1:48 McDonnell F-4C Phantom seatbelts STEEL

Belts cut from steel

The ejection seat dominates the Phantom's cockpit and its harness makes up most of what can be seen with the canopy open. This set replaces it with photo-etched spring steel, which holds a fold considerably better than softer brass: once bent, a strap stays exactly in the position the tweezers left it in and does not spring back flat.

The parts come color printed, so nothing has to be painted over. The straps carry the tone of period webbing, the hardware is picked out and the small buckles carry a suggested shadow that in 1:48 scale takes the place of brush shading. They fold into several layers, which makes the bundle of straps look three-dimensional even with the canopy closed.

The real subject

The C version was the first form of the Phantom built for the US Air Force. It was derived from the carrier aircraft but received dual controls, wider tires and revised equipment; over Vietnam it flew thousands of combat sorties in both the fighter and the strike role. The cockpit stayed a two-seat tandem and both seats look practically identical from outside.

Shaping works best over the edge of a steel rule, and sharp bends are better made in two stages so that the printing does not crack on the fold.

It is sensible to leave the parts on the fret and take them off only at the moment of assembly, so that the small buckles do not get lost. A drop of cyanoacrylate glue carried on the tip of a pin is plenty for the joint; any more will run into the printing and cloud it milky.

The package covers the harness only; the seat bucket itself remains the one from the kit, or a resin replacement bought separately.