1:48 F-4 Phantom II fuel dump

The real subject

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American two-seat combat aircraft that served with the US Air Force as well as the US Navy and in many other countries. The emergency fuel dump outlet is one of the small items that are conspicuous on the real machine but in a kit often turn into nothing more than a coarse lump.

What the set contains

It is a single replacement component in 1:48 scale that replaces this lump with a more accurate part. The scope is deliberately narrow: the kit is not rebuilt, just the one place that spoils an otherwise successful model is swapped out, and the build is extended by a few minutes. On a finished model such a small item is nonetheless visible from a normal viewing distance.

Building tips

Cut the original lump off the model and level the surface, so that the replacement part seats with no gap. Cut the surplus material around the part off with a sharp blade a little away from the outline and sand the rest carefully; hold the small part in tweezers while doing so, because it is easily lost. The part is not polystyrene, so ordinary cement for plastic models has no effect on it; glue it with cyanoacrylate glue. Wash and degrease it before painting, otherwise the paint will hold poorly. A detailed procedure is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Who it is for

The set suits builders who want to refine a model in its details without major interventions. Which kit it is cut for is given in the manufacturer's instructions; compare the shape with your own model before building. The model, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.