SCALEWORLD

Ask a modelbuilder why he (or she) builds models and you get answers ranging all the way from "it's fun", "good therapy" and "it keeps me off the street" to "preservation of history". Unfortunately, unless we all use a little common sense, there's also a dangerous side to it, just as there is in any endeavour.

Case in point is a letter that ran in a print publication from the mother of a man who, though is perfect health his entire life, died from an undiagnosed toxicity in the space of a single month. Since the man had been a lifelong modelbuilder, the only conclusion they could reach was that the toxicity was the result of decades of paint and glue fume exposure.

Whether or not this conclusion is accurate, no one can say. If he habitually sat in a closed room or basement without any real ventilation and/or never used any form of respiratory protection (such as a particle mask), then the connection cannot be ruled out. That the man was happiest when he was at his model bench is not in dispute. Nor are the models or related supplies being blamed in the way that so many try to blame guns or SUVs for tragedies connected to those products. Instead, the mother simply wanted to make all modelers aware of the critical importance of proper ventilation and other forms of protection wherever warranted. Her prayer, I'm sure, is that …thru her loss… other parents will not lose their sons prematurely while engaged in activity that gives them great joy.

Now, this doesn't mean that you have to sit in a pressure suit, building your models through the use of remote control waldos. Just use a little common sense (there's that phrase again that so many seem to ignore). Open a window, install an exhaust fan or buy a spray booth so that more paint goes on the model than in your lungs. If you're doing a lot of sanding, especially on resin parts, put on a particle mask. These are simple precautions that'll keep you happy, healthy and building models for decades to come.

Anyone out there build models of the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II? If you count yourself as a member of the Phantom Phreaks, get out your wallet because you'll be needing your credit card…or cash if you prefer. AIRtime Publishing has released their updated and expanded edition of what is described as "The definitive reference work on the world's greatest jet fighter". I'm inclined to believe them.

Titled McDonnell F-4 Phantom - Spirit in the Skies, edited by Jon Lake and David Donald, is an absolute must if you love Phantoms. Utilizing a 9 x 12 vertical format, 272 pages are contained within a dust jacketed hardcover. Crammed into those pages are 400 color and 250 b&w photos that are reproduced on glossy enamel stock. Price for all this? $34.95. It's distributed in the U.S.A. and Canada by SPECIALTY PRESS (https://www.specialtypress.com). By the way, be sure to add $4.95 to each order.

Do I really need to review this book? After spending a few minutes thumbing thru it, probably not. I can sum it all up in two words: buy it. But since this is a review column, I will…review it, that is.

The book starts where it should, at the beginning, with Chapter 1, Forging the Phantom. You'll find the story of the Phantom's development, color shots of the first two prototypes, a table of F4H-1 (the F-4's original designation) speed/altitude records, an in-flight shot of the first 'Sageburner' that was lost during a record attempt and on and on.

Chapter 2 takes you into Viet Nam combat. In that chapter is a beautiful 3-view illustration of an F-4E (s/n 67-0288) belonging to the 469th TFS, 388th TFW that was based at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, during 1969-1970. Similar 3-views are scattered throughout, including an F-4B from VF-142, an Israeli F-4E in Chapter 3 and so on.

You'll find photos of Bi-Centennial and other special event aircraft, F-4 operators and users, a complete section on Weapons & Warloads, descriptions of all Phantom variants, stories of what it was like to fly the Phantom, etc. Two pages provide a production summary by Block Numbers and another two pages lists every piece of avionic equipment fitted to or proposed for the Phantom. There's also a four and a half page index and a half page listing (in very small print) of photo credits.

Believe me, I haven't even begun to describe what's in this tome. If I tried, I'd be going on for the next four or five thousand words. Besides, why deny you the pleasure of discovering for yourself what's between the covers?

In short, if you had to limit yourself to a single publication (impossible I know) on the Phantom II, this book would have to be a leading contender. Order a copy and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Midnight's closing in and I'm still way behind on my latest book (before too long I hope to be able to tell you what it's subject is), so I'll see you next month. That's assuming my editor hasn't strangled me for being so slow!

Adios!