1:32 British RAF Phantom FG.1 and FGR.2 - Mk.7A Seats / 2 Paired Seats

Seats that only the British Phantoms had

The British Phantoms differed from their American originals substantially more than it seems at first glance. The FG.1 version came about for the Royal Navy as a carrier machine launched by catapult and flew, among other places, from the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, while the Royal Air Force received the FGR.2 as a multirole type for attack on ground targets, reconnaissance and air defense. Both versions were powered by Rolls-Royce Spey jet engines, on account of which the rear part of the fuselage had to be widened and the air intakes enlarged.

Why a seat from the box is not enough

Ejection seats of the Mk.7 series were fitted into the cockpits of British-built machines. The shape of the cushion, the breakdown of the backrest and the routing of the harness straps and the firing handle differ from the American types so much that a replacement from an ordinary kit looks alien in a British cockpit. In a large scale an open canopy tends to be the rule rather than the exception, so both stations stay permanently in view.

Contents and procedure

The package contains two pieces, that is a full fit-out of a tandem cockpit. Fine elements such as the buckles, rods and strap frames are printed by an additive technology, which holds sharper edges on them than an injection mold can manage.

Before painting, rinse the parts in lukewarm water and let them dry out completely. It pays to start with a dark base over the whole area, and only then to pick out the straps and the warning stripes on the handles. Insert the seats into the fuselage at the very end, so that the thin handles and headrests are not broken off while handling the model.