaveJL said:

Lovely work mate, can't wait to make a start on mine!

 

I had a look over my Fin tip and it looks ok on first inspection.

 mm at first glance mine looked fine as well, but once the rudder is together and you then fit the fin (in my case) that the shape looks wrong... but it might just be only with the plain fin.

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Rich, it’s all your fault, I’ve filled in the required procurement forms and risk assessments and then submitted them to SWMBO, and now have one.

 

I have a very long term build on the shelf of doom, using both the Hasegawa J kit and the B wing, blending both with BB cockpit seamless sucker intakes, Aires exhausts, and lots of other stuff that I’ve forgotten in the folds of time…. What to do?

 

Si 

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On 05/09/2021 at 11:45, Covjets13 said:

I have a very long term build on the shelf of doom, using both the Hasegawa J kit and the B wing, blending both with BB cockpit seamless sucker intakes, Aires exhausts, and lots of other stuff that I’ve forgotten in the folds of time…. What to do?

Build them both!  :like:   is the only answer.

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On 30/08/2021 at 07:02, trickyrich said:

So far the only join that actually needed any work was the folding insert for the outer wings, the join was perfectly level, just a fine hairline to fill. Interestingly with the unfolded part (you get 2 sets of wing tips) there was no gap at all.

Strange, I don't have this problem on my Tamiya build, I have left the folded wings off for now as it is an early F-4B it has coroguard on the wings and other leading edges and it will be easier to mask without them in the way, mine click into place without any gaps just like the unfolded hinge panels. :shrug:

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5 minutes ago, Retired Bob said:

Strange, I don't have this problem on my Tamiya build, I have left the folded wings off for now as it is an early F-4B it has coroguard on the wings and other leading edges and it will be easier to mask without them in the way, mine click into place without any gaps just like the unfolded hinge panels. :shrug:

 

So even Tamiya have manufacturing tolerances. I was beginning to think they worked to 'Perfect +/- 0.0'

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