How to identify a RF-4C?

[Lothar]

More sooner than later I want to build the Revell 1/32 RF-4C kit. I have some AirDOC 32006 decals in the kit

and there's two aircraft which I would chose frome: First one has ZR (I guess Zweibrücken Germany?) and

69-0370 markings on the tail, the second one also has ZR and 69-0570 markings on the tail. Both aircraft

feature a shark mouth on the nose and both aircraft have seen action over Iraq.

 

The Revell kit features the bulged wings and I know that only the last 10 aircraft in the 1573xx range had 

them. How can I translade the above mentioned ID numbers to find out if these two aircraft were thin winged

or had the bulged wing? 

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Lothar

[thierry laurent]

All RF-4Cs had the thick wings. The only recco Phantoms with thin wings were  the RF-4B batches up to the one before the end of the production. 

[Lothar]

15 minutes ago, thierry laurent said:

All RF-4Cs had the thick wings. The only recco Phantoms with thin wings were  the RF-4B batches up to the one before the end of the production. 

 

Thanks for clarifying - looks like your absolutely correct.

Lothar

[Tony T]

I would check photo refs. The rounded front camera hatches were introduced on Fiscal Year 1969 machines (and retrofitted to some earlier airframes), whereas the Revell kit features the original "flat" camera hatch arrangement. 

 

Are there any AF68 tail options? Those are more likely to have the flat or 'chisel' nose. 

 

We so seriously need an accurate Photo Phantom in 1/32, or a wonder set from Gary at GT to convert the Tamiya.

 

Tony

 

 

[MikeC]

1 hour ago, Tony T said:

...

Are there any AF68 tail options? Those are more likely to have the flat or 'chisel' nose. 

 

We so seriously need an accurate Photo Phantom in 1/32, or a wonder set from Gary at GT to convert the Tamiya.

 

Tony

 

 

 

There's always Xtradecal with an Alconbury bird.

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X32003

 

[ghatherly]

6 hours ago, Tony T said:

I would check photo refs. The rounded front camera hatches were introduced on Fiscal Year 1969 machines (and retrofitted to some earlier airframes), whereas the Revell kit features the original "flat" camera hatch arrangement. 

 

Are there any AF68 tail options? Those are more likely to have the flat or 'chisel' nose. 

 

We so seriously need an accurate Photo Phantom in 1/32, or a wonder set from Gary at GT to convert the Tamiya.

 

Tony

 

 

Keeping this one for myself.   I looked at it a few years back and there was little  serious interest and no available decal sets outside of the rare  and expensive Airdoc and CE sets.  The Conversion would be close to $200 for the nose with all of the cameras, cockpit, etc and the RF-4B would be $250+ with the thin wing set up.   

 

I may do the late rounded camera doors to retrofit the Revell kit.  Now if you guys can convince Jake or someone else to make decals sets for the Recce's that would be a good start

[Dave Williams]

I hadn’t heard of an Airdoc 1/32 RF-4 conversion.  All I know of in 1/32 is the Black Box “RF-4E” conversion, which was for the Tamiya kit, and was also the “flat nose”.  CE did a IDF F-4E(S) conversion, but that was a different animal from the RF-4C/E.

[Tony T]

7 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I hadn’t heard of an Airdoc 1/32 RF-4 conversion...

 

Gary was referring to their decal sheets.

 

The Xtradecal sheet for Starize is good except for the crew names, which were botched. These were in shadow grey and white. I drew the correct style some years ago and may still have the relevant Corel Draw file if I can stoke up the retired PC tower, and people have access to an ALPS or similar. 

 

There was talk of Tan Model doing an RF-4E but their release schedule in 1/32 appears to have been suspended almost indefinitely. 

 

Tamiya have stated they won't ever revisit the 1/32 F-4 series, so it seems a Revell and Tamiya hybrid is the best bet for accuracy, and Revell OOB if happy with the funny canopies.

 

Would be good if Revell repop the RF-4C kit with the 1982 Kentucky ANG etc markings. The real thing was pristine when visiting RAF Alconbury for the Best Focus meet. 

 

Tony 

[Lothar]

5 minutes ago, Tony T said:

The Xtradecal sheet for Starize is good except for the crew names, which were botched. These were in shadow grey and white. I drew the correct style some years ago and may still have the relevant Corel Draw file if I can stoke up the retired PC tower, and people have access to an ALPS or similar. 

 

 

Good to know about the crew names because the Xtradecal is in the box and I even considered these markings as an interesting alternative.

 

8 minutes ago, Tony T said:

Tamiya have stated they won't ever revisit the 1/32 F-4 series, so it seems a Revell and Tamiya hybrid is the best bet for accuracy, and Revell OOB if happy with the funny canopies.

 

 

Will the "funny" shape be less visible if the canopies are in the open position or is the front windshield also a problem?

 

10 minutes ago, Tony T said:

Would be good if Revell repop the RF-4C kit with the 1982 Kentucky ANG etc markings. The real thing was pristine when visiting RAF Alconbury for the Best Focus meet. 

 

 

If you want these decals just let me know, that's the boxing I have and I'm not using any of the kit decals.

 

Thanks for your informative infos.

 

Lothar

[ghatherly]

10 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I hadn’t heard of an Airdoc 1/32 RF-4 conversion.  All I know of in 1/32 is the Black Box “RF-4E” conversion, which was for the Tamiya kit, and was also the “flat nose”.  CE did a IDF F-4E(S) conversion, but that was a different animal from the RF-4C/E.

Hi Dave,

Tony is correct, I was referring to Airdoc making the decals set for US European based Phantom back a decade or so ago.  They are collectors items now and hard/Expensive to get.  YEs the Stariz Recce set is available, but outside of that and very hard to find/Expansive CE decals nothing else for Recce's exists.  Without decal support the conversions do not sell, especially at the higher price points that a Recce conversion would be at.  

 

The black box conversion was done by Paul Stoner two decades ago and is just a copy of the Revell kit nose.  No internals and just really a solid piece of Resin.  Being a cpu of the Revell nose it has the same accuracy issues as the Revell kit.

 

I do plan on offering an Peace Jack conversion, but the patterns will be made when I get to building one myself so it will be a while.  The interesting part is that Decals for that jet are readily available and since only 3 were built, the limited scope of a decals offering is not a negative to conversion kit sales.

Edited September 8, 2019 by ghatherly

[thierry laurent]

There are few other RF-4C decals still available but only for Vietnam era (e.g. Printscale) . BTW I purchased RF-4B decals some weeks ago from a new joiner named Cut Then Add. 

[Tony T]

8 hours ago, Lothar said:

 

Good to know about the crew names because the Xtradecal is in the box and I even considered these markings as an interesting alternative.

 

 

Will the "funny" shape be less visible if the canopies are in the open position or is the front windshield also a problem?

 

 

If you want these decals just let me know, that's the boxing I have and I'm not using any of the kit decals.

 

Thanks for your informative infos.

 

Lothar

 

Hi Lothar,

 

Thanks for the offer. If I get hold of the kit again the KY jet would be my first choice. I have a spare set of Revell canopies if you need them. The side profile of the canopies is too flat at the rear — not quite F4H-1, but somewhere between that and reality. Lots of nicely built Revells with the canopies open — that seems to disguise the problem quite well.

 

Tony