iainpeden

Lovely. Where did you get those markings for the tail?

That looks good (and it's nice to know it isn't only me who has problems with the fit of the Hasegawa kit )

If your project is in 1/72 you should start by looking out for the relevant Modeldecal sheets with roundels, fin flashes, serial and code numbers. Many people on here are experts at producing their own decals using computer art programs, colour copiers and/or printers and clear decal sheet. For the 1/48 requirements you could scale up/down from/to the 1/72 sheets. If you let the forum know your specific requirements you'll be amazed at the spare decals which may wing your way.

The one at Duxford in front of the FGR2 is a clean satin white if that helps. i had a good look at the Duxford Phantom yesterday and noticed something I wasn't previously aware of. The additional air intake doors on the side of the fuselage and underneath are definitly red inside and I always thought the underwing brakes were also red on the insdie. Not on XV474; they have been oversprayed in LAG and have a pinkish tinge to them - obviouly oversprayed becasue there is a narrow strip which hasn't been masked properly. The cylinder of the actuating jack is also pink rather than red. Whether this happened on all the Phantoms on respray - no idea.

If you want more F-4S schemes check out Old Viper Tester's photos here. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235057350-green-flag-81-3-vf-302/

40 out of a total of about 210 ( have lost count). Of the Spey engined Phantoms, I have every RAF and RN squadron kitted, 11 of XV470 (in all her various squadron markings) and a number of doubled up units in the evolving markings they carried. As for dusting - I leave them in gloss finish and they get a bath (Literally) about once a year on the big spring clean.

The F-4S (albeit without the leading edge slats) at East Fortune is in light gull gray overall, VF-301 had Ss in a 4 gray Heater-Ferris splinter scheme and I seem to remember VX-4 had an S as a Black Bunny.

You have 2 choices, the 30 year old Fujimi FGR.2 or the newly released Airfix one. If you want a kit that goes well together, looks good and won't give you grey hair go for the former (I have made over 40). If you want something with some significant omissions, panel lines deeper than the 1:1 original, could have been designed not to fit well and leaves enough unused plastic to give any environmental campaigner apoplexy, go for the Airfix one (I'm currently fighting my 2nd one). 50/50 and you gor the wrong answer!

Thanks, Rick. Interesting it took 3 years to get her from Wattisham to Neatishead. I seem to remember reports that her fuselage was seen on a low-loader going towards the midlands at about the time the Cold War Museum was being opened at Cosford and there was speculation she was on her way there. I mean, how can you have a Cold War Museum without a (complete) Phantom?

Ian Black's "The Last of the Phantoms" has XT895 as scrapped at RAF Valley Fire Section by 9/92. While we're on the subject, does anybody know where XV420 was scapped; she had been preserved at Neatishead?

Lovely work But a word of warning for future builders, I managed to split the seam from cockpit to fin as I put the turret in at the end of the build - that'll teach me to folow instructions!

I checked the Hunter F.6A at Duxford today and got close in to the intake. Having checked the phone pictures I took I would say the nearest match is a matt version of Humbrol 41 - gloss ivory. The fence just inside the intake is silver.

Looks like the panel lines are as over done as on the 1/72 plastic ones.

Light Gull Gray and Light Aircraft Grey are interchangeable - as a well known model paint manufacturer once told me.

Linescriber, I'm interested in your answer. The Italeri one available in most of Europe as the F/G version (also marketed through Tamiya) had the slatted wing whereas yours has the (correct for Japan) "hard wing"; hence Ad-4Ns suggestion it was actually the Esci kit.