The Royal Navy's First Phantom

[NARSES2]

I do intend to enter this GB and to prove it here's the kit I shall be using.

The Box


What's in the box.


The plan is that half a dozen were operated by a test and evaluation unit in order to get the F.A.A. ready for domestically produced jet fighters, if and when they ever turned up.

[Nick]

Very good idea! I thought it might be the F3H Demon from the title. Do you think we might have gone for Banshees like the RCN?

BTW, how did MPM 'upgrade' that kit? 

[JayBee]

BTW, how did MPM 'upgrade' that kit? 

It's the resin bits. I have the kit in it's basic MPM form and there are no resin bits in it. Which makes it a winner in my books as I am not trying to make a super duper detailed masterpiece. 

[The Rat]

I already love this! 

[NARSES2]

BTW, how did MPM 'upgrade' that kit? 

It's the resin bits. I have the kit in it's basic MPM form and there are no resin bits in it. Which makes it a winner in my books as I am not trying to make a super duper detailed masterpiece. 

Cheers Jim, I had assumed that was what it was, but wasn't sure. I'll see what the fit of the resin is before I commit myself to a chosen path.

[loupgarou]

Will be an interesting build.
As an aside, can someone explain why short-run brands refuse to use tongue and groove (sorry, not sure if it's the correct wording) to connect wings to fuselage etc?
Is there an ethical/religious/philisophical reason?

[Gondor]

Will be an interesting build.
As an aside, can someone explain why short-run brands refuse to use tongue and groove (sorry, not sure if it's the correct wording) to connect wings to fuselage etc?
Is there an ethical/religious/philisophical reason?

Probably cost as moulds are expensive so the less that needs to be done to them the cheaper they are

Gondor

[loupgarou]

Will be an interesting build.
As an aside, can someone explain why short-run brands refuse to use tongue and groove (sorry, not sure if it's the correct wording) to connect wings to fuselage etc?
Is there an ethical/religious/philisophical reason?

Probably cost as moulds are expensive so the less that needs to be done to them the cheaper they are

Gondor

But a connecting system is very simple, doen't need the detail engraving of the surface, nor the absolute precision the join of fuselage halves ( for example) should have. I think it's pure sadism, maybe all short-run brands areadepts ofsome dark evil cult.

[scooter]

Will be an interesting build.
As an aside, can someone explain why short-run brands refuse to use tongue and groove (sorry, not sure if it's the correct wording) to connect wings to fuselage etc?
Is there an ethical/religious/philisophical reason?

Probably cost as moulds are expensive so the less that needs to be done to them the cheaper they are

Gondor

But a connecting system is very simple, doen't need the detail engraving of the surface, nor the absolute precision the join of fuselage halves ( for example) should have. I think it's pure sadism, maybe all short-run brands areadepts ofsome dark evil cult.

Lovecraftian, I'm sure.

[NARSES2]

Will be an interesting build.
As an aside, can someone explain why short-run brands refuse to use tongue and groove (sorry, not sure if it's the correct wording) to connect wings to fuselage etc?
Is there an ethical/religious/philisophical reason?

I don't think it's down to the initial tooling more the casting/injection moulding process. The extra plastic involved with the tongues, and the distance that it has to be injected, would probably be beyond the low pressure machines they use. As for the grooves, they would be very prone to flash and as a final point it would be all to easy to fail to get them to match up leading to all sorts of criticism on the Net.

It's interesting to note however that AZ's most recent tooling, the Kingfisher, has tongues and grooves and other aids to fit, and they line up very well  This has meant that the kit is £3/£4 more than their previous short run kits. I'm happy to pay the extra, others though may not be ? We shall see which way they decide to go. I for one have sent them some hopefully encouraging emails.

[NARSES2]

No idea why I pinned this ??  Obviously hit the wrong button ?

Anyway I had a look at the kit this morning and took the major parts off the sprues. Lots of heavy sprue gates and injection pins, but nothing a sharp blade and some home made sanding boards can't sort out and indeed they have done so.

The actual fit surprised me for a kit of its type/age, it's pretty good. Yes it will need p.s.r. obviously, but I've had far more modern kits where the initial fit is no where near as good. Maybe "keep it simple" is not a bad motto after all 

The resin parts, wheel wells and cockpit basically, are gorgeous examples of resin casting. Will they fit without a struggle though ? We will see. I'd like to use the cockpit as she's got rather a large canopy so the innards will need dressing up whichever way I go.

[NARSES2]

The resin parts, wheel wells and cockpit basically, are gorgeous examples of resin casting. Will they fit without a struggle though ? We will see. I'd like to use the cockpit as she's got rather a large canopy so the innards will need dressing up whichever way I go.

The cockpit looks as though it will be a tidy fit 

The wheel wells ? If I'm honest by the time I removed the small casting stubs on their bases, has to be done to get them to fit I will have broken most of the incredibly thin well walls. So I'm not going to waste my time on something that won't be seen only to get more and more annoyed with myself.

Not the correct approach perhaps ? But it will do for me 

[NARSES2]

Getting there. All the innards are built and painted, wings are assembled and cleaned up, weight added to fuselage, undercarriage made up and ready to paint. So we are making progress. Be interesting to see what the fit is like.

[The Wooksta!]

Very good idea! I thought it might be the F3H Demon from the title. Do you think we might have gone for Banshees like the RCN?

BTW, how did MPM 'upgrade' that kit? 

I did a FAA Banshee some years back - TBH, I'm not sure quite what happened to it - but IIRC my all black FRADU one still survives.  It looks very natural in standard FAA camo.

[Knightflyer]

Of course once the FAA tried the Phantom and Banshee, others were also interested.....

https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=40557.msg683081#msg683081