Guys,

DHL dropped off my F-4E a couple hours ago. I've been unpacking it ever since and I gotta say, WOW!!! This kit is on a whole different level of quality than the old SkyMaster kits. The quality of the glasswork is easily the level of the German scale kits I've seen or built! It is simply beautiful and LIGHT! The fit of the main turbine hatch line is almost invisible! The raised hatches on the wings and vertical are great! The wing to fuse joint, the vertical stab to fuse joints are perfect! The landing gear also reaches the quality of the German gear. It is beefy, strong and well machined. If this plane flies as well as the kit looks, it will be absolutely awesome!

So far the only concern I can see, which may or may not turn out to be valid, is the absence of any longitudinal carbon fiber strips in the fuselage layup. The Germans use a sandwich of foam in certain stress areas such as the nose and along the waist of the aircraft. You can see them easily in the fuse of the AirWorld Hawk thru the front cockpit, for example. Other mfgrs lay in a strip of carbon fiber instead. It would seem to add a measure of durability as well as strength in those areas. The Phantom does not use either of these methods, but instead just has the standard layup of glass. I may decide after further study to add some carbon to the nose area and thru the wing saddle area, just for personal preference, but we'll see.

All in all. I am very impressed with what Anton has put together in this kit! The Phantom is my all time favorite military jet! So far, this kit does it justice!

If there are any specific pictures you guys would like to see, just let me know. I'll take them and post later.

David S

Adil,

My nose gear doors are missing. Did you get them with yours? I would like to see pictures of your mock ups before you put the final doors on as well.