British Phantoms

[joe]

I recently bought the airdoc book on British phantoms and now I'm itching to build an FGR.1 and FGR.2

I'll probably never get a wild hare conversion due to cost and opportunity but I'm tempted to build both of these straight from the Tamiya F-4J kits as is with no additional changes to the airframe and engines.

Not accurate I know but they are such cool versions of this iconic jet.

 

I'm loving the camo and scheme options plus the load outs.

 

Is this totally wrong....? I'm caught between accuracy and a need to have these jets.......

 

BTW - who makes the best Matra rocket pods in 1/32....?

[Tony T]

They won't look right. If you're really desperate at least change the jet pipes.

[thierry laurent]

Why not building a F-4J used lately by the RAF? This would solve the accuracy issue and you would have RAF roundels!

[gunpowder]

I built the tamiya f-4j as as the boscombe down one. The only thing i did was cut the nozzles down the to the inner petals. It wasnt accurate but it certainly looked good!

[marauderdriver]

                      F-4J + 74Sqn decals= F-4J(UK)             

 

                        Got one and I love it

                       But I would love to do a 56 Sqn to match my Lightning

 

 

                        Just a thought

[timvkampen]

I have the Wild Hare 'n As* conversion…I adjust wondering whether my copy could not be used as the basis for further work to make a true conversion set….maybe by HpH?

 

Tamiya will not tackle this one I think due to marketing considerations…although they could do the F-4B/N and make a killer profit...

 

One day maybe Trumpeter or Academy (since they have issued the 1/48 F-4B/N).

[Kagemusha]

In a recent "Old Man Blog" on ZM Mr Shigeta talks of adding a Phantom to their line, so maybe they will produce an FG.1/FGR.2.

 

There is a second Double Ugly British Phantom book available very soon.

 

The best Matra pods are in the Hunter kit.

[Darren Howie]

I think HpH should be looking seriously at a conversion set for the Tamiya F-4.

A single piece glass fuselage with a set of burners and a new nose gear leg woukd be pretty cheap to do say 180-200 per unit maybe?

The British decal manufacturers would be all over it like a rash and i wouldn't even include a set with the conversion.

High quality hi strength and an easy mod for modellers would make it a great first conversion and easily for those Brutish Phantom lovers a muliti purchase.

Fibreglass s a great option to help with structural strength in bigger projects rather than multi cuts and weak joins..

Love a fleet of British F-4's!

[Showtime 100]

I recently bought the airdoc book on British phantoms and now I'm itching to build an FGR.1 and FGR.2

I'll probably never get a wild hare conversion due to cost and opportunity but I'm tempted to build both of these straight from the Tamiya F-4J kits as is with no additional changes to the airframe and engines.

Not accurate I know but they are such cool versions of this iconic jet.

 

I'm loving the camo and scheme options plus the load outs.

 

Is this totally wrong....? I'm caught between accuracy and a need to have these jets.......

 

 

Wow; So many answers for your post!

 

Disclaimer: I am an F-4 Phantom aficionado.

 

 

Answer #1:

No, it is not wrong because: Who gives a flyin' phaque what other people/modelers think about what scheme/finish you put on your models ?!!

 

For a simple OOB build; I would just take an F-4J kit, take the exhaust cans and shorten them by about a third and then sand the smooth just like the RAF F-4's have. Don't worry about the interior exhaust can detail; It's a K.I.S.S. build that will satisfy your RAF F-4 'fix'. A vertical stabilizer with a rectangular tip would be a pretty simple mod to do if the a/c you want to represent as it.

 

Answer #2:

Through process of elimination: Although the intakes (Being almost the focal point of the model) would need to be modified, the most obvious and important detail that should be addressed is the exhaust cans. By modifying so that the exhaust cans are accurate, IMHO, the rest of the model will look much more 'accurate-enough'. I would say they are the 'Mona Lisa's hands' of the RAF F-4 model.

 

Answer #3:

If said model is going to be in competition, I would try to modify/build as accurate as possible the a/c it is representing. That would mean intakes and exhaust cans are an absolute must. If the RAF F-4 has a vertical stabilizer with a rectangular tip, that would definitely need addressing as well. The rest of the smaller details, IMHO, have far less impact than the three I've mentioned on the model. Those three details shout, "I am an RAF F-4, you bloody basturds !"

 

The intakes, although a simple mod., would be very time-consuming. The exhaust cans, however, would not only be very time-consuming but rather a complex undertaking (A.K.A. a P.I.T.A.!).  

 

And finally, answer #4:

Who gives a flyin' phaque what other people/modelers think about what scheme/finish you put on your models     ?!!

[joe]

In a recent "Old Man Blog" on ZM Mr Shigeta talks of adding a Phantom to their line, so maybe they will produce an FG.1/FGR.2.

 

There is a second Double Ugly British Phantom book available very soon.

 

The best Matra pods are in the Hunter kit.

I'm looking forward to volume 2 in the series. These books are top quality productions.

I have the Israel books on order as well.

The USN volume is great but it only concentrates on the units where as the other books go into a lot of detail.

 

What about the rocket pods in the recent Hawk kits?

Edited November 4, 2013 by joe

[joe]

Wow; So many answers for your post!

 

Disclaimer: I am an F-4 Phantom aficionado.

 

 

Answer #1:

No, it is not wrong because: Who gives a flyin' phaque what other people/modelers think about what scheme/finish you put on your models ?!!

 

For a simple OOB build; I would just take an F-4J kit, take the exhaust cans and shorten them by about a third and then sand the smooth just like the RAF F-4's have. Don't worry about the interior exhaust can detail; It's a K.I.S.S. build that will satisfy your RAF F-4 'fix'. A vertical stabilizer with a rectangular tip would be a pretty simple mod to do if the a/c you want to represent as it.

 

Answer #2:

Through process of elimination: Although the intakes (Being almost the focal point of the model) would need to be modified, the most obvious and important detail that should be addressed is the exhaust cans. By modifying so that the exhaust cans are accurate, IMHO, the rest of the model will look much more 'accurate-enough'. I would say they are the 'Mona Lisa's hands' of the RAF F-4 model.

 

Answer #3:

If said model is going to be in competition, I would try to modify/build as accurate as possible the a/c it is representing. That would mean intakes and exhaust cans are an absolute must. If the RAF F-4 has a vertical stabilizer with a rectangular tip, that would definitely need addressing as well. The rest of the smaller details, IMHO, have far less impact than the three I've mentioned on the model. Those three details shout, "I am an RAF F-4, you bloody basturds !"

 

The intakes, although a simple mod., would be very time-consuming. The exhaust cans, however, would not only be very time-consuming but rather a complex undertaking (A.K.A. a P.I.T.A.!).  

 

And finally, answer #4:

Who gives a flyin' phaque what other people/modelers think about what scheme/finish you put on your models     ?!!

Thanks for the feedback and I appreciate your points.

 

I never even thought about comp models so I can rule that out....!

 

The cans could be modified and scratched to suit but the changes to the airframe are out of my depth.

 

There is something pretty damn sexy about the FG.1/FGR.2 camou and markings schemes and the loadout options are pretty awesome too. I've been wanting to build a British F-4 since my last one - about 30 years ago the old Matchbox kit.

 

I could do them in 1/48 but the prices of the Hasegawa (and Revell but not as bad) kits are getting pretty close to the cost of a Tamiya F-4 in 1/32...!

 

I know the RAF had F-4J's too so maybe I just pretend that there was at least one of each (FG.1/FGR.2) in the previous camou schemes...! I think I'm on to something...

[wunwinglow]

A thousand years ago, I did exactly this 'conversion' on a Revell F4J, and it ended up being on a BBC tv program on modelmaking, and then featured in Scale Models Magazine. I will see if I can dig out the article and scan it for you. I am slowly gathering material to to this conversion, but I have since developed an accute case of ADM so will have to go the whole hog with this, but hey, that's me! You do just as you please, it is your hobby!

 

It would be fantastic to see a proper injection moulded Brit Spey Phantom, but to do it properly would be almost a complete new kit, rather than a conversion for an existing Tamiya kit. Not impossible by any means, look at DACOs recent F104 part sets, just not economic, I suspect.

 

Tim

[Babelfish Steve]

Joe, this guy on eBay is flogging off his fleet of unbuilt Revell FGR.2s in 1/48.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-48-Revell-FGR-2-British-Phantom-Eduard-BigEd-photo-etch-/161130537630?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item258420e29e

 

I bought one off him myself some weeks back, and aside from a slightly shelf-worn outer box, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with it. So I can vouch for him.

 

He also tosses in a big etch set for the kit.

 

Just thought I'd share it in case you are interested. If not, no harm no foul.

 

- Steve

 

 

I could do them in 1/48 but the prices of the Hasegawa (and Revell but not as bad) kits are getting pretty close to the cost of a Tamiya F-4 in 1/32...!

Edited November 4, 2013 by Babelfish Steve

[fmitche]

You might search LSP for "Frank Mitchell, FGR2"----think you find a fair discussion of the conversion (to say the least----)

[LSP_K2]

I think if I were in a real rush, and money was also a consideration, I'd just go with the Tamiya F-4J, and do it up as per the Linewrights book on the British J Tiger Squadron machines.