Intermediate build
Tamiya’s newly tooled 1/48 F-4B Phantom II was eagerly awaited by modellers, including Mike Williams who built it straight from the box.
Ahh! The ubiquitous F-4 Phantom, known and loved around the world by air forces, their crews (who nicknamed it ’Rhino’) and, of course, by modellers. The type has been well served by most model manufacturers over the years, covering all scales and variants, particularly 1/48 in recent times. So, what could Tamiya bring to the table that has not already been covered?
Well, it is a Tamiya product – a brand most modellers consider synonymous with exceptional fit and engineering, almost always bringing a pleasurable experience when building. In the past few years, this Japanese company seems to think that bit further out-of-the-box (pun intended) with its clever designs and solutions to fit and alignment.
Above: Base coats of XF-19 Sky Grey and XF-1 Flat Black were followed by Citadel Black ink. This had an attractive translucency and flowed easier than black paint.
Above: Dry-brushing and detail painting were all that was needed to enliven the cockpit. Fit was foolproof and the engineering very clever.
Above: Adding a shaded effect to the nosewheel bay, XF-2 Flat White was bu…
