Tamiya 1/32 F-4E Early Version

[fearlessfarless]

Greetings folks,

I’m relatively new here and really love to read all the modeling wisdom that’s available. I’ve been drooling over the big Tamiya Phantoms since I saw some wonderful examples at the 2019 IPMS Nationals in Chattanooga. The price on one of these kits has been prohibitive for me until I stumbled across an F-4E for less that $50.00.

Of course the forums are tremendous resource to find information, but it seems that all the conversations are quite old. (I may have missed something)

I’m definitely not looking for a years long rivet counting descent into modeling insanity, but I have read about several problems with the kit and I’ve found an unbelievable amount of resin, PE, and various other types of replacement parts that are available, amounting to many hundred of dollars if they were to all be purchased.

So here’s my question. What are the glaring issues with the kit that I should really focus on?

Thanks in advance!

[goldhammer]

I don’t have the “E”, mine is the “C/D”, about half done. Only fit problems have been the upper and lower fuselage seams at the rear by the burners.

Paint your external colors on the fuselage behind the splitter ramps before installing the ramps. Saves some grief later.

Colored pit PE goes along way in this big a model.

[fearlessfarless]

I don’t have the “E”, mine is the “C/D”, about half done. Only fit problems have been the upper and lower fuselage seams at the rear by the burners.

Paint your external colors on the fuselage behind the splitter ramps before installing the ramps. Saves some grief later.

Colored pit PE goes along way in this big a model.

Thank you so much for responding. This really sets my mind at ease!

[Straycat1911]

Only other issue are the protruding panels on the fuselage and nose(C model has them also) that need to be sanded flush.

“Supposedly” they’re the result of Tamiya using a battle damage airframe for their research but there’s a lot of skepticism out there about that.

The pit is very nice OOB but could use some appropriately placed wiring to make it pop a bit more.

[fearlessfarless]

Only other issue are the protruding panels on the fuselage and nose(C model has them also) that need to be sanded flush.

“Supposedly” they’re the result of Tamiya using a battle damage airframe for their research but there’s a lot of skepticism out there about that.

The pit is very nice OOB but could use some appropriately placed wiring to make it pop a bit more.

Thanks for the info! Should I rescribe the lines once the panels are sanded down, or should they simply not exist at all?

[Straycat1911]

Straycat1911

Only other issue are the protruding panels on the fuselage and nose(C model has them also) that need to be sanded flush.

“Supposedly” they’re the result of Tamiya using a battle damage airframe for their research but there’s a lot of skepticism out there about that.

The pit is very nice OOB but could use some appropriately placed wiring to make it pop a bit more.

Thanks for the info! Should I rescribe the lines once the panels are sanded down, or should they simply not exist at all?

I’d rescribe them. It’s basically a square patch on the fuselage that’s sticking up; couldn’t tell ya what it scales out to in 1:1 but they’re glaringly obvious.
Heres a picture of one on my own C model…

[fearlessfarless]

Thanks for the info! That is a pretty big step for a smooth airframe. If that were legit I would imagine the wind resistance at high speed would rip that “patch” right off lol