F-4E Phantom II in Hill Grey

[BloorwestSiR]

With the semi gloss clear coat on, I finally unmasked the cockpit and started back up on it. One of the things left were the coamings for the IPs. This is where I noticed the first fit issue. The pilot coaming leaves a gap at the front.

 

 

I placed the canopy on and it's definitely visible underneath.

 

 

I double checked a second kit to see if it was operator error but nope. So I'm going to use some strip styrene to fill the gap.

[Guest]

I started it and lost interest when my dad passed away. Hard to pick it back up. And its a B25H.....Harv

[BloorwestSiR]

Sorry to hear that Harv but I understand completely. And my bad on mixing up the G vs H.

[BloorwestSiR]

Here's the modified coaming with some styrene strip added to the front to fill in the gap.

 

 

Just need to let it dry and then paint it.

 

I finished up the ejection seats as well.

 

 

Although they're not my favourite, I used Eduard PE belts on them since that's all there is.

 

Carl

[Guest]

I might go the Brassin set of these myself.........Harv

[BloorwestSiR]

I might go the Brassin set of these myself.........Harv

These are the Brassin seats. Guess I forgot to mention it earlier. I couldn't get the included PE seat belts to work so I ended up using the Steel ones that Eduard came out with recently. Kind of silly to use AM on AM...

[BloorwestSiR]

I finally painted the coaming and it looks much better now.

 

 

With the canopy test fitted in place:

 

 

I need to add the HUD screen and lens before I glue it into place. While I had the airbrush loaded I put with black paint, I did the tip of the nose as well.

 

Carl

[dmthamade]

Well that's a surprise, about the gap at the coaming. Had to go look a E I built a long time ago, yup, there was the gap. Good that the fix was relatively easy. 

 

Don

[1to1scale]

Coming along nicely. I have always been a Phantom Phan, when I was a child and lived in MI, I always looked forward to visiting my AUnt because she lived next to Selfridge AFB, and the weekends always had Phantoms, C-130s, and occasionally other flying overhead. I just recently traded a Birdcage for an F-4J, so I am studying your build and looking for tips.

[aircommando130]

Phantastic Phantom! The F-4 was the work horse of the fighter force for several countries and it had a distinguished service no matter what flag it flew under. I loved flying into Clark AB and watching the E's and G's taxi by or flyby. The SEA paint scheme looked really aggressive with the shark teeth on the nose. It was really cool to see one with a red MIG kill star on it from the Vietnam war. I was flying as a loadmaster in the C-5A out of Travis at the time. 

[BloorwestSiR]

Well that's a surprise, about the gap at the coaming. Had to go look a E I built a long time ago, yup, there was the gap. Good that the fix was relatively easy.

 

Don

It's funny because the gaps not there on the short nose Phantoms.

 

Like you said, fortunately it's a fairly easy fix.

[BloorwestSiR]

Coming along nicely. I have always been a Phantom Phan, when I was a child and lived in MI, I always looked forward to visiting my AUnt because she lived next to Selfridge AFB, and the weekends always had Phantoms, C-130s, and occasionally other flying overhead. I just recently traded a Birdcage for an F-4J, so I am studying your build and looking for tips.

That would have cool to see and hear.

 

I did a pair of J's years ago and then a D. This is my first Tamiya E. They pretty much all have the same issues.

[BloorwestSiR]

Phantastic Phantom! The F-4 was the work horse of the fighter force for several countries and it had a distinguished service no matter what flag it flew under. I loved flying into Clark AB and watching the E's and G's taxi by or flyby. The SEA paint scheme looked really aggressive with the shark teeth on the nose. It was really cool to see one with a red MIG kill star on it from the Vietnam war. I was flying as a loadmaster in the C-5A out of Travis at the time.

Cool! I never did get to see a shark mouth painted F-4 up close. The next one I'm planning to do will be a G from Spangdahlem in the Euro One scheme. I do plan to do one in SEA as well but haven't decided on which one yet.

[BloorwestSiR]

Time to finally tackle what I thought would be my biggest challenge on this build which is attaching the tail planes.

 

I didn't think just straight up gluing them back on to the center pivot was going to be durable enough. I finally tried some piano wire and it was easier than I thought.

 

I drilled a hole in the pivot as well as the tail planes. After bending it to the correct anhedral, I glued it onto the pivot.

 

 

I used slow setting CA for this and then used the same to affix the tail plane itself. This way I had some time to adjust the angle and orientation as needed.

 

 

I have to do some touch-up to the clear coat on the vertical tail and then apply the decals and slime lights.

 

Here's what is left to do :

 

- vertical tail decals

- arrestor hook

- canopy

- nose gear door

- slime lights

 

So it's finally getting closer to being finished.

 

Carl

[Shawn M]

looking good Carl!