for the decals. Further adhesion
problems were encountered during
the decaling process that I can
only ascribe to the fact that my
out-of-date Micro-Sol and Set
solvents were not performing as
they should, and I had particular
problems with silvering beneath
the myriad of stencils provided.
This was resolved by using a
new scalpel blade to puncture
the offending areas, then using a
very thin varnish mix to fill the
air-filled gaps beneath the decals.
One of the things I find
particularly off-putting about
post-war jets is the ludicrous
number of stencils applied to
them. On real aircraft these tend
to appear faded and unobtrusive
and very often are not easy to
read, even when standing right
next to them. On scale models,
more often than not, they appear
oversized and make a finished
model look anything but realistic.
Such was the case with this
model, and having applied most of
the stencils provided, I proceeded
to remove the majority of them,
especially those from the upper
surfaces. I replaced them with 1/72
scale alternatives from amongst my
spares. These appeared far subtler
than the originals and seemed more
life-like – at least to my mind.FINAL FLOURISHES
The resin ejector seats, centreline
fuel tank, the two open canopy
sections, the exhaust nozzles,
undercarriage, TAT sensor probe,
and blade aerial were added after
several coats of satin varnish hadbeen applied and flatted back.
This left the surface blemish-
free and levelled the raised
areas surrounding the decals,
further blending them into their
surroundings. I felt that this was
particularly necessary around
the stencils to make them less
obvious and the appearance
of the model more realistic.
The twin pitot tubes mountedon the leading edge of the tailfin
were replaced with short lengths
of Albion Alloys tubing and rod;
other than the resin ejector seats
and the 1/72 scale decals, these
were the only additions made to the
kit. The entire model was further
varnished with an eggshell enamel
mix containing a high proportion
of thinner, thus promoting rapid
evaporation and leaving little time
for dust to settle on the model.
The radome had previously
been painted and polished to a high
shine and was added to the airframe
towards the very end of the build,
as were the gloss-coated missiles.
The wing-mounted racks and fueltanks slotted into place without the
need for cement, though the rear
pair of fuselage mounted Sparrows
required some modification
before they would slot into their
respective fuselage recesses.
And that completed my first
US jet replica in over forty years.FINAL THOUGHTS
I found this build less enjoyable
than I should have done, mainly, I
think, because it was a 1970s-era
American jet, for which subject I
have little interest and possess no
related reading material in which
to immerse myself as is my usual
habit. However, I do find Phantoms
aesthetically appealing, especially
if wearing British cold-war colours,
and so the kit itself should have
held a modicum of appeal. But
the frustrating fit problems thatpersisted throughout the build did
nothing to endear the kit to me.
That having been said, and trying
for a moment to be objective, the
subtle surface detailing is wonderfully
wrought and the outline of the
completed model captures perfectly
the hunched menace of the real
aircraft. The Cartograf decal sheet is
a kaleidoscopic riot of vibrant colour,
and was for me the highlight of the
kit, with the only disappointment
being the solitary scheme option.
Aftermarket decals for the subject
are numerous, and I notice too
that Zoukei-Mura themselves have
begun producing their own range
of decal sheets. So, if the solitary
and eye-catching chequered-tail
scheme doesn’t float your boat
then it shouldn’t be too difficult
to find alternative markings in
which to bedeck your Phantom.
My thanks to Zoukei-Mura for
supplying me with the kit to build.34 • OCTOBER 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL
030-34-QB-Phantom-1018.indd 34 14/09/2018 16:06