NontasB Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Hello to all, here is my current build , hasegawa's RF-4B in 1/72. The only aftermarket will be the ejection seats from Quickboost and I will try to put some detail everywhere I can, using evergreen plastics. The kit gives the opportunity for two Vietnam-era birds with gull gray vertical and two post Vietnam with black vertical. I chose the 614 modex from the very last days of VMCJ-1. (In 1975 all the VMCJ squadrons disestablished and gave the RF-4B's to the newely established VMFP-3) Starting with the pitot... Second, the cockpit. First hasegawa's offering.. And then the reworked cockpit with additions of evergreen. Then I tried to put some detail to the exhaust of J79-GE-8 I will represent also the intakes, so I needed the fans of the engines..so evergreen once again with pieces of the sprues. Next, the cameras. RF-4B carried only three cameras, KS-87, KA-87 and KA-55A and not the side cameras in station 2. I had no photos of them, but I found a photo of an RF-4B that propably carried side-cameras KS-87. The photo is from the book ''USMC Phantoms in combat'' So I made the cameras. So this is where I am until now. Any comments, critisism, suggestions, things to fix, I would like to hear all. Regards, Nontas 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAF Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Considering that this is 1/72nd scale, your detail work is most impressive! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Great work Nontas. It all looks very good; I like the improvements you've made to the nozzles in particular. I'm looking forward to the next steps. cheers, Andrew. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 WOW! That detail work is just mind blowing!! AMainzg work and I can't wait to see this come together! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinky coffeeboat Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Wow, such excellent work! Great skill proving a little bit of modelling effort and who needs resin aftermarket!! The engine exhaust are very nice. Jeff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin-42 Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Wow! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwinism Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 That's astonishing work - love it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vasily Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Amazing!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS-Flyer Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Stunning bit of scratchbuilding! The work on the nozzles alone is amazing. The rest is just showing off, just kidding. Great progress. -Jeff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NontasB Posted December 7, 2015 Author Share Posted December 7, 2015 Thank you very much for your kind words!! It only needs patience and good will and everything can be done easily. Regards, Nontas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 and I mean Your detailing job makes it look like you're working in 1/32 scale!! My hat's off to you! I shall copy some of your ideas for my current build, if you don't mind. Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NontasB Posted December 8, 2015 Author Share Posted December 8, 2015 and I mean Your detailing job makes it look like you're working in 1/32 scale!! My hat's off to you! I shall copy some of your ideas for my current build, if you don't mind. Ciao Thank you very much Giorgio!! I am following your builds. I liked very much the F-4J and I look forward for the progress to the F-4C. Copy any ideas you like and if you want any help, I'm here to help. That is the great thing about modelling forums. To help each other and to give and take ideas. I would like also to copy your/Gene's idea for the intakes. The look from the front of the intake is absolutely great! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene K Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 That is some of the most excellent scratch building I've ever seen!! Nontas, I have to alert the best recce expert I know (ReccePhreak) to come see this! Gene K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReccePhreak Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Next, the cameras. RF-4B carried only three cameras, KS-87, KA-87 and KA-55A and not the side cameras in station 2. I had no photos of them, but I found a photo of an RF-4B that propably carried side-cameras KS-87. Any comments, critisism, suggestions, things to fix, I would like to hear all. Regards, Nontas Sorry Nontas, that is incorrect. The RF-4B, like the USAF RF-4C, had 3 stations for optical cameras. Station 1 was for the Forward Oblique or Forward Vertical camera. The camera used there was the KS-87 not the KA-87 (No such camera). It would be either in the oblique position (looking forward) or the vert position, looking down. Do NOT put a lens looking out both the Fwd Vert and the FOB window at the same time, like some aftermarket resin sets do, totally impossible! Station 2 was for the low altitude vertical camera, as well as the 2 side obliques. It could have cameras looking out all 3 windows, depending on what cameras & focal length lenses were installed. The KA-56 was a lo-alt panoramic camera, looking out the bottom window. On the oblique windows, if the cameras had a 3" or 6" lens, then 2 cameras could be installed at the same time. If a 12" or 18" lens was installed, then only the Left Oblique OR the Right Oblique could be installed (Not both). Station 3 was the High Altitude station. It could carry either a single KS-87 in the vertical position (3", 6', 12" or 18" lens), 2 KS-87 cameras in the Split Vert config (Same lens options), or one of the following panoramic cameras = KA-55, KA-82 or KS-116. Larry Engesath Phormer Photo Phantom Phixer 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene K Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 (edited) Nice post, Larry! Thanks for joining in. Gene K Edited December 8, 2015 by Gene K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReccePhreak Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) Nice post, Larry! Thanks for joining in. Gene K I wasn't too sure if I should have posted that or not, but then Britmodeller is okay about people talking technical. Unlike another major forum, where people got irate at me for saying that the USAF did not cut off the nose of one type of RF-4C, in order to weld it onto another RF-4C. Those self-appointed SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) thought that if it could be done on a plastic model, then it should be able to be done on the real thing. That's when I just gave up, and then was accused of "taking my ball & going home"! Larry Edited January 24, 2016 by ReccePhreak 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin-42 Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 ReccePhreak, One of the things I love about this forum is thread drift, technical info and pages of chats that have nothing to do with the model. I have learned many things, and anybody that can segue from Fairy Fireflies to King Crimson and back is ok by me. Learning about these machines and how to model them is why we are here. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NontasB Posted December 9, 2015 Author Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) Thank you very much all you guys for your kind words. ReccePhreak thank you very very much for the infos about the cameras. When I wrote KS-87,KA-87 and KA-55 I meant station 1 KS-87, station 2 KA-87 (that's what is written in wikipedia, but I think now that it is incorrect, since you were around recce phantoms and you know better) and station 3 KA-55. My question about the cameras is if I can put in station 2 three cameras, KA-56 and the two KS-87. Since I' m building a US marine RF-4B and not RF-4C, I don't know if Marines used the tri-camera set in station 2. In most photos the side camera windows look empty. Only in the one I posted from the book USMC phantoms in combat seems to have something like camera lens. Wikipedia does not say anything for the tri-camera set, neither other sites. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II_variants) F4H-1P (RF-4B) Tactical reconnaissance version of F-4B for United States Marine Corps, nose stretched 4 ft 9 in (1.4 m), smaller AN/APQ-99 radar. Three camera bays typically carried KS-87 forward oblique/vertical camera on Station 1, KA-87 low-altitude camera on Station 2, and KA-55A or KA-91 high-altitude panoramic camera on Station 3. Also carried AN/APQ-102 reconnaissance SLAR, AN/AAD-4 infrared reconnaissance system, and ALQ-126 ECM suite. The KS-72 or KS-85 cameras were on rotating mounts and could be aimed in flight which improved upon the earlier RF-4C which could only be aligned on the ground.[3] In 1975, modernized under Project SURE (Sensor Update and Refurbishment Effort); 46 built. Retired in 1990. 4 lost in Vietnam.[4] First flown 12 March 1965 (http://fas.org/irp/program/collect/rf-4.htm) In February 1963 the Marine Corps agreed to acquire the first 9 of what would eventually amount to a fleet of 46 RF-4Bs, a photographic reconnaissance version of the basic F-4 Phantom. The RF-4B was generally similar to the more numerous Air Force RF-4C, with a lengthened nose designed for reconnaissance applications. Three separate camera bays in the nose were designated Stations 1, 2, and 3, and carried a variety of cameras, which unlike the cameras of the RF-4Cs were on rotating mounts so they could be aimed at targets off the flight path. Station 1 carried one forward oblique or vertical KS-87 camera Station 2 carried a KA-87 low-altitude camera Station 3 normally carried a KA-55A high-altitude panoramic camera Station 3 could also carry the much larger KS-91 high-altitude panoramic camera or the KS-127A camera In station 1 I will put KS-87 looking forward and in station 3 the KA-55 (I think it's KA-55 the camera I have made) If there are any photos of the cameras I would be very grateful!! Thanks, Nontas Edited December 10, 2015 by NontasB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene K Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Nontas, I keep looking at your beautifully detailed cockpit - just stunning. Whose are the resin seats you'll be using? Gene K 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NontasB Posted December 11, 2015 Author Share Posted December 11, 2015 Nontas, I keep looking at your beautifully detailed cockpit - just stunning. Whose are the resin seats you'll be using? Gene K Thank you very much again Gene!! It's always nice to hear a good word for a Phantom build, from a Phantom Phlyer! I wish I could add more things, but I think It's detailed enough for 1/72. I mean, it looks busy so it's better than just decals. The seats are from Quickboost and I think that the seat pillow is sitting a bit higher than normal, but I don't mind so much. I have Aires seats too, but I'll keep them for my rest Phantoms. I have 11 more in my stash. 7 Hasegawa (2x -B/N ,2x -S, 2x -E, 1x -RF-4E), 2 Revell (F - RF-4E), 1 Esci (J UK) and 1 Fujimi British Phantom. The -C and -D are missing only but they're on my mind for the future. Nontas 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene K Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 I have 11 more in my stash. 7 Hasegawa (2x -B/N ,2x -S, 2x -E, 1x -RF-4E), 2 Revell (F - RF-4E), 1 Esci (J UK) and 1 Fujimi British Phantom. The -C and -D are missing only but they're on my mind for the future. Nice collection!! I don't think the poor Revell kits are worthy of your skill. Good luck finding a Hasegawa F-4C/D kit ... hopefully Academy will follow their nice F-4J with one!! Gene K 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NontasB Posted December 11, 2015 Author Share Posted December 11, 2015 (edited) Nice collection!! I don't think the poor Revell kits are worthy of your skill. Good luck finding a Hasegawa F-4C/D kit ... hopefully Academy will follow their nice F-4J with one!! Gene K That's what I'm waiting for!! Academy!! The only thing that I don't like is the one piece canopy... I have built another one revell in the past (2012) as an -E (F converted to E), here it is: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234979194-revell-f-4e-172-hellenic-air-force/ Nontas Edited December 11, 2015 by NontasB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene K Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I have built another one revell in the past (2012) as an -E (F converted to E), here it is: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234979194-revell-f-4e-172-hellenic-air-force/ Beautiful - I really admire your modeling skills - first rate!! I'll be following all your builds, for sure (and I have to catch up on your previous). Merry Christmas to me. Gene K 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NontasB Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Beautiful - I really admire your modeling skills - first rate!! I'll be following all your builds, for sure (and I have to catch up on your previous). Merry Christmas to me. Gene K Thank you for your kind words Gene!! I haven't post many models here. I will try someday to post them all (If I manage to photograph them). This HAF phantom was from 2012 and I've learned a lot about modelling since then. The most important...to be more patient and more methodical. I hope I will have an update until the end of the year for the RF. Best regards, Nontas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Great work Nontas! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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