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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

Tamiya F-4B Phantom


Peterpools

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Thanks Carl

Completely agree - besides from Tamiya approaching the normal F4 kit part issues, they went their won way and the kit has been nothing but a pleasure to work on. I hear the call of the bench daily which is something I haven't heard in a long time.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

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Thanks Mike, Much appreciated. Right now I'm working on a lot of the smaller external parts that will be basically painted exterior and interior white and hopefully will be able to do the basic air brush work all at one or two settings at the spray booth.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

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Thanks Rob - The kit has been a pleasure to work on and completely agree, hand painting the molded on details is far superior to 2D PE. Of course, some kits, molded on detailing is pretty poor and needs to be replaced with PE. I've been playing around with the Quinta 3D interior sets and this is surely the way of the future as there are a few other companies now offering these types of upgrades and even Eduard has their new 3D Look sets.

I've be come a complete advocate of W&N Series 7 brushes for precise brush painting and still use AK and Mig brushed for lacquers and enamels when needed. The only drawback to the Series 7 brushes - once you use them, you are hooked forever. :)

Keep 'em comin

Peter

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Thanks Paul

Tamiya just never fails to amaze me as they just keep raising the bar with each new kit.

Right now I’m working on the missiles and fuselage parts so when the F4 rolls into the paint shop, all parts that are exterior white can be primed and painted in the same few sessions.

Keep ‘em coming

Peter

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PROGRESS FOR SURE

 

Not feeling very well this past week and a half and haven’t spent nearly as much time at the bench since starting the Big F4. I’m close to priming the model now and the parts and sub- assemblies that were only being test fitted for the last update have now been glued in place. The smaller assemblies and nearly all the remaining parts have now been primed with MRP Light Gray Primer as well. My thought is to have as many of the parts primed and ready to be painted the appropriate color when air brushing the Big F4 and trying to make the paint sessions as efficient as possible.

I’m still a little undecided as to which gloss white to use: MRP 099 or Gunze C316, both being lacquers, have excellent coverage properties and require less color cotes then Tamiya’s gloss white X2. The plan is to do the final clear cotes with either MRP or Alclad semi-gloss clear cote and some very light weathering, toning the finish down to a realistic sheen.

The cowling, cockpit sills, rear IP are done and installed.

Front wind screen and canopy are being finished up and ready to be installed as well. worked on. I’m leaning on having the canopy being displayed in the closed position as now I prefer that presentation for my 48th scale jets.

I have to admit, I’ve run into a few minor fit issues that required a bit of tweaking, sanding and scribing (which I’m pretty poor at). Seeing how wonderfully the kit has gone together, the small fit issues are my doing and I worked as careful as I’m capable of; just part of the game.

The burner cans are also ready for priming and they are simply amazing and no need for any AM here at all – the detail is amazing. Seven parts for each and the fit is perfect. I’ve attached the instructions page for both the Tamiya F4B and the ZM F4J, so you can see the difference in design philosophy and installation plus a few pics of each. I do marvel at Tamiya’s execution and delicate details.

After the Kit World 3D seatbelt sets arrived, the ejections sets were finished and added to the front office. I needed to use a bit of poetic license as no instructions were included and I surely could have used them. I have to admit at this point they seem to represent the H7 seat rather then the H5 seat – no biggie as they still fill the bill nicely and another sign more versions of the F4’s are in the pipeline. One other explanation is that around 1977 the Navy refurbished 288 of the best F4B’s and they were designated F4N’s and Tamiya might have used a F4N as part of their research; only speculating at best.  

Thanks for checking in

Peter

 

Please excuse the white balance issues - I just received my LED lights and am still learning how to use them.

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The Boys getting ready to play

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Upper Instructions: Tamiya F4B    Lower instructions ZM F4J. ZM molds their burner cans as a single part as compared to Tamiya 7 part assembly.

 

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Nice and clean work Peter. Thanks for comparing the burner cans. Tamiya's solution reminds me of the Mosquito wheels. I would appreciate, if you could add a comparison pic of the burner can's plastic. For my ZM Kai Phantom, I will use Res Kit cans, when they are in stock again and also wait for some masks, because the canopy borders are not very prominent as a guide line for cutting my own.

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Thanks Rob, much appreciated.

Each manufacturer took a completely different approach to the burner cans detail and molding and I completely agree with your comparison with the Tamiya Mosquito tires and wheels. I've built the Mossie and she is one of the pride and joys of my collection. The process Tamiya chose certainly is a bit more complex but allows for a much higher level of detail. Give me a few days and I'll take some close up of the burner cans on both F4's for you.

Keep 'em comin

Peter 

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The bangseats with the harness attached really are bringing life to the front fuselage! They look excellent!

You have really gone far with your build so close to the paintshop! Looks absolutely flawless! 

Thanks also for the comparison of the ZM- and Tamiya exhaust nozzles!

The only complaint I have on the Tamiya kit is that you have to install the elevators during the assembly and not at the end. More difficult to handle regarding masking, painting and weathering. But it assures the correct angle for the elevators. 

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Thanks Kai

Finally the Big F4 is coming together and not to far from the paint shop. Completely agree agree about the elevators, as I would also prefer to have them added individually after painting; ala ZM, just makes life easier. Just started playing around with the canopy and a few fit issues - nothing major and needs a bit of work to clean it up. Actually it's exactly the same fit issue I have with the ZM kit where the canopy is a bit too long  and needs some trimming and  the end tabs need to be replaced with filler. Hopefully I'll have it fixed sometime tomorrow.

Of course, now that I'm close to painting, my pressure gauge bit the dust and I had to order both a new pressure gauge/regulator for my Iwata Power Jet Plus. compressor It's a dual piston compressor and I've had it for a good five years and this is the first issue,  so no complaints. I can still air brush but will have to guess at the working pressures, as I mainly work normally between 12-15 psi. The problem is I use a few different H&S airbrushes with different tip sizes and need to play around with the regulator so I'm where I need to be. Should be here in about a week - no biggie.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

 

 

 

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Peter,

     Glad to see them coming together so nicely.  your painting of the cockpit looks great! 

Kinda sad that the Tamiya Stabilators are at a fixed angle. 

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Thanks Gaz.

Tamiya designed their kit so that the stabilizers and the stabilizer plates (flush against the fuselage) are installed as a small assembly and they are completely movable. They cycle through the full range but make make painting harder then if they would been installed traditionally with a tab. The biggest advantage is the correct anhedral is built in.  Too bad Tamiya didn’t combine both methods. In any case the fit is perfect.

Keep ‘em comin

Peter

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