SCM Groupbuild - Matchbox Nostalgia

Roy McKay
always loved this box art, and the kit too!

Holger Kranich
Go, Urban! Go!👍

Urban Gardini
Hehe, haven't had time to do anything more due to a crashed computer but hopefully I'll be back at it again soon.

Bruce Leyland-Jones
You don't need a computer to stick bits of plastic together! 😛
I loved this kit when it first came out and it was my first (and only) Phantom for a long time. I think it was the rocket pods and that big, cool, gun pod underneath that attracted me to it. Plus, it was a 'Flying Can-Opener@, the same squadron as my Matchbox SEPECAT Jaguar.

Urban Gardini
Hehe, but you need a computer for SCM...

Urban Gardini
Slow progress so far...

Stefan Schneider
Maybe slow but steady 😉

Stefan Schneider
Btw, did you recognize that Tim fixed the date issue? 😉

Urban Gardini
Slow n' steady is the way to build! Yes, I noticed that Tim fixed it n' that's good as it was cause for some confusions...

Augie
Ooo Ok I am sooo watching..

Urban Gardini
I hope I won't disapoint you then mate!

Urban Gardini
The cockpit is completed.

Urban Gardini
The Spook takes shape!

Holger Kranich
I like what i see, Urban!
BTW, this is really pure nostalgia...😢

Urban Gardini
Yeah, just as it should be mate!

Urban Gardini
It's not a good kit when it comes to accuracy but the fit is so far good as is the norm when it comes to Matchbox.

Clifford Keesler
Intresting subject.

Urban Gardini
Yeah, I've got personal reasons to build this kit as well...

Bruce Leyland-Jones
This was also the best available kit, at the time, of an RAF Phantom. Especially ace, because of all those rocket pods and missiles and big, big gun!

Jörgen Kjelsmark
Looking good mate

Urban Gardini
Thanks!

Clifford Keesler
Looking good to me.

Urban Gardini
Thanks mate!

Urban Gardini
Finaly some progress again.

Urban Gardini
Slowly gettin' forward with the build.

Gabor Szabo
Looks good!

Urban Gardini
Thanks mate!

Clifford Keesler
It's still looking good.

Urban Gardini
Thanks mate!

Urban Gardini
At last, some progress on this rather slow build.

Urban Gardini
Now I'm gettin' close to the finish line, just six weeks after the dead line...

Augie
Its ok Urban.. I'm still not finished my entry either.

Urban Gardini
I just can't build as much as I'd like due to my neck.

Augie
yeah my excuse is I just get distracted too easy 🙂

Just a thought.. have you thought about sitting lower to your build desk so your not having to look down as much?

I used to have issues when working on computers cause I sat high compared to the screen.. changing that so i didnt have to look down at them helped me..

Urban Gardini
Nah, you're just a serial kit starter mate.

I already sit as low as possible. Both in front of the screen n' while I'm buildin'...

Stefan Schneider
I am also far behind the deadline but who cares? 🙂 I got distracted very easily too.

Augie
Lol your right I am pretty much a serial starter.. I pick at them until they done..
I thought you would be sitting as low as you can.. but worth mentioninig just in case 🙂

as for never finishing, new pics of the spit will be going up today nearly finished too

Urban Gardini
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

Augie
Lol yeah they do make a nice woosh as they fly out of the window😉

Clifford Keesler
Augie you just like doing stealth builds. LOL. I know the feeling, I just can't seem to get into this F-22 Raptor I am trying to build. Keep getting side tracked on other things. Plus the dog struck again, the wind blew my 6 AMRANS off the work bench, and doggie got 2 of them before I realized they were on the floor. Guess I am going to have to ban my building buddy from the work room.

Augie
aww man that sucks 🙁

Clifford Keesler
It will just be 2 short of a full load. Like me one brick shy of a full load. LOL.

Urban Gardini
hehe

Urban Gardini
Finaly! I'm finished with this one now, only two months n' four days after the deadline for it...

Augie
I love it Urb, my fave RN markings too

Urban Gardini
Thanks mate!

Urban Gardini
Thanks mate!

Stefan Schneider
Better late than never ! 😉 Nice!

Urban Gardini
Thanks mate but why rush it when you can take your time...

Stefan Schneider
You are completely right!

Łukasz Gliński
Nice build and great paintscheme, but why does it say "USS Saratoga" on the tail? Is it some special occasion marking?

Augie
I suspect it was a "ZAP" same as when 892 repainted a Marine Coprs F-4's tail to match their own..

Burkhard D
In 1970, Ark Royal embarked 892 NAS as part of her air group for the first time. However, the first operational use of the Royal Navy's Phantoms had come in 1969, when 892 NAS had embarked for training with the US aircraft carrier USS Saratoga in the Mediterranean, and had undertaken air defence missions alongside the ship's own F-4Js.
en-gb.facebook.com/p..ts/10151859599155912

Urban Gardini
Thanks mate! It was detached to USS Saratoga for six days so it's probably a zap from that occasion but I'm not sure about it. But I know that one FAA FG.1 got zap'ed real good with markings for "Colonial Navy".

Augie
🙂 indeed burkhard..

they also cross decked with the Independence and the Forestall 🙂 I think colonial navy was done at NAS Oceania by VF-171

Clifford Keesler
Very Nice.

Łukasz Gliński
thanks guys for the explanations