Dear MAC,

I'm sad to say that I don't like what I see in the pictures. I could list numeroust things I have problems with here, but let me concentrate on one thing: at least three of the National Insignia on your Phantom are upside-down - you can do better than that. Good luck with your builds and have a nice day

Paweł

Pawel Don.t worry this was my first and last attempt to buid an aircraft.

Why should it be your last?

Not your favorite subject?

MAC

Pawel Don.t worry this was my first and last attempt to buid an aircraft.

 

Did you enjoy building it? That's the whole point. We all make mistakes. I have built some real dogs in my collection.. but I am learning more from each one..

MAC

Pawel Don.t worry this was my first and last attempt to buid an aircraft. 

 Mac.... I Love those PHANTOMS!!! regardless of how they look in the end and your carrier dio looks good. You just need a little more attention to detail but have fun, thats the ultimate goal of building kits.

Now I can tell you that after some 56 years of building models, I still can never get them to look perfect to please everyone including myself. I still have issues with smoothing seams, weathering, PE etc but it never stop my love of buiding a model. Sometimes (often now) I would get burned out on one subject and I would move to another say from aircraft to armor or ships so to take a break.

So Mac, crack open the wrapping on another kit and have some fun! 

I'll echo the others, if you had fun building the Phantom, don't let a couple of mistakes hold you back from other aircraft builds.  Aside from the decal issue, (easy to do if you don't realize how you are holding her when applying), the rest of the bird looks fine to me.

It looks hand painted to me,something i could never do and decal issues aside a really fine job.

I think Pawel's intent is just to get you started at looking at your model with a critical eye and to get you to mentally prepare for the next kit, where you'll ask yourself, "What can I do better this time?" Sure, she's got a few issues, but heck, that right there is where we ALL started. Man, I still remember some of my first builds, and how, even months later, there I was again, with a new kit, going at it. I think one of the greatest joys of this is that, it's taken dozens of kits for me to get good at even one particular skill, like decals, or paint, or seams. Every one has been fun for me. Let the joy and the fun of it come first. The skills will come later. I hope you keep on keepin' on, buddy.

edit: I just realized I wrote this with a younger person in mind, but that may not be the case. I think the overall sentiment is still valid, though.  

Hello!

I think the forums got a little lame lately so I wanted to start a discussion on a topic that I felt will have many lookers but nobody will comment it - and now we have a nice, valid discussion.

I still don't like what I see in the pictures - I took some time to look at them, form MY opinion and share it with the builder. I trusted that since MAC posted on the forums he wanted some opinions. I also trust that MAC can take an opinion for what it is - individual thing of one of the poeple looking at his pictures. I also wanted other people who might tackle an american aircraft to get a heads up as to not make the same mistake on their model.

I believe we can't build a sound, working forum here just by exchanging "attaboys". Nothing against being polite, I try to do it all the time, but I feel I have the right to express a negative opinion (politely), too. Thanks for reading, good luck with your modelling projects and have a nice day

Paweł

No one has mentioned, but the insignia are easily fixable. If you can get your hands on another set, put them over the originals. It'll show through maybe, but it will really improve the bird.

Don't forget the guy just had catarct surgery, too. As he recovers, he'll build better models. 

Hi Mac ;

   Mine aren't ripe . That's what the eye doc says . So You got the stars upside down . Guess what , every time I have a plane in my lap for decals I do it . Just get another decal sheet and do them over .That F-4 is a beast anyway and you made her look good .  T.B.

MAC, keep building! The forums are a place where you can ask a question and within minutes ( sometimes) you will have a solution. A fellow modeler here talked me through how to post pix, I have yet to prove to the world my modeling skills(or lack there of) KUDOS to you for sharing your work. The criticism you may get here USUALLY is only intended to help you improve, I have been lurking around the forums for a good while and know that Pawel only wanted to help. MAC keep building.

Okay, MAC,

First off, This is a pretty old kit and sometimes the parts don't fit well. That could account for some of the seams that we see, and then sometimes we just want to get the model done and over with and end up rushing through to the finish. I know we have all done that at some point in our modeling (me, more than once) hobby, but any modeler here will say to take your time and work on the finishes (seams, glue spots, etc.) That's basic no matter what you are modeling.

Painting this big bird with a brush takes more guts than I have so kudos to you. I understand you just had eye surgery, so as the vision improves i would expect the finer detailing on the model to improve also.

As for decaling we all made those mistakes at one point or another, my biggest problem was which way those little "no step" decals are supposed to face. One thing i did notice is the carrier film on the decals was brownish due to age which really makes them stand out on the model. One trick that i have heard of is to put them in a ziploc bag and set them in a sunny place i.e. a window sill. In a few days they are supposed to clear up. Now, I have never tried this so i can not say for certain if that would work, perhaps someone here has more experience with that than I.

All in all it is not a bad Phantom, it looks rock solid, if this is your first plane and you enjoyed the build then make another, that is the only way to improve. Don't take critique as a personal attack we only say this to help with your next build and we do hope you make another.

-Stephen

Yes, the window technique does seem to work on yellowed decals, I've only done it once but it did the trick. Just tape the decal to a window that gets plenty of sunlight. You don't need the bag unless the window gets condensation- which I don't think I have to explain getting the decal wet isn't good. 

It might take longer than a few days, just remove it every day or so and check it to see if you can still see the yellow. You want to bleach away the yellow but not leave it so long it bleaches the inks in the decal. 

Mac: Personally? I'd just chalk this one up as a learning experience and move on. You do great military dioramas and figures, no reason you can't do great aircraft too. 

It takes a week or too. I've never had the ink fade. Also , per a tip from Don Stauffer, I scan my decal sheets when they are in good shape. It really comes in handy.

GMorrison

It takes a week or too. I've never had the ink fade. Also , per a tip from Don Stauffer, I scan my decal sheets when they are in good shape. It really comes in handy.

 

Thanks for the tip! As I said I've only done this once and was in the 'better safe than sorry' mode when it came to the chance of the sun bleaching the ink.