Peterpools Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 The Front Office and Nose Gear Bay Incredible – just can’t stay away from the bench and working on Tamiya’s Phantom. I’ve made enough progress the past few days for another update and with zero mojo killers, my enthusiasm just keeps escalating. Ejection Seats: After building up both of the Martin Baker H5 Ejection Seats, there was no question I was going to use the kit’s seats rather then the Wolfpack resin seats, as their detail and fit couldn’t be any better. I ordered a few Kit World 3D printed Seatbelt sets as soon as I made up my mind and hopefully will receive them in a few weeks’ time. The Front Office: Just like the seats – fantastic and jammed packed with details. Simply a work of art. Tamiya’s engineers found new ways of adding all the details and part fit was perfect – gee, what’s new? For me this was a huge step foe me as I planned on doing all the painting other then air brushing the base cockpit color of MRP36231 by brush. Since going through chemo therapy, I struggled with both my hand coordination and walking and couldn’t paint or even apply Extra Thin worth a dime. Over the past few months, using modeling as therapy, all that has changed. I was just tickled pink at how well the brush painting came out. I used the instrument panel decal from the kits’ decal sheet and after a few cotes of Micro Set and Sol, they laid down and looked just fine. The key for a smooth paint finish by brush is technique: thin the paint out and plan on multiple thin coats for coverage. Most important – good brushes and for me, there is only one brush to use: Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable. I could go on for pages about them but I’ve had my original three, which I bought well over ten years ago and are my most used brushes. I Only use them for acrylics and that’s it. Oils, enamels and lacquers, I use AK brushes. The Series 7 brushes are cleaned with just water and once a month, I clean them with “The Mothers” Brush Cleaner and Preserver #101. My brushes look and paint like new and are a bargain considering how many years of use I’ve gotten from them. The Paint: My go to acrylic for brush painting – Vallejo Model Air – end of conversation. Other paints I will use if I don’t have the Model Air color: Mig and Tamiya. The Nose Gear Wheel Well – primed and then air brushed with Tamiya Gloss White (brilliant paint), thinned with Mr Color Self Leveling Thinner. All the details were picked out with Tamiya Black Panel Line Wash and the overall effect is quite striking. No work today as today was a dentist day – oh what fun. Thanks for checking in. Peter 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harv Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 Very good work John. And happy to hear you enjoy it so much.....harv 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 Thanks Harv, much appreciated (Check out the typo) Keep em comin Peter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaireckstadt Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 Awesome looking pit Peter with great details and very nice detail-painting! The seats are really very well detailed! This seems to be a typical beautifully detailed and engineered Tamiya kit! Keep 'em coming! Kai 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzaS Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Peter, I'm glad to see your brilliant cockpit painting skills have returned. Am really glad you are loving this kit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark31 Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 nice work and yes the kit seats looks great. Looking forward to see more. Mark 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber_County Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Peter , I have been remiss of not being around…….the F4 looks stunning and the pit up to your usual high standard. I blink and you are on page two already. Having some work at present hasn’t given me anytime to catch up on everyone’s builds……..looking forward to the next update….. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 8, 2021 Author Share Posted July 8, 2021 Thanks Kai Much appreciated and right on the money - another gem by Tamiya. More then marvel at the gorgeous detail, a smile knowing my modeling therapy has worked wonders and I have almost the full use of my hands again. I've ordered the Kit World 3D seatbelt set and then will finish up the seats, which aren't installed according to the instructions until nearly at the end of the build. Getting ready for a tropical storm/hurricane tonight and tomorrow - nasty weather for sure. Keep 'em comin Peter 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 8, 2021 Author Share Posted July 8, 2021 Thanks Gaz Just feels great to be back up to speed with my hands - I spend a lot of enjoyable hours paint the front office and never frustrated once - now ain't that something. Keep 'em comin Peter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 8, 2021 Author Share Posted July 8, 2021 Thanks Mark - awesome kit and love the details and nearly perfect part fit. Keep 'em comin Peter 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 8, 2021 Author Share Posted July 8, 2021 Much appreciated Phil Having work is number one and far out paces modeling. Just can't tell you how much I'm enjoying the F4 and finally having have nearly full use of my hands, the fun is back. Keep 'em comin Peter 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Peter, the cockpit looks fantastic. Thanks for the tips on brush maintenance. I tend to kill mine off and I'm lucky if they last a year or so. My boys don't mind as they get a regular supply of my hand me downs. The nose gear bay looks great with the little touches of colour you've added. Really makes them pop. Carl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 8, 2021 Author Share Posted July 8, 2021 Thanks Carl, very much appreciated. Believe me, once you have painted with a Winsor & Newton Series 7 brush, there is no going back and brush maintenance takes only a few minutes a couple of times a month. I was introduced the W&N paint brushes by a fantastic model railroader and figure painter Dave Revella - what an eye opener. Keep 'em comin Peter 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 Guess I'll have to go to the local art store and find a couple. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 9, 2021 Author Share Posted July 9, 2021 Carl Just be careful, they are addictive Keep ‘em comin Peter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 MAKING MAJOR PROGRESS I’ve made major progress on the Big Phantom in the past few days. The fuselage is buttoned up, wings and outer wing panels are glued in place. I’ve completed both intake assemblies and OMG, Papa Tamiya’s engineers came up with a completely new approach that turned around one of the troublesome assemblies on any manufacturers Phantom kit. Followed the instructions to the “T”, interiors air brushed with Tamiya Gloss White (no primer used or needed) and they slipped into position perfectly. At this point both are just being test fitted and there are no gaps or seams to fill. Even the notorious vents at the top fit like a dream. One item I’ve never understood is the need to include the complete air ducting from the rear of the intake assembly to the burner cans at the exhausts. You can’t see them and they cause all sorts of alignment issues. On the ZM Phantoms as an example, not only is the complete ducting included and needed but so is the J79 engines. Great idea but why? Unless the builder is planning on displaying them outside the aircraft as a model unto themselves, you never see them. I have them built and installed on my on going ZM F4J and they were finicky and required a lot of tinkering. The internal ducting is not included on the Tamiya kit and not needed at all. What is shown on most Phantoms models are the breather doors on the aircraft's belly. OMG, Tamiya went to town detailing this area and yes it’s pretty well hidden but the detail can be seen if the model is flipped over to see the undersides. I spent a lot of time detail painting the part and the doors are part of the center plug section for this assembly and when installed the large empty center portion is filled as well with details. The nose cone fits like a glove and again and here you need to be careful as to which radar antenna is used, as they are specific to the individual aircraft. The nose cone is only being test fitted in place and not glued into position yet. Horizontal Stabilizers – Tamiya’s is wonderfully detailed, fit like a glove and they are movable which I’m not big fan of and a bit down the line I’ll fix them in place. The fit of the empennage is nearly perfect straight out of the box, with just being careful to line all the parts up. Absolutely no tweaking is needed to set the anhedral of the stabilizers and the wing tip dihedral correctly as the mounting tabs makes it a snap. Just who at Tamiya thinks of these things? He or she should be given a huge raise! It’s important to take note of which parts are for the specific aircraft you are building; do you want the wing tips extended or folded, do you want the flaperons up or down and the same with the speed brakes and other part as well. The vertical stabilizer on most F4 kits is normally a two or three-piece affair but not here; 6 major parts. Beautifully molded and be careful as to which antenna you are going to need for your aircraft as they are specific to the each of the three aircraft. The vertical stabilizer is just being test fit and not a gap in sight. This is one of the few models I’ve built that this assembly can be added after painting is finished and you would never know, as the fit is that precise. The more I work my way through the kit, more hints of additional Phantoms are to come. Just know way of knowing which one they will be. Please excuse my photography for this update – the background need to be replaced (old as the hills) and I’m ordering two new LCD lights to take care of the lighting issues. Thanks for checking in Peter Intake assemblies just being test fitted and what a fit it is. Engine detailing Inside the breather doors which still needs to be installed Awesome engineering, fit and the positional stabilizers 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harv Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Looking slick ! Love the detailed work......harv 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaireckstadt Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Great progress Peter and (as usual) pretty good description of the steps you did. The fotos are quite good! Awesome painting of what‘s behind the breather-doors. This seems to be a typical Tamiya kit: awesome in every aspect and detail. Simply fun for the modeler. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 Thanks Harv ... much appreciated. Keep 'em comin Peter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 Thanks Kai So far Tamiya's Phantom has been simply as close to a perfect kit as I've ever seen and nothing but a joy to work on. Their approach in dealing with the commonly accepted shorted coming of the F4 kits has been novel and worked perfectly, plus the amount of details lavished on the kit is never ending. Wouldn't it be phenomenal if Tamiya up-scaled either their F-14 or F4B Tomcat to 32nd scale - we can always hope. Keep 'em comin Peter 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Great progress there Peter. Definitely a different approach to solving some of the inherent challenges on an F-4 kit. Best part is it has worked out very nicely. Carl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landlubber Mike Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 That's really sharp looking Peter, really nice job! Looking forward to watching this one come together in your skilled hands. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocRob Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 You are breezing through this build Peter and she will be a beauty. I really like the detailing and decaling in the cockpit, as I'm a little fed up with the boring flat look of Eduards printed and often pixeled PE. I use some good brushes too for detail painting and it pays. They hold their shape much better, than cheap ones and are way more durable. I haven't gone 'master class' like you, but will do so soon with the brushes. Cheers Rob 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber_County Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Peter, you’re nailing this one, the painting and detailing is sublime…… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaireckstadt Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 20 hours ago, Peterpools said: Wouldn't it be phenomenal if Tamiya up-scaled either their F-14 or F4B Tomcat to 32nd scale - we can always hope. This is what I hope too Peter! They should only scale up their new F-4B to 32nd scale. Would become a best seller…! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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