1/48 Eduard F-4B Phantom II - "Death Rattlers"

[DoogsATX]

Pulled the second F-4B down last night and stole the necessary cockpit bits. Already liking it better than the Eduard PE. Somehow...I used to love the stuff, but it seems like the last several kits where I"ve tried to use it I've come away unhappy (Failed 1/32 F-16D, 1/32 Me 262, 1/48 MiG-21...).

I'm not really in the mood to go all out squeeze-fitting a resin pit. I'm going to pick one up for the second -4B and hopefully with one behind me, I'll have a better sense of pitfalls and what needs to be kept in consideration when adding the resin.

Anyway. Here's the new plastic.



I've also ordered a pair of Quickboost seats. Because seriously, the Eduard seats are crazy overkill for 1/48. Especially with the otherwise OOB cockpit.

[DoogsATX]

Rain + some late night work + waiting for the Quickboost seats = no work on the cockpit last night, so I focused on some other work I could do in the interim. Namely the main gear bays. These are fussy affairs (note...what is it with me and the fussy kits of late?), but careful positioning, gluing, and a stream of expletives managed to get them together. It looks like the struts have to be installed with the bays, as there's no way to fit them at a later time.





I also went ahead with a very rough test-fitting. Overall pretty impressive the way the fuselage and wings go together, though I'm not a fan of how much work this kit asks you to commit to in the area of the engines during construction. I will need to investigate whether it's possible to drop the actual cans in after the fact or if they absolutely have to be installed at this stage.

[LyleW]

I applaud your talent! Looks nice. Let me know if you need more expletives.

[Medicman71]

Not a fan of how the main gear legs have to built. I wonder if the Aires wheel bay sets help with that.

[DoogsATX]

Not a fan of how the main gear legs have to built. I wonder if the Aires wheel bay sets help with that.

Knowing Aires they're the same, only in resin and don't fit.

[Medicman71]

Not a fan of how the main gear legs have to built. I wonder if the Aires wheel bay sets help with that.

Knowing Aires they're the same, only in resin and don't fit.

So very true!

[Medicman71]

That is a fiddly assembly. I managed to get that part done on mine...bad news is I didn't pre-install the struts...so looks like I will have a bad time when I resume with it.

Aires....wheelbays....??? Madness...Madness I tell you...the pits can generally be worked with...but I've seen a number of builds shelved by going with resin wheel bays.

My Viper was just the opposite. Wheel bays were no problem. The pit on the other hand was a nightmare to get to fit. Had to sand it so much that it was almost sanded away completely. Still didn't get it completely right. It's now a shelf queen till I can figure some things out on it.

[Medicman71]

Yes it is Jim. The Aires main gear bay is a drop in part cause it makes up part of the intake trunking as well. You do have to sand the nose gear bay a little to get it to fit but it's not bad.