McDonnell FH Phantom 1/50

**Paper Kosmonaut** · #1 04-21-2018, 03:46 PM

This is my build of fellow Dutchie Gerard Methorst's (Gerard1938) FH Phantom. In my opinion the best looking of the two namebearers, albeit that the second one easily wins in performance. It's just a tad too cranky for me to like it.
Before I deviate into airplane aesthetics, here's my build report.

I used 160 gram paper for this build. The Phantom is relatively easy but a little tricky at the intake / wing root section. But very doable. No inner skeleton but just paper rings and reinforcement disks that make up the fuselage.

There is a sheet with glue strips but I hardly used them. I provided my own where needed and did a lot of edge glueing. The fit is very good. The wing roots need some concentration and time between each side being glued to the fuselage or one another. I curved the edges a little inward and egde glued them together. When it was a little drier, I shaped them a little more into a rounded form to make it a better looking leading edge.

The engine part that should go on the trailing edge of the wing root was something of a mystery to me, so after studying the original thing, I decided on the (for me) easier way to roll two tubes of metallic coloured paper and just shove them in the cut out bays in the wing roots. It looks quite good, I think. I used water colour pencils to give the pipes a little heat discolourisation.

**Paper Kosmonaut** · #2 04-21-2018, 03:54 PM

U next was the cockpit section. I camouflaged the white area where the canopy would come with dark grey water colour pencil and assembled the canopy. However, the thing was too curved to get it placed at the right height on the fuselage. The only way to make it fit onto the fuselage's top was to flatten it and that took away the characteristic 'popping out' feel the canopy should have. I realised the part behind the windscreen needed a little more curvature in the forward pointing section. I copied it into Photoshop and changed it. This one, printed out on glossy photo paper (because why not) fitted perfectly. (I also pointed this out to Gerard and he has modified his Phantom immediately.) I also printed it a second time at 102% and I cut out the canopy frame to glue it on top of the glossy canopy. This way the cockpit roof gets some extra detailing.

This was about where I was yesterday, more to follow soon.

**Vinalssergio155** · #3 04-21-2018, 04:16 PM

Interesting model, I did not know him, you have very good construction, a greeting
Sergio

**Paper Kosmonaut** · #4 04-21-2018, 04:26 PM

Hi Sergio, Gerard is a forum member (gerard1938). His site still has all of his designs online but you have to ask Gerard for a password to open the files for printing, if he still want to give them out...
I hope he does, his models are quite unique in the sense that lots of them aren't found elswhere. And he likes to see his planes being built! (Well, who doesn't?)

**John Bowden** · #5 04-21-2018, 05:12 PM

Gonna keep an eye on this, just got it and will attempted as soon as I'm feeling better............

**Rata** · #6 04-21-2018, 05:24 PM

Looks great PK. Your mods on the canopy were just right- wish I had your computer skills to fix such problems!
Looking forward to the final product.

Regards, Garry G.

**Vinalssergio155** · #7 04-21-2018, 05:28 PM

Thank you very much for the information and the link, I will visit you to see. Very kind, thanks
Sergio

**Paper Kosmonaut** · #8 04-21-2018, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rata

Looks great PK. Your mods on the canopy were just right- wish I had your computer skills to fix such problems!
Looking forward to the final product.

Regards, Garry G.

Thanks to all of you for the kind words. Garry, this is really easy-peasy Photoshopping stuff. It just was warping the small canopy part a little and just by eyeballing and coincidence, I got it right the first time round. And warping is a standard easy to use tool in PS. Nothing fancy.

The designing of such planes with complex shapes like these wing roots with intakes and all, now that is something I can't do.

Next progress update is probably monday or thereabout.

**Rata** · #9 04-21-2018, 06:04 PM

I'll give it a try someday.
I used the link you provided to gerard1938- he DOES have some nice models. I contacted him regarding his Fokker D-VII he's designed in rarely seen post WWI Dutch markings.

Thanks for heads-up.

**ct ertz** · #10 04-21-2018, 07:38 PM

Nice.
I have the ME109 from Gerard that I need to put together yet... got it with the best intentions to build. Ugh. I need more time in a day. But your build is going great!