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Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:32 am
by Sabrefan
I think the option of an up or down landing gear is great. I wish they made all models this way. If it makes the gear sit straight I am all for it. I mean how many times do you retract the gear on your models? The hinges are so fragile on the landing gear doors. I display all my models on their gear, and I am glad to see a model this size with nice, strong landing gear. If you display your models hung from the ceiling, how often do you lower the gear? Great looking model, looking forward to getting mine.

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:34 am
by Sabrefan
Looking at the pictures, you can see how nice the gear looks on the F-4. Nice!

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:36 am
by Sabrefan
The more I look, the more I like. :D

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:53 am
by dragon53
TMANTHEGREAT:

Thanks for the great photos.

I wonder if the F-4J will be sold by ToysRUs and Target.com.

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:06 am
by vulgarvulture
Tman:

Thanks for taking the time to provide the photos and commentary. This thing looks great to me!

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:12 am
by Birddog
tmanthegreat wrote: On a final note, you "1:18 only" collectors need to get out of your grind and go small. 1:32 is fast catching up to the larger scales, and in many ways exceeding them :P
bbi's 1/32 F-4 looks awesome, but I don't think I'm going to "go small" no matter how catchy it is. 1/18 scale is just too awesome a display piece and I'm not giving up hope on seeing the F-4 in 1/18 someday.... :D Afterall, shouldn't 21st have one coming out sometime soon?

Great photos though!... :D

Re: bbi 32x F-4J Phantom ( ? )

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:17 am
by tmanthegreat
MG-42 wrote: It looks to me like , that the landing gear ( is ) retractable , because you show both the landing gear deployed and retracted. What exactly do you mean here ?
.......... but , is it still worth the price ?
The landing gear are seperate pieces, six in all. You have the three pieces to display the plane with the landing gear extended (as in my first photos) and the door pieces to display the landing gear retracted (as in the seventh photo). If you've got a 1:72 scale plane by Corgi, Dragon, FOV, etc., then the landing gear setup on the BBI F-4 is pretty much the same. To me, its an odd decision on the part of BBI, but it really doesn't detract from the model! The plane still looks awesome, gear displayed up or down 8)

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:22 am
by dragon53
TMANTHEGREAT:

BBI's up-or-down option, to me, is better than 21st Century's P-51 Mustang retractable landing gear which has large finger tabs on the gear doors to open them with. This ruins the P-51's authenticity and makes it look toyish.

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:39 am
by Sabrefan
Good point. To make a gear that retracts, most models have to give up accuracy. Take the P-51 you mentioned. It has cookie cutter tires to fit in the wheel wells, and the main gear doors are to short. If the model was offered with landing gear that was accurate, and you still had the option of displaying the model with the gear up or down, that would be the way to go. Look at large models like the BBI F-18, and the 21st Century F-104. Over time the gear starts to give a bit on the F-18. This not only looks bad, but it makes the main gear wheels sit at an angle. This is a compromise to make the gear retract mechanism work. It would be great if the offered a nice strong, accurate gear that really held the plane up. Same deal with the F-104. While the gear is really neat, it also wants to expand under the weight of the model. Look at the picture of the new F-4 model from the rear. Notice that the main gear struts, see how nice an straight. Also look at those nice fat tires. That is how to make a model.

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:53 am
by Rowsdower
Sabrefan wrote:I think the option of an up or down landing gear is great. I wish they made all models this way.
I totally agree. I HATE retractable gear, they only lead to problems with locking, sagging, accuracy, etc. I would much rather have interchangeable deployed/retracted gear pieces like on many 1:72 aircraft. "Functional" gear belong on GI Joe toys.

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:27 am
by nooker21
Does anyone know if this plane will be making an appearance at Toy R Us along with the other BBI stuff? I'd love to see one in person before I grab one...

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:27 am
by Quixote511
If you feel that wa about landing gear, than I think you need to make a plug to one of the big 3 for a F4F Wildcat. From what I have come to understand, the reason they have not made one is because of the landing gear situation.

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:12 pm
by AlloySkull
That is beautiful... Wow. What a way to send me off to work! I hope I can get one of those for Christmas. Either that or I'll just buy it myself! :D The landing gear is perfect. Does not bother me.
I mean how many times do you retract the gear on your models?
I agree. Mine in are in a static position on their gear, so I'd rather have them look right on their gear, and stand strong than be able to play around and retract.

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:36 pm
by Sabrefan
Look at the picture of the bottom of the F-4J model. Notice how nice and flush the landing gear doors fit. This is great. My F-4J model arrives tomorrow, and I can't wait! :D :D :D

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:52 pm
by Sabrefan
I sure hope BBI comes out with a Blue Angels version of the F-4J. How cool would that be? :D

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:00 pm
by dragon53
SABREFAN:

I want an F-4E in Vietnam camouflage with the Tigershark nose paint and Steve Ritchie's F-4D (21st Century's 1/18 version is too big).
I'd be interested in Duke Cunningham's F-4J, too, but the USAF F-4s are my #1 wants.

It's been asked before: Will the new F-4J be sold by ToysRUs and Target?

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:24 pm
by Aviatornut.com
dragon53 wrote:What are the chances of ToysRUs and Target.com getting the new F-4J?
I checked with bbi and they said it is only available through us retailers. It is about time we get an exclusive and not forced to compete with big chain stores.
We have them in stock and once they are seen in person it is gone.

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:33 pm
by DocTodd
Well, I finally bit the bullet and ordered the F-4, before I heard about the gear. I wish it was retractable gear because I like to take off and land and it is just not the same when you have to remove the gear etc.
Todd

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 7:47 pm
by Ruger
How hard do you suppose to turn a "J" into a "G"? I'd like to see a Wild Weasel version, preferably a Desert Storm version. If I had the skills, I'd try it myself, but I'm not there yet. At least, not for the price of the base aircraft.

MV

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:59 pm
by Fox Tare-28
Thanks for posting those pics Tman. It makes me even more anxious to get my hands on one for X-mas. I'm thinking of putting my P-40 & Corsair back in their boxes, and my Macchi on the shelf in my spare bedroom just so I can make room for this beast! :D

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:43 pm
by Black_Dragon_One
I finally take a look at the bird at aviation nut

not bad... i understand now why bbi made the landing gear the way they did...

it is a nice peace of work...

I might pick up one at a later date for now the armor peace is calling my name

for those that will buy it you like the way they structure the landing gear


even though it does not retract it does give you the best look of real landing gear...


as i say before i wait until i get my armor before i change to the dark side 1:32


good job you 1:32 guy you have a very nice peace on your hand.....

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:33 pm
by Jason of Admiral Toys
I personally couldn't imagine BBI making the landing gear retract on this model. It was the single most complicated item to engineer on the AT 1:18 F-4. I couldn't imagine making it work in 1:32 scale!

On the F-4, the gear moves in two directions before moving into a locked position (and that is simplifying the engineering). Look at the photos. You will notice the angle the gear rests in the closed position photos.

I think BBI did a fantastic job on this aircraft. The amount of tampo-prints alone is amazing. They did a great job. We would have done the same thing with the gear had we produced the F-4 in 1:32 or 1:18. I think you may see more aircraft in the future to use this method of engineering.

Remember my post about landing gear not fitting in the wing because of the difference in the thickness of plastic, in a scaled model, versus the thickness of sheet metal and aluminum on the 1:1 aircraft?

The entire wing of the 1:1 F-4 was changed in design to fit their fat tires in the wing. When you try to make the F-4 as a scaled model you cannot fit those fat model tires in the wing without losing realism. There is not enough room. (I haven't held one yet, but I bet if you measure the thickness of the tires and the wheel well depth, the wheels will not fit in the wells.) Therefore, BBI had a choice: make the tires thinner, or make the wings noticeably fatter to fit the scaled tires, or do as they did and make the gear interchangeable.

I think they made a great choice. I would rather more detailed landing gear over an engineering nightmare and a sacrifice on reality.

How many times do y'all really move your landing gear up and down? I think this hobby is slowly moving from articulation to better designs and more realism.

Just my opinion,
Great Job BBI!

Regards,
Jason

Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:39 pm
by Fox Tare-28
Yeah the landing gear will be no problem for me. At least I won't be ables to screw it up like I did on my 32X Corsair.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:49 am
by Quixote511
Is there anyone here who displays their aircraft in profile with one gear up and one down? You either display the plane in flight or sitting with gear down.

I think this is a great solution to complicated landing gear as well. I am all for it.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:21 am
by Sabrefan
Thanks Jason, your point about the landing gear is right on! :D