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I spent a bit of time on the new engine nozzles. Or the fairings more precisely. I'm not entirely happy/sold with the way it looks. They're definitely squared off but look clunky to me. Once the Apoxie Sculpt fully cures, I'll do a bit more shaping and see. I do have an alternate plan just in case.

Great looking IP, especially in 1/48.

I've got one in the stash but haven't built one yet. Their 262 is giving me similar fits. It's like the engineering/design is 95% there but they've missed just enough to make things a headache rather than a joy.

Looks that way. Chris, the J isn't going to work unfortunately. The cockpits are completely different between the E and the J. Navy F-4s didn't have any flight controls in the rear, USAF ones did. So the IPs, and side consoles are completely different. I wonder if you got the EJ bit mixed up when you ordered.

Ok glad I wasn't the only one thinking this.

I got stuck in our garage once doing the summer tire changeover. I was bent over and couldn't move. A neighbour found me and got Sue so she could help back into the house. Saw a chiropractor the next day in our neighbourhood same as you, hobbled in and walked out. Still have the odd flare up but nothing that bad since.

How's this? Or since you mentioned Merlins, Both were done by a Japanese artist heavily influenced by Space Battleship Yamato. The Corsair is on my to-do list. At some point. When I get the courage.

Chris, if you want to see the difference in burner can size, here's the GT Resin one compared to the stock kit version.

Lovely collection of Birdcage Corsairs John. How about an FAA one? They had a few I think for training in the US.

Great build Jeff. Thanks for sharing this fantastic build with us. The BC plate is definitely a nice touch.

They do, which threw me for a curve initially.

It is and they made it simple to assemble. Well, fairly simple to assemble.

While letting things on the Kai Eagle dry, I took a stab at the intake grilles. These are by Metallic Details and are a huge step up from the kit pieces. First step is to fold each length 90° so it's vertical. Then the get attached to the cross members which are in one piece too. Last part is the grille. The assembled FOD screen compared to the kit part.

Time to work on the vectored thrust nozzles. I made a template and cut out four nozzle petals. These are the upper and lower ones. Then I started on making the round nacelles rectangular. In the meantime, I think I know where most of my tools have gone to: There are scribers, sanding pens, chisels, brushes, clips, and more in the pile. Oh boy, guess I can't say the carpet monster took them...

Ernie, I just took a look at my old pics and it looks like I needed a smear of filler around one of the nacelles and that was about it. But I do recall tweaking the fit beforehand gluing them on. I think I shaved the mating surfaces a bit.

Some.serious progress there Ernie. Nice job on the astrodome fit.

Nice detail painting. Is this the kit that has the loo moulded in it? I wonder if that will be one of the details that will be hard to see, if at all.

Nice couple of vintage kits Paul. Hopefully they're a nice trip down memory road for you.

The cockpit looks great. Glad the seat fit, if just.

Almost, a model company called HMA did a 1/144 kit of the plane and I've got that on my bench for reference. Back of the instructions. HMA even did a model of the F-16 that's in the film but all you see of that one is a shadow in the film.

I actually forgot. There's another fictional version of the Eagle which might closer to what I've got. Dale Brown wrote a novel called Day of the Cheetah which is about a deep cover Russian agent stealing an advanced prototype USAF fighter called Dreamstar that uses thought control for flight. The plane sent up against it is a heavily modified F-15 Strike Eagle called Cheetah which is very similar to my build. A fun book and sequel to Flight of the Old Dog.

Thanks, actually they've been fairly straightforward. To be honest, a lot of it I'm just winging it. Lots of TLAR* in this build. The vectored thrust nozzles are going to be the big challenge. I'm leaving that for last and if I bodge it, then I'll use the kit exhausts and call it done.

Working on the tailplanes, the kit ones mount to the fuselage vi a pair of very large tabs moulded to the fuselage halves. I scored them lightly and gave them a bend downward then slid the tailplanes on to see if it would work. They're angled down more than they will be when things are glued but it seems to work. So next step was to re-shape the tailplanes themselves. I also cut the canards out from an extra set of tailplanes. Again, just mocked up for fit. I got some close inspection of the work courtesy of our carpet monster.

It really is. I'm having lots of fun. The best part is I don't have to worry about 100% accuracy.

Really nice paintwork on the interior Rob. Same goes for the instrument panel.