HubertB

They are fixed, btw, and make just a very narrow slot … Hubert

I am anything than a Phantom expert, but yes, AFAIK, the slats of the stabs are « inverted » compared to what we are used to. Hubert

One piece of advice - which seemed blindingly obvious with hindsight - I read from Marion Ball, one of the GREAT figure painters of the time, is that the eyes of real people are rarely fully open, and always partially covered by eyelids. Hard to paint, but it makes all the difference when you succeed in representing it … Worth a try on your moustached mechanic ? Hubert

Real improvement there, Carl 👍 ! Hubert

Great Progress Scott. I stumbled upon the same fit issue. Only I decided to remove the bleed fis and add new ones. I am probably trying to chew more than my bite, as I decided then it would be a good idea to represent the bleed fins in full, from the horizontal inlet on the side of the fuselage to the exhaust on top. They are IRL continuous and "S" shaped. Only then do I have issues with the compound shape of the fuselage ... This is where I stood when I moved house and then got plenty of life prioroties to keep me off continuing on this one, for the time being HUbert

Two words of advice Scott: 1) The first critical fit issue in the kit is the junction of the top and bottom fuses at the rear of the wings . Besides adding pressure, mine were not great and required a significant amount of filler, and rescribing 2) Second issue is the fit of the front fuselage and intakes. Mine require a 1.5 mm strip each side to ensure a flush fit between the fuse and intakes. And the vanes for the boundary layer exhaust are continuous between the intake wall and the front fuselage ... In theory they are "S" shaped from the face entry to the exit on the top fuselage. 3) Just remember that the "cross" of the engine faces should be vertical. I forgot about it, and although barely visible, I know I got it wrong, and that upsets me no end ! HTH Hubert

Now that is anything but a stealthy way to fly a F-35 …😶‍🌫️ Hubert

I’ll double my Vought, so that adds the A-7 … Hubert

My vote is for Vought ! Hubert

It looks like the first « 1/35 » Tamiya Panther kit of the 60s … Hubert

I am sure you have spotted the asymmetry between the right and left fairings on the underside of the beast, near the nozzle … This said, the result is amazing ! Hubert

Lovely work, and outstanding result. The Captain of the ship must be very proud to have this one on board 👍 ! Hubert

IIRC, the venerable Monogram one was good, but had a major shape issue with the engine cowlings … No doubt, the ICM one is better, especially after reading Fran’s very good review … Hubert

Wow ! Hubert

Since you asked, here is one, in exclusivity 🤫 … Hubert

Mine is was an Irish whiskey. With the current heat, it evaporated in a blink 😏 ! Hubert

I feel for you, Rob. Let me have also a stiff drink as a token of solidarity and sharing ! Hubert

The last thing you want is to have your rigging snaking around. Straight it must be ! Just my Hubert

I can really imagine a sarge giving private Doe a pot of red paint and a brush « Now paint me some red checkers on that wall ! And you’ve got to finish by tomorrow, or you will do 50 pushups ! » Not sure that private Doe will have used a ruler, pencil and masking tape … Hubert

I agree Martin (and not only because I am French ). The only issue is that, after the trauma of WW I, they did not want to believe in another war, nor that it would be conducted in a different way from the previous one (but it is not unusual for military planners to think the next war in the terms of the previous one …). They just were late to develop the appropriate weapons for WW II, with some weird designs sometimes. And the political meanderings of the 30s did not help the defense industry adapt to the futures challenges. And they produced some great designs after WW II … Hubert

You’re making great progress there, Peter ! It’s going to be gorgeous when finished ! Hubert

Damn you Rob ! Now I’m gonna have a nightmare, trapped between metal tubes all around me ! And that’s before the rigging ! 🥴 Hubert

… for a fraction of the price of Tamiya Hubert

Now, THAT’s a heavy load 😳 ! Hubert

I love the way you are moving forward with this one, Jeff. Great detailing, and incredibly realistic weathering 👍 ! Hubert