Revell 1/32nd Scale RF-4E Phantom II Finished

[Tug 747]

Well this is my next project it is an old Revell kit and i shall be building straight out of the box and it is my first attempt at doing a WIP so all i ask is be patient and i will do my best to remember to update regularly and please feel free to make any criticism as i go along.
I will finish this model as an aircraft of the Israeli Air Defence Force of number 119 Bat Squadron who operated this mark of Phantom in the early 70's

I thought i would include the box shot even though i think it is irrelevant.


Note the length of the fuselage it is a big kit and will just under 2ft long when finished






To finish this off i shall be using Sky's decal Israeli F-4 Phantom part 1 that i got from Hannant's


Doug

[scotthldr]

Since you're planning doing an Israeli example, I better point out that the camera housing in the nose/forward section will be the wrong type. The Luftwaffe a/c had the squarer nose whereas the Israeli a/c had the later more Rounded nose.

Luftwaffe

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2719/4248 ... 5db3_z.jpg

Israel

http://www.xairforces.net/images/countr ... f_0001.jpg

[Tug 747]

by scotthldr on Sat 18 Feb 2012, 2:24 pm

Since you're planning doing an Israeli example, I better point out that the camera housing in the nose/forward section will be the wrong type. The Luftwaffe a/c had the squarer nose whereas the Israeli a/c had the later more Rounded nose.

From my information that i sourced from the web 119 bat Squadron operated the older squarer nose whilst 69 Hammer Squadron operated the later rounded version (my information could have been wrong) or is that the later version nose is more rounded than the early version that looks less round????.

Thanks for pointing this out i have seen a few photos of what appears to be a squarer nose on some Israeli RF-4E's so feel free to deduct marks on the grounds of historical accuracy on the information card that came with the decals it appears to be a squarer nose i don't have a scanner so i can't post a picture on here.

Doug

[scotthldr]

From my information that i sourced from the web 119 bat Squadron operated the older squarer nose whilst 69 Hammer Squadron operated the later rounded version

I've never heard that before. It has been reported that 119 Sqn did the High level stuff and 69 did the Low level stuff again I've never seen any concrete proof if this was the case. What I do know is that two F-4E's had their cannons removed and replaced by cameras, this was before the 2 USAF RF-4C's were loaned to the IDF and are not to be confused with the much later F-4E(S) Peace Jack conversions.

However in connection with my first post I've found reference that a/c 488, 491, 495, did indeed have the older squarer nose and reference to 489 also having the square nose, however these a/c were all modified to allow an extra camera aft of the nose wheel bay and in the case of 489 in the actual radome . This would suggest the initial batch of 6 a/c (detailed below) were delivered with the original /square nose, but the serials numbers don't tie up at all, with even two of the F-4E(S) having the serials 498 and 499??????

US serial No / Initial Israeli SerNo / Later Israeli Ser No

69-7590 /194 /494
69-7591 /195 /495
69-7592 /196 /496
69-7593 /197 /497
69-7594 /198 /498
69-7590 /199 /499


I did research into the Israeli F-15D's a couple of years back and hit the same problem regards serials, they seem to allocate them willy nilly and without logic, so I would build to a photograph of the a/c rather than written text.


Looking forward to seeing the build progress.

[ELVIS 01]

Looking forward to following the build of this kit......

[Tug 747]

Progress has been a bit slow due to other commitments but i have now completed the cockpit and the removable engine





I just wish that i had a steady hand when holding a paint brush

Doug

[Fumbles]

Neat classic kit. I remember this one. Good start on it too. Maybe try a little dry brushing some white to the cockpit to bring out some of the details? The kit should look good done in the desert colours of the IAF.

[Tug 747]

Fumbles thanks for the tip i shall give it a go at the weekend.

Well thats the wing assembly completed let it all dry and then there are a few caps that need some minor attention and i am pleased with the progress so far.

[markmarples]

looking good, nice progress

[Tug 747]

2 shots showing the almost completed Fuselage assembly just need to finish the air intakes but the White insides of the intakes are causing me a slight problem at the moment.




Now a question
When painting white is there any technique that works better than others the intakes below have had 3 coats of matt white brushed on and you can still see the brush marks and the finish is not very good. I have used Tamiya XF-2 flat white. Any advice please.


Doug

[cw318is]

XF-2 was problematic for me for a long time. Ended up slopping it on and ending up with 5 thin coats, 50/50 for the first, then 70/30 (thinners/paint) for the next 3 then a top of 60/40 for the top coat. If I remember rightly curing was a pig as well - took ages. I've since changed to Humbrol 130 when I need to brush a matt or satin white. Still needs two coats but seems to level a lot better.

[TomTwin]

I airbrush white, so can't help you on that front. I can say however that those intakes will leave visible seams when you glue them together, and you will need to paint them again, which will be a pain.

I recommend glueing them together, then using a skinny sanding stick, available from Flory Models ( http://www.florymodels.co.uk/skinny-sticks/ ), then a quick run of Tamiya extra thin cement along the join, before attempting painting again. Should give you good seamless intakes, then it's just a case of painting thin coats on and having a world of patience.

Regards,

Tom

[markmarples]

get a halfords white primer rattle can, 36 last for ages and only need one coat

[canon55k]

Come on Tug,
You appear to be slacking on this one, how about an update
Regards
Ian

[Tug 747]

I have not had much luck with this but i shall see it through to the end. It slipped off the work bench and broke a wing tip off so that had to be repaired so i have now fixed them both in the down position and when masking the canopy i managed to break the rear canopy off. I have spent my time doing a bit of filling and sanding and filling and sanding. Now i have never tried preshading before so i thought i would give it a go on this occasion and see what happens.I have applied the preshading with a brush and did not use black as i was told that it would be to dark for a light desert camouflage pattern.





Doug

[markmarples]

[canon55k]

Come on Tug,
Stop faffing and lets see it with some sand camo.
You have lots more of these to build
Ian

[Tug 747]

I am having major problems with my airbrush so can any of you offer any assistance please
My airbrush that i am using is a Aztec A4709 now i have replaced the nozzle and adjusted the air pressure form the compressor between 10 psi and 25 psi to see if that helped but it didn't. I mix the acrylics with thinners to the consistency of milk.I originally used Model air products and i tried using Tamiya products but i still keep getting the same bad results.





I hope that you can offer some advice please or else it will be back to the bristle brush on this one.

Doug

[scotthldr]

Mmmmm, looks like a combination of errors here, but first off is this happening to other mixed paint or just this Tan colour and have you used the set up before without trouble?

Thinning the paint to the consistency of milk is fine for Enamels which works out roughly 60% thinners and 40% paint but I would thin acrylics 50/50, what paint and thinners are you using as some combinations of paint and thinners don't like one another? It will also take several passes of the AB in order to get a solid looking colour using the above mix, don't try and apply a heavy coat as all that will happen it the paint will get moved around by the air.

The paint looks like it's splattering slightly which could be caused by too thick a paint mix or the air pulsating, maybe your compressor can't handle the low pressures. Is there a regulator on the compressor if so check the seals, check the moisture trap if one is fitted and check that the airline isn't kinked or showing signs of damage You should not have to go above 15psi in order to spray, if you are then the paint mixture is too thick.

Another possibility is the paint/thinners mix is drying before it hits the surface resulting in the grainy appearance although that normally produces a chalky texture, how far from the model surface do you hold the AB and how warm is the room temperature?

From the pics it looks like you haven't used a primer or undercoat, I would strongly advise using an undercoat at the least (overall Lt Grey Matt is what I use) and wash the whole kit in warm soapy water using a toothbrush to scrub off any oil residue from your hands/fingers.

You say that you've replaced the spray nozzle, did you also replace the needle any slight damage to the point of the needle will greatly affect the results and check to make sure the nozzle is seated right.

Process of elimination which will take a bit of time. Need any more help feel free to ask

[Tug 747]

Thanks Scott for the info. The set is brand new and i have done 3 builds with out any trouble until now.The compressor is a Revel standard class airbrush bought from new i have checked the air line and i can see no visible damage and the moisture trap is clear and dry. I am using Vallejo model air paints and thinners but i have also tried Tamiya paints and X20-A thinner (I have not used the tamiya thinner with the Vallejo paints or vise-versa) I try to spray about 8 - 10 inches away from the model depending on how large an area i am trying to cover. The nozzle that am using is i am led to believe is a sealed unit that you can not remove the needle hence the replacement.

I shall be purchasing some halfords primer at the weekend and will start again and let you know how i get on.

Doug

[Jamesv9820]

Doug,

The nozzles do come apart, just pull back on the spring until it comes apart

It probably has some gunk in there...

Personally I have used the Aztek before I got my Iwata brushes and found I had to spray on the higher PSI to get the air flow correct. The issue with the paint seems to me that it seems to be a little too thin perhaps?

[scotthldr]

You're spraying too far away from the model surface as well. Lower the pressure as far as you can to still allow paint flow and move the AB to about 2 to 3 inches from the model surface, the trick is to keep the spray nozzle moving across the surface even after you have released the trigger. I realise when doing a kit in 1/32 it's going to take a while to cover, but there's no prizes for rushing in this hobby.

[Tug 747]

Thanks to Scott and James for their advice i completely started again by priming the model with halfords grey then i done the sand again and then masked up for the camouflage using blu tack sausages and masking tape (The first time that i have attempted this) which seem to take ages. I then sprayed the pale green and i think it looks ok i have now re masked ready for the flat brown to be applied which i will do tomorrow.
Scott i was spraying 8 - 10 cms not inches but i have now came in closer.

After spraying the pale green and before i removed the masking

Masking removed

Masked up ready for the flat brown




Any criticism or advice taken on board and would be much appreciated

Doug

[Craig]

That's looking great! Good effort!

[scotthldr]

Looks a lot better from the photos. When spraying on the Brown build it up slowly and you will be able achieve a patchy worn look, unless you want a freshly painted jet look.