Big scale GB RF-4C Phantom II 68-0567 Finished More Pictures

[Tug 747]

I will be attempting to do one of the above for this group build but i am not sure which one to go with. I have looked on Hannants site and i can find very little on 1/32nd Phantoms other than decals as most of the after market stuff is aimed at Tamiya. The F-4E kit i have this as a 1/48th scale so i thought of finishing this as a F-4EJ in JASDF decals and the RF-4C I thought of finishing it in Euro 1 scheme from the 10 TRW Alconbury.
Lets leave it to you guys and i shall go with the one that gets the most interest. Also any hints and tips that may come in handy along the way.

[Jamesv9820]

Def the RF-4C for me..

[Logster]

RF-4C for me too.....

[Deacon]

RF-4C mate.

[Tug 747]

So i think i know what one i shall be putting back up into the loft but lets wait until after the weekend.

[Maisie]

RF-4C for me too...

[jaguar]

Hi Doug,

I think the F-4E looks good.

Regards.

Paul.

[canon55k]

Hi Doug,
F4EJ for me, dependant on what sqd marks you can purchase.
i have some 304 sqd a/c in different schemes on slide if that helps.
Ian

[iainpeden]

Hope you didn't leave them on that radiator too long!

[Tug 747]

Hope you didn't leave them on that radiator too long!

Just long enough to get a photo.

[Tug 747]

Well the powers that be have decreed that this is the build that shall be my offering on this GB I only hope that i can get through any problems that i may encounter along the way. I will be finishing this build as 68-0657 which was based at RAF Alconbury and finished in the Euro 1 scheme.
Now i have the decals on order from Hannants and i was hoping to use Tamiya Acrylic on this but i have come up against a issue before i start they do the dark green and the medium green but not the grey that i require so unless any of you out there can advise me what shade of grey to use i may have to use an alternative make of paint.
Any how just got the obligatory sprue shots done and i will start the cockpit and nose cameras tomorrow hopefully and have a progress report for you in a few days time. I am back to work on Thursday for 4 days so please bear with me if no update appears before next week.

[Cimmerian]

What a nice shade of brown. I shall watch with interest, wish I had made my cabinet bigger now I wouldn't mind having a go at that myself.

[Maisie]

Are they raised or engraved panel lines? Never seen a Revell F4 built up. Really makes me want one though! Can't wait to see this progress.

[iainpeden]

The dark grey is 36081 which is 32 in Humbrol; I don't know if they do the acrylic version yet but check xtracolour (Hannants) as I think their whole range is available as xtrcrlix (or some similar title). If you can get photos of the actual a/c it's worth looking at the dark gray as there were variations in the tone of the colour - probably down to application methods. I posted the results of some research I did earllier this year about some Seymour Johnson E's which were parked next to Spang E at an early 1980's Alconbury show; the former were distinctly darker - but can't find it now

[Tug 747]

Are they raised or engraved panel lines?

They are engraved but they are not very prolific

The dark grey is 36081 which is 32 in Humbrol; I don't know if they do the acrylic version yet but check xtracolour (Hannants) as I think their whole range is available as xtrcrlix (or some similar title). If you can get photos of the actual a/c it's worth looking at the dark gray as there were variations in the tone of the colour - probably down to application methods. I posted the results of some research I did earllier this year about some Seymour Johnson E's which were parked next to Spang E at an early 1980's Alconbury show; the former were distinctly darker - but can't find it now

I thought that someone did a thread about the colour Grey on US aircraft and i could not find it either.

[Deacon]

This looks the business.

[iainpeden]

Doug - as promised.
As a project earlier this year I decided to make a 4th TFW F-4E in the lizard (Euro 1) scheme using the Afterburner decals sheet; I decided on 74-1649 because I had seen it at Alconbury in the early/mid 1980s. It was at the time Euro 1 was just coming in and an SP "E" was parked next to the 2 SJ aircraft and the difference in tone and overall finish, very dark grey (sooty) and looking exceptionally matt, of the 2 stateside a/c was in direct contrast to the very clean, lighter grey and almost satin finish of the SP bird.

I eventually made contact with a gentleman who had worked in the sprayshop at Kemble where the European based A-10's and Phantoms were repainted. he remembers the issue clearly as they were getting batches of paint - supposedly of the same grey, coming out very different - but also being significantly affected by the pressure at which the spraying took place.

Just shows it helps to get a photo of the actual aircraft you're modelling. By the way - has the kit you are going to use have the correct profile nose for the a/c being modelled; while I wouldn't bother in 1/72 it is a bit obvious in 1/32.

You may find pictures on this site

http://www.5053phantoms.com/

Hope that helps
Iain

[Tug 747]

Just shows it helps to get a photo of the actual aircraft you're modelling. By the way - has the kit you are going to use have the correct profile nose for the a/c being modelled; while I wouldn't bother in 1/72 it is a bit obvious in 1/32.

You may find pictures on this site

http://www.5053phantoms.com/

Hope that helps
Iain

Thanks for the info Iain just my luck the web site you have mentioned is off line at the moment and i have searched all the usual sites for photos's of 68-0567 and i have found 3 images on Airliners.net and i am sure that i have the correct nose profile and the grey does appear to be a rather dark grey.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Ai ... 9835403988







Any how i have now have the decals and the build has been started and i am currently working on the cockpit and the nose of the A/C and i shall put up some images in the next couple of days.

[iainpeden]

http://www.5053phantoms.com

Working as of 10 seconds ago; looking forward to seeing this finished.

edit:
Doug I have just checked in the Airdoc book USAFE Phantoms in Germany.

First of all the a/c you are modelling was transferred to the 26th TRW at Zweibrucken when Alconbury shut; she still carried the Starize banner on the port side of the nose and the checkerboard in front of the camera window. However the tail codes changed to ZR and 26thTRW - both highlighted in white.

Back to colour - the instructions give the wrong information - the greens should be 34102 and 34079 - what is given are the A-10 colours - Humbrol 117 and 116 respectively. The grey does seem very dark - surely somebody has a picture of her from an Alconbury openday - and, from the pictures I'm looking at the grey seems almost satin with the greens very matt. You have chosen a bit of a challenge to replicate the effect - good luck.

[Tug 747]

from the pictures I'm looking at the grey seems almost satin with the greens very matt. You have chosen a bit of a challenge to replicate the effect - good luck.

Thanks again for the info and i shall endeavour to complete this to the best of my limited abilities

[Tug 747]

Well as promised i have finished the cockpit installed the cameras and joined the 2 halves together it all went together really well and the joins are very good. Only one slight problem i some how managed to get some cement onto the insides of the camera windows when i was installing the cameras and i never noticed it at the time. with the exception of the forward facing camera the others are all slightly out of position with the windows not sure why this is but they can not go any where else in the nose. The seats are not fitted in permanently yet as i intend to leave them to last and the canopies will be open when finished.

The finished cockpit




The installed Cameras


And the 2 halves joined together with the cockpit installed and the seats temporarily in place


Until the next time

[Deacon]

Wow, that looks really good sir.

[Thommo95]

I've seen those sprues somewhere before , great start and like the work on the cameras

[twirl2688]

Great start looking really good

[DerekF]

Coming along nicely. I think I might have built a 1/32 F-4E a long long time ago. Needs a lot space if I recall.