I have a Monogram Phantom C/D in 1/48 that I bought on sale several years ago. The box says “High Tech” series and features a fret of photo-etched parts. I’m curious about this kit’s lineage. I have another Phantom that was a Revell kit . I seem to recall that Chuck Yeager was on the box top of that one. I was examining the Monogram Phantom last night and it’s obviously a different kit than the old Revell. Anyone know the story on these two birds? And, what’s the general opinion of that Monogram C/D Phantom? Thanks, Gary.
The “Chuck Yeager” kit was a Revell kit that was a scaled-down version of their original 1/32 Phantoms from the early 1970’s. They released both a J and E in 1/48, with the E having slatted flaps. The overall shape of the kits were ok, but details were soft and the cockpits were very basic and not very accurate. They featured basic stores (4x AIM-9’s & 4x AIM-7’s) and carried over the “squashed” canopies from their 1/32 big brothers. As I recall, the Navy J also had the incorrect AF style wing pylons with the curved leading edges.
Monogram tooled their own 1/48 C/D and J Phantoms. They were much superior kits featuring engraved cockpit details, and a variety of ordinance and drop tanks. The C/D kit had wing tanks and a centerline gun pod, while the J had both the wing tanks and a centerline tank and TERs with MK82’s for the inboard pylons. Unfortunately the J still had the C/D rear cockpit and other details specific to the C/D. The worst complaint I had was the fit of the air intakes and dealing with the seam along the lower edge. The Monogram kits were both released as hi-tech versions with photo-etch parts from Model Technologies.
Monogram eventually scaled down the kits to 1/72 scale and to their credit fixed the rear cockpit of the Navy J. IMHO, these are the still the best 1/72 Phantoms ever released.
The old 1/48 Revell-tooled kits disappeared after the merger with Monogram and the current release of the C/D is the original Monogram kit.
HTH,
Mark
The kit builds up nicely. Here is my effort
:550:0Straight from the box, photo not the greatest but you get the idea
Nice looking Phantom.
Been trying to work on my F-4J for the group build but promised “the boss” that I’d get a couple of home improvement projects done first…
Mark
Thanks for the info gents! That Revell F4E was the second aircraft I built when I returned to model-building back in the late 80s. I knew then that it was a fairly crude kit. Funny thing about that build though, I had a brand-new Paasche Model H and the Phantom was my second time to use it…damned if I didn’t just nail the adjustment on that airbrush and I couldn’t believe how well it went. The finish was a three-color camo job and I swear that I was wielding that H model like a pencil. Super clean edges between each color, and get this, with air-in-a-can too. Well, airbrushing has never been that easy again. Oh, I still freehand most jobs and I’m usually quite satisfied but there’s still a lot of “back and forth” between colors until I get it right. I dunno how I did it so effortlessly that one time. I guess all the factors came together, and the modeling gods were pleased.
I knew that Monogram F4 C/D looked like a nice kit. I was pretty impressed when I examined her last night. It had been several years since I bought it and had never really given it a close look. The raised panel lines don’t bother me at all. I’d rather poke my eye with a hot needle than rescribe more than a small line lost to sanding, lol. There are ways to make those raised panel lines work.[;)] I’ll be lucky to ever finish all my unbuilt kits (hell, that stash is growing too) even if they were all OOB builds, without rescribing the dang lines. Oh well. I really appreciate the information about the two Phantoms.
Gary
Just rock your knife over the missing line, then post-shade the whole line with artist’s charcoal… Nobidy will ever know the difference at normal viewing distances of 2 or more feet…
Yep, that’s one of my methods too Hans. Some neat tricks can be done with a pencil too.[;)] I don’t know why some people are so undone by raised panel lines. More than one way to skin a cat…
Gary
Me neither… Especially with WW2 kits… Most of the panels were over-lapped and of the stressed-skin type in the late 30s and early 40s anyway, not butt-jointed, and raised lines represent that feature far better than the so-called “accurate” recessed lines, IMNSHO…