Small Scale Military Headquarters

Did anyone purchase one of them yet?
From what I can tell, it looks like an excellent addition to any collection.

Does the landing gear retract (fold up)...
OR
...is it more like the F4F Wildcat landing gear?

Also, how big is it compared to any other 1/32 WWII planes?

I don't have one but I have seen it. It is a big bird even in 1/32!
IIRC, the landing gear are inserts like the Wildcat and don't actually work. the detail is really good and I probably would have bought one, but Hobbymaster came out with a 1/72 version and I got that instead.

I havnt removed mine from the box yet. but its an excellent model.
i think its a must have. if you dont get one you will be sorry later.
prices arent that bad

The BBI F-4 is a excellent model. It has a very well detailed cockpit, and overall great detail. The landing gear does not retract (which is a good thing) but you have the option of landing gear down or up. I cannot say enough good things about this model. I keep waiting for repaints on this baby.

* What Paul "Sabrefan" said. ... I was lucky to get mine pretty cheap from a friend. + =


Mitch v MG

Yeah I got one. Still in box though. Maybe if it had something to shoot at like a Mig 21!

I am little disapointed that BBI would "cheap out" like that... not enough to deter me from purchasing one...
I have (2) other Aircaft (1/60 & 1/48) whose landing gear works.
Granted, they were a little more expensive, but still...

Besides the BBI F-4, are there other F-4s similar to that in 1/48?
BTW: I am looking for other aircarft with the similar "Jolly Rogers" on the tail. (ie. F-14, F-18, etc.). Any recommondations?

RAD2112:

Franklin Mint has 1/48 F-4s like the Steve Ritchie, Robin Olds, Duke Cunningham, et al. versions.
I'm not a big fan of FM models--I have a few of them, but no pilots, fixed landing gear, so-so detailing, etc. I turned down a chance for an FM Robin Olds F-4 last year---and I'm glad because Hobby Master is going to release a 1/72 Olds F-4. Hobby Master also has a 1/72 VF-84 F-4---but I didn't buy it because I have the BBI VF-84 F-4----I prefer it over my small Hobby Master F-4s.

RAD,

Looking for other Jolly Rogers jets? Hobbymaster's VF-84 F-4J Phantom is uber nice. 1/72. Their livery represents roughly the last years VF-84 flew the Phantoms

Century Wing's VF-84 F-14's are the best of the best. Five releases, five different modex numbered planes. There's AJ200, 201, 202, 203, and 210. AJ200, 201, and 210 are normal configuration where the wings sweep and the landing gears are tall. AJ202 and 203 are in catapult launch config with stooped nose gear and launch bar down, and flaps and slats are fully deployed on the wings in the full forward position.

The only CW Jolly Rogers Tomcat still available in retail is AJ201 since it's the most recent (and most likely last) Jolly Rogers Tomcats. There aren't many left out there for AJ201 either. Most internet retailers are selling this one in the $74.99 to $79.99 range.

As for the other Cat's whoa! They are very hard to find. On a rare occasion you might find one listed on ebay, but if you do expect to pay close to $200 for the old ones.

I have all five and AJ201 is my favorite. The blend of gray on top of the white looks more realistic and more like the pattern for which these JR Tomcat's represented - the 1978 USS Nimitz cruise.

Dragon made four different Jolly Rogers jets. 2 VF-103 F-14B models and 2 VFA-103 F/A-18F models. For each type of plane, one of them is a regular Dragon issue and the other is a Cyber-Hobby exclusive.

The regular Dragon's are modex AA103 (the XO or showbird) and the Cyber-Hobby's are AA100 (the CAG bird).

These too are hard to come by. The hardest to get is the CAG Super Hornet version. The CAG Tomcat is available at Flying Mule for a good price.

Dragon's Tomcats and Super Hornets (the earlier SH's, I mean) have some innaccuracies. There's absolutely no nose probe on any Tomcat, and for all the ones they try to represent as B or D models they still have the wing glove vanes like the A models. All their Tomcats are the exact same mold - the A model mold. They only change out the engine nozzle on the rear or the laser guided chin positioned modules...even that (the chin piece) they get wrong sometimes, at least on the D's. At least their VF-31 and VF-213 D model cats have the correct chins.

Their early Super Hornets included a dorsal airbrake between the vertical stabs. Only the old legacy Hornets have dorsal air brakes. They did clear this up on the newer Super Hornets.

Witty Wings also made a VF-103 Tomcat. Theirs isn't the traditional black and yellow colored AA103 but rather a black/white AA201 Santa Cat where the crossbones are candy canes and the skull is wearing a Santa Hat. The aux tanks are all black with "Seasons Greetings" printed.

Disclaimer: Witty's Tomcats are the least desirable of them all. They are all A molds with B tails and poorly aligned body parts.

Witty does make a Jolly Rogers Super Hornet and believe it or not their other planes are quite nice. I have all the Dragon VF-103 and VFA-103 models but don't have Witty's. The only drawback of Witty's Super Hornets is that all their missiles are painted solid white. Why? don't know. They should be gray with black fins and other stripes, etc. Oh well the rest of the plane is nice though.

I also have the Century Wings VF-84 F-14 #201---it's a really impressuve model. The only complaint I have is its glossy finish. I would have preferred the matte finish similar to Hobby Master's on its Cunningham F-4J Phantom.

I think Revell made a 1/32 F-14 Jolly Roger model. It's huge and it looks great next to the BBI F-4. (Lots of parts though.)

I have to half agree with you Dragon53 on the CW JR Tomcat being glossy. They painted it glossy but they weathered in the panel lines. Contradictory. Matte with weathering would have looked more realistic if trying to depict that particular Tomcat some number of years into its service life. Glossy with no weathering would have been spot on if depicting it as if Grumman just delivered a rookie Tomcat to its first squadron. Back in those days when Tomcats were painted gull grey over white, brand new Cats looked like new cars. They were beautifully glossy. I prefer the "new" look. I just wish they didn't weather the panel lines.

VF-84 received those Tomcats in June 1976, then deployed in 1977. When they first received their cats the yellow on top of the vertical stabs actually had thin black stripes inside and little black vagabond victory chevrons inside the yellow. Very cool looking. Didn't last long.

Check out this link: You can see how new weathered these Tomcats became even after two deployments. Salty sea spray and intense sunlight wears down the finishes fast.

http://www.almansur.com/jollyrogers/jollytomcats.htm

Thank you for all of the info... my head is about to explode trying to figure out what to purchase.
Ultimately, I would like to have my jet aircraft in 1/48, but I think I would have to make an exception to BBI's 1/32 F-4...
or a 1/72 AC from Century Wings.

-RAD

BTW:
Does anyone have pics comparing the different scales (1/72, 1/48, & 1/32)?

BLACK LION VF-213:

Thanks for the info.
It's odd that Century Wings did not put a matte finish on its F-14 VF-84 and A-6 "Moonlighters"---but it did put a matte finish on the low visiblity paint schemes such as the F-14 "Grim Reapers" and "Black Knights" and A-6 "Last Flight".

I will take interchangeable gear pieces any day over toy-like retracts that never look quite right and often don't work right either.

Yes, the F-4's gear do not detract from the model and actually enhance it. It is one of the best 1/32 models available (apart from the Corgi and GMP offerings) and has no shortage of detail. Actually, it makes the 1:18 scale BBI Jets look cheap as the 1:32 jet has more detail

Here is an old picture showing my BBI F-4 along with a 21c 32x Corsair and a BBI 1:18 scale Corsair for size reference. The F-4 is big

I hear you out Dragon. It is more realistic that the Black Knights and Grim Reapers tomcats are matte. Maybe CW was trying to paint their jets as if they were brand new. The A-6 Moonlighters would have been glossy when new, same for VA-35 Black Panthers A-6, but not the VA-115 Eagles A-6. The Black Knights and Grim Reapers jets were built when the standard issue paint was that blue-ish gray which was matte even sprayed on a brand new Tomcat or A-6 since the VA-115 was a later era Intruder.

Great observations you brought up. It's always interesting to think about what could have been going through the minds of the developers of these diecast airplanes.

Dammit, now I want an F-4! Maybe next month.

Rowsdower wrote:Dammit, now I want an F-4! Maybe next month.

DITTO!!!!

Wow... that's almost as big as the 1/18 Corsair!

It looks as if The Flying Mule has the best price at the moment... $59.99 (Free Shipping)
BBI F-4

Just received my F-4J from The Flying Mule.
HOLY CRAP!!! That is one BIG plane!

The detail is excellent!

Very nice, isn't it! I collect 1:18, but in this (and a few other cases, like the bbi Dauntless) I made an exception.

Got mine about 6 months ago,when they were first released.Very nice paint,cockpit detailing and overall quality.Good weight to it also.
I would not hesitate to recommend this model.If BBI are not going to do the F-16 Thunderbirds,or the "Aggressors" colours,they could certainly do a F series in 1:32.If they turned out as well as the F-4,it would be an awesome collection.
A 2ft long F-14 or F-15,with great detail.I'll take one of each version they make!

SNAKE:

I would love for BBI to release a 1/32 F-15 or F-14 to go with my 1/32 F-4. Unfortunately, that appears doubtful---BBI shelved the 1/32 F-104 they announced a long time ago.

Thats too bad.Shame these manufacturers actually have to make money off their products.I understand financial,but I also understand the I want that! factor.
The BBI 1:32 F-4 is an awesome model,and I am glad we got that one,before this meltdown.Little optomistic,hoping for a new BBI release,when both Chrysler and GM are almost extinct.Hell even Toyota are losing money.
However,we can still have our opinions,and hopefully the manufacturers will at least listen to the people that buy their models.
New member,but am willing to "petition" for certain "must have" models.