Jump to content

F-4S Phantom


ruzlkampf

Recommended Posts

This is the outside of the intake trunk being glued to the engine nacelle. As ya'll can see, my 'strategically' placed line ended up being tactically missplaced. Meh, it really served no purpose, I just wanted it to look like I knew what I was doing. :rolleyes:

This is the next area to fill in. This is why the intake looks 'less than optimal' when viewed from the front. Hmmm, actually the entire reason for doing this mod.

 

post-4413-1227100112.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whoakay, after walking around my apartment like a lunatic looking thru my camera with one hand, and holding this model with the other,..I finally got some light on it to show why this mod is desirable. Nuf said. This is the way it looks now.

 

post-4413-1227100686.jpg

 

post-4413-1227100708.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is what I'm shooting for. This is that model I was telling ya'll about. Wish I'd got the guys name and the site so i could give him credit for this pic. Hope he forgives me, for I know not. More pics as things progress. Russ

 

post-4413-1227101083.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whoohoo! :rolleyes: Intakes are done,...and smoooth. What a hoot. That was almost as much fun as flatuating in a crowded elevator. :huh: (hey, I'm old....I can get away with that stuff now. Right?) heh heh. Also had a MAJOR epiphany tonight as I discovered the manual focus button on my camera by accident. What a concept. ;) Whilst almost burning myself on a light bulb trying to take pics of these intakes with 'creative lighting', ( only a whiff of burning hair, and that funny purple spot will probably grow back or pass for a bad tattoo), I bumble-fingered this button that gave me a MF on my LCD screen. Couldn't get my camera to do squat after that, so I downloaded the directions (another great concept) off the net to figure out how to 'un-break' the darn thing. Oooooh, that's what that little ring around the lens does. Dooooh. ;)

But I once again digress; er, ramble on flapping my gums. Here's a pre-manual focus set of pics to show where I'm at. Smoothed out unpainted intake duct.

 

post-4413-1227263886.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Intake assembly placed into fuse to take this crappy pic. At least ya can see that things are a lot smoother than before. Sheesh, everything in focus...except what I'm trying to show. :rolleyes: That will now change cause I've found the 'magic' MF button.

 

post-4413-1227264127.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is my attempt at creative 'ghost' lighting. :rolleyes: Hey, at least ya can see the intake this time. Shoulda seen my experiments shining a light down the duct thru the engine side. I almost burned my retinas out. :huh: Still unpainted, but the potential is evident. I'm so happy.(and I can still see) Yeayyyy! P.S. Nooo,....I won't forget the intake air pressure sensor, Matt. heh heh, I can hear ya thinkin it.! ;)

 

post-4413-1227264754.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, the intakes were fun, but let's move on shall we? Here I have enlarged the Tamiya diagram of parts for the kit on the directions to 1/32nd scale. Why? Ahhhh, funny you should ask. When enlarged, they duplicate the kit parts EXACTLY in size/shape. This is an F-4S modification to zero-time the main spar. It's a raised strengthing strip (I've heard it called a 'strap') added to the underside. In my quest for Phantom F-4S nirvana, I must have this installed. I'm using these 'farm boy fix' plans to make templates on paper instead of buggering up my model. I've got 9 days off starting tomorrow, so I'm taking a sojourn to the USS Midway( it's a museum now in San Diego harbor) cause they have 3 F-4S's on board for inspection. I've heard that some avionics vents were also 'staggered' during the 'S' rebuilds, but i can't find any info on exactly how this was done. Sooo, I'm going to see for myself. Also want to observe up-close the slats and stuff for future reference. :rolleyes:

More pics as things develop, Russ

 

post-4413-1227265859.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whoooo, just found this cool pic of a VF-301 'spook' in formation with it's sister squadron VF-302. Both schemes were similar, but VF-302's camo 'mirrored' the 4 colors in the opposite direction, and had grey codes/insignia instead of black.

Sheesh, I like this paint-scheme. Mine will have a practice sidewinder, and TER's in the inner pylons with a 600 gal. centerline tank. No live armament. This is how I used to see them when they were in the landing circuit. Could almost touch them they were so close. I MIGHT get rambunctious and put a travel-pod on it? Dunno yet.

 

post-4413-1227268621.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All looking very cool so far Russ. Your intake solution seems to work fine. I'm glad that you mentioned the strap mod on the F-4S...When I left the RAF and joined British Aerospace (now BAE SYSTEMS) as an aircraft inspector, I was based in a small company facility at the back of the RAF Scampton airfield. Here we carried out a return to works (RTW) 100FI wing modification on RAF Phantoms (all marks, but mostly FGR.2s and a couple of F-4J(UK) aircraft) - the outer wing panels were scrapped and new ones were manufactured. This mod is exactly the wing strap mod that you are now making for your kit - this brought British Phantoms up to an interim F-4S standard (especially the F-4J (UK) aircraft)...Then the RAF scrapped all the Phantoms not too long afterwards!

 

Thanks for that, I had completely forgotten about it until you showed us all what you were attempting. I shall keep watching this build with interest.

 

Derek

Edited by Derek B
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice!

 

We'll never have enough Phantoms...

 

BTW, I guess you know that CAM released decals for this plane (http://www.camdecals.com/main.asp?img=32-043).

 

They are not anymore available from them but may be still found here and there. Spruebrothers has sets at 10.99 usd!

 

http://www.spruebrothers.com/Nexternal/132...iller-32043.htm.

 

I purchased one set many moons ago and it may be a real time saver for your project.

 

Regards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hooray! Thought they were out of print. Muchos Gracias Compadre! I'm going to make my own decals as I have the resources to do this, but I'll still order a set anyway. I want AC#107, or #103. I followed a lead off the CAM site here on LSP to a 'JohnsModels' who sell their resin sets for....an F-4S conversion!!!! Never seen it sold anywhere else. Haven't a clue what's included as there was no pic, and I hope it gets here before I'm done with this thing. :huh:

Eureka for I have found it!!! :rolleyes: Couldn't go to bed until I figured out the 'offset avionics cooling slots' by the nose gear well. Another F-4S minutae mod. FINALLY figured it out, and with my new-found ability to manually focus my camera...can share a detailed pic. There are a few more mods I'm going to pull outta my hat before it's all over with, but I wanted to share this one as I'm working on the fuse undersides with my 'strap' and all. Check it out;

I'll be filling in the areas in red on the port side, and re-doing the slots further forward. The closer I look, the more little tid-bits I find to modify. I'm in Phantom nirvana heaven! ;) More (in-focus) pics as I progress. Russ

 

post-4413-1227278113.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...