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Cutting
Edge
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1/32
Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 conversion and decals |
Preview
info from Meteor Productions
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on Dec
20 2005
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1/32 Phantom FG.1/FGR.2
conversion for the Tamiya F-4J kit
The master conversion was made by
Dr Frank Mitchell of Atlanta, Georgia. Frank previously published an internet
article on the massive work required to complete his conversion. Cutting
Edge used
Frank's parts except for the lower wing. The wing on our set will have the
normal Phantom wingspan, something that Frank chose not to do when he built this
conversion for himself. This is a HUGE conversion that includes a new fuselage
top (cast the same way as the Tamiya F-4J fuselage), a new lower wing/fuselage
part (cast the same way as the Tamiya F-4J), new larger intakes with seamless
interior trunking, new inboard upper wing parts (to accommodate the wider
fuselage), fin cap RWR, new nose gear strut for the FG.1, and of course the huge
new Spey engine nozzles, along with many more parts. Even with all these parts,
it is a conversion and will require quite a few of the Tamiya F-4J parts.
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The ten jets below will be
covered by Cutting Edge decals to be released concurrently or slightly later
than the conversion itself.
Pricing has not been set at this time, nor has the exact release date (which
will be soon). I will notify you when and as the sets become available. Cutting
Edge will
also email our customer base when the sets are available. Cutting
Edge suspects
that they'll only make about 200 of these sets since they're such a pain to
produce.
A couple of notes about this decal artwork.
First, it is not complete; Cutting
Edge expects
to finish it in the next few days.
- 111 Sq Black Mike
(XV582) is of the version with the pristine gloss black finish. There
was another version with a multitude of red stencils on the airframe,
but I don't like that one as well since it breaks up that gorgeous
gloss black.
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image below to see larger image
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- The 19 Sq sharkmouth was
applied with chalk or grease pencil just before this jet returned to
the UK for repaint. The sharkmouth and "Phantom II" cartoon
will be supplied in the form of decals printed in the PYN-up Decals
printing process for maximum realism. This jet can of course be built
without the self-applied zaps if wished to portray an earlier version,
and we also include the "481" for the fin RWR for an even
earlier incarnation.
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Click on
image below to see larger image
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Click on
image below to see larger image
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The 41 Sq
commander's bird (XV571) can be built of course without the gaudy spine
checks since they were removed at some point in the jet's life.
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The RN 892 Sq
"Colonial Navy" bird will include full non-zapped Royal Navy
markings, including both the Queen's Jubilee "77" and the later
892 Sq crest for the nose swoosh. Also note that the nose swooshes on the
892 birds were individualized and each jet was slightly different. We've
done XV590/001 because that's the bird that got the full "Colonial
Navy" treatment by US Navy personnel during cross-decking operations on
a US carrier.
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The Alcock &
Brown scheme includes only XV424, the jet that made the actual memorial
flight. I have not included the minor changes for the backup bird.
You'll note the
absence of my favorite Phantom of all time, the A&AEE "Raspberry
Ripple" jet. That plane had a non-standard radome that we don't have time
to make right now; look for it as a POSSIBLE future option with decals if there
is enough interest.
Obviously there is much more information on each of these jets available, and
the decal instructions will go through those details.
Merry Christmas and have fun modeling!
Dave
at Meteor Productions
Photos and Text © Meteor
Productions