John B

YAY!!! You made it in time!

Wonderful progress. It's a shame the deadline isn't another week away. Don't compromise the quality of your work by rushing now. I look forward to seeing photos of the completed product regardless of the Group Build deadline. "thumbsup:

The past week has been somewhat repetitive. 1- Paint gloss color. 2- Wait 2 days for paint to cure enough that tape doesn't mar it. 3- Mask areas to remain that color. 4- Repeat. To me, Model Master Acryl Gloss Gull Gray FS16440 looks too dark for scale effect. I added gloss white to lighten it to my taste. The red is MM Acryl Guards Red and MM Insignia red mixed 1:1. Here's the status photo of this project on deadline day. A lot of areas remain masked and many parts are simply placed on the model for this photo. I didn't finish in time. Try as I might, gloss paints can't be rushed to cure. Oh well.

So if I'm following the Hawker Hunter story correctly, reasons why Airfix should not produce a 1/48 Hunter kit are - - sales of the Academy kit were much lower than anticipated - the perceived demand was not reflected in sales numbers - the accuracy/inaccuracy of the kit seemed to have little bearing on sales Am I correct in this? If so, then the idea that "the only market survey numbers that count are the number of units sold" still holds true. Other examples of failed/disappointing investment by other model companies include the 1/48 PBY Catalina and 1/48 SB2U Vindicators. What about the idea that Airfix could rent/ lease the Academy Hunter molds and rebox them with the "Airfix" label and artwork? With good boxart, a timely release (ie during the holiday gift-shopping season, a key anniversary or with a movie tie-in), "Airfix branding", and the "limited re-release" moniker attached, could there be enough unit sales generated? My guess is that "targeted marketing and price" could be just one of many key factors. If the targeted marketed was "small boys with their fathers", my guess is that a kit with popular markings, molded in "pre-colored" plastic, and packaged basic tools (paint, paintbrush, glue, hobby knife and sanding stick) would be the route to go. If the market was "a seasoned modeller", the approach might be a kit with gray plastic, photo-etch details, resin, and pre-cut masks. Two entirely different markets with different marketing methods and the accompanying kit prices.

I've read (and I agree with) the statements why Airfix should produce Hunters and early Harriers in 1/48th. I'm curious though, why should not Airfix produce them? - Is the company already commited as which new molds they will produce for the next 5 years? - Do the decision-makers at Hornby feel that the decades old 1/48 Harrier/Sea Harrier molds are more than adequate? - Is my perception incorrect that the Harrier and Hunter would be very popular subjects in the UK? - Are modelers in the UK content with the Academy Hunter? - Do the UK modelers feel that there are other subjects they would would want more than a new 1/48 Hunter or early Harrier? In my mind, the Supermarine Spitfire symbolizes British aviation in WW2. The Hunter equates to the RAF in the 1950s. The Lightning in the 1960s. The Harrier represents the UK victory in the Falklands. I really don't understand why a British model company wouldn't be justly proud to produce Harrier and Hunter kits in 1/48th. (I'm an American, so apologies for any errors in my perception. I also apologize in advance if I've caused any offense for any national wounds.)

Okay I goofed another thing up about Phantoms. I should've posted "MOST Navy/Marine Phantoms don't have this feature". If you have the Blue Angels book that came with most recent Blue Angel release of the Monogram F-4J, you'll find the picture of an F-4J with the arrow shape. It's on page 25 at the top of the page. It's F-4J BuNo 153086. Another image is in the Bildband Pictorial USMC Phantoms book. On page 31 bottom image. It's F-4J BuNo153771 and it also clearly shows the arrow shape. Those 2 F-4Js are the only ones that I have found pics showing the arrow shape. I'm sure if I keep digging, I can probably find a few more. I've had to squeeze spraying laquers on days when the air air isn't too cold that it does weird things to the laquer. I sprayed Alclad around the exhaust section, primed the remaining airframe with Tamiya Matt White spray laquer. I did this to even out the colors of the plastic, strip styrene, and resin as well seal the filler. It also allowed to use less gloss white and get better coverage when I painted the undersurfaces. Unfortunately, I didn't shoot any in-progress shots and all the masking is still on. So the only update picture is this boring image. The deadline is looming and I don't think this Phantom will be completed in time. I'll post my updates until the last minute and then continue my updates in the "In-Progress" section.

Bravissimo!!! Molto bene pintura!!!

It's down to the wire, but does anyone have a spare set of 1/48 Hasegawa canopy acutators? They are parts D12 and D13 and they are in every 1/48 Hasegawa F-4 kit. In the worst case, I could always fabricate them with tubing, but I thought I'd post this first.

I'm pulling for you to finish! I'm wondering if I have enough time to finish my own project, but I starting so late and getting bogged down in details weren't favorable. Good luck! I hope you finish in time.

Seeing the in-progress and completed images of those models is astounding. Seeing them together leaves me at loss for words!

Another holdover from the kit's F-4C/D lineage was the USAF-style wheelhubs. Steel Beach offers Navy-style replacements as part of the F-4J updates and seperately. (I no longer own the 1/48 ESCI/Italeri F-4J, but I seem to remember it having the same feature.) One thing about the Monogram kit that has always bugged me is the frames on the windscreen. I used what I learned from my Corsair build and applied it here. I sanded off the old frames and adapted pre-cut masks to paint the frames in the correct position. Compared to photos, the Monogram 'burner petals look too long. (this photo from San Diego Air & Space Museum) I'm substituting the Monogram parts with Cobra Company parts which look more correct in terms of length... ... and offer more detail... ...but are slightly smaller in diameter compared to the Monogram parts.

I posed this question in the "Cold War" forum, but I thought a more targetted audience might know the answer. Does anyone have the dimensions on the tailfeathers of the J-79 engine used on the F-4E/EJ/F/G/J/S? I'm looking at the 'burner petals on the 1/48 Monogram F-4J and they look too long compared to the surrounding panel lines. I picked up a set of the "long" petal J-79 engines from Cobra Company, but they look on the small side compared to the panel lines and REALLY small compared to the Monogram kit parts. I've tried sliding the 1/48 Hasegawa "late" J-79 burner petals into the Monogram F-4 fuselage and they also look a little small, but I don't know how big they're supposed to be. I know there are a few Phantoms on display in my area, but either they're charging admission (which I don't want to pay just to measure an engine), too high off the ground to measure, or the engines have been removed. Sometmes museum restorations have odd features that don't reflect in-use examples.(see pic) In a related quesion, are the AIRES late J-79 burner cans bigger than the Hasegawa ones?

Does anyone have the dimensions on the tailfeathers of the J-79 engine used on the F-4E/EJ/F/G/J/S? I'm looking at the 'burner petals on the 1/48 Monogram F-4J and they look too long compared to the surrounding panel lines. I picked up a set of the "long" petal J-79 engines from Cobra Company, but they look on the small side compared to the panel lines and REALLY small compared to the Monogram kit parts. I've tried sliding the 1/48 Hasegawa "late" J-79 burner petals into the Monogram F-4 fuselage and they also look a little small, but I don't know how big they're supposed to be. I know there are a few Phantoms on display in my area, but either they're charging admission (which I don't want to pay just to measure an engine), too high off the ground to measure, or the engines have been removed. Sometmes museum restorations have odd features that don't reflect in-use examples.(see pic) In a related quesion, are the AIRES late J-79 burner cans bigger than the Hasegawa ones?

Hey now, I've worn the monikers "Jarhead", "Leatherneck", "Devil Dog" and "MARINE", I wore all of them with pride. I take no issue with the post title when the subject model is a Marine Phantom that looks as wonderful as this one does. (Believe me, I really have an interest in Phantoms, Corsairs and Hornets, especially those in Marine markings.) I really like the appearance of the work done in the cockpit, restrained weathering and bare-metal finish around the tail. OUTSTANDING WORK!

Those B&W images are very convincing!

Not much of an update, but I wanted to take pictures before I concealed the identity of the styrene and resin with subsequent paint. I installed the ALQ-126 underwing antennas from the Steel Beach update and sanded them to match the size and shape of the photos I found. The Monogram F-4J doesn't represent the sight glass of the gunsight and I couldn't find a clear image of the old gunsight installed in the coaming. I just put styrene on the cowl with "inspiration" from on-line images of the Duxford F-4J. I also added some wiring for the RIOs instrument panel to "represent" the wiring harnesses and some detail in an otherwise bare areas. My feeble skills prevent me from accurately duplicating the actual article, but I feel it looks better than leaving it as-is. I should mention that Steel Beach also produced an extensive F-4S conversion. I've included 2 pictures (with permission) of the pre-release test-shot that provides a great comparison with my build. To the F-4J update, the Steel Beach F-4S conversion adds the wing modifications in the form of vinyl and resin. I'm not certain if I can finish my Phantom before the build deadline, but I'll give it a try.

Are you joking? If you don't like her, I'll adopt her and put her in my display case. She looks just fine.

STOP THE PRESSES!!! I GOOFED (again)!!! I just re-examined the photos I'm using as references. The antennas by the speedbrakes ARE there! They have different shapes than the ALQ-126 shapes, could they be the earlier ECM fit? (ALQ-50 or ALQ-100???) Look at this photo -Red Devil 4 You can see the starboard underwing antenna just ahead of the flap! It's SMALLER than the antenna on the late F-4J and F-4S, but there is an antenna present. Now look at this photo - Red Devil 13 You can see the other port underwing antenna next to the port main gear door. Also smaller, also present. Here's the CCTV footage - Red Devils 5 & 9 You can see both underwing antennas!!! AARGH!!! Curse my addled brain...

I feel compelled to confess to more errors I made in this build... 1) I put the shoulder belts over the seat, they loop over the bar on the back armor plate. 2) The gunsight in the Hasegawa kit doesn't look like the AU-1 gunsight. 3) The handgrip panels weren't yellow. I found a large hi-rez Life Magazine picture of Gerry Coleman (the inspiration for my build) in his AU-1. >>>HERE<<< It clearly shows the layout of the shoulder belts and gunsight.

Thanks to everyone for the compliments, but I feel compelled to confess to more errors I made on the AU-1... 1) I put the shoulder belts over the seat, they loop over the bar on the back armor plate. 2) The gunsight in the Hasegawa kit doesn't look like the AU-1 gunsight. 3) The handgrip panels weren't yellow. I found a large hi-rez Life Magazine picture of Gerry Coleman (the inspiration for my build) in his AU-1. >>>HERE<<< It clearly shows the layout of the shoulder belts and gunsight.

I don't know how I missed this thread earlier (and entire F-4 group build). There aren't enough "ph" adjectives after "phabulous" and "phantastic" to describe this Phantom! It strikes me that this kit has minimal aftermarket and maximal modeller technique to bring out all that wonderful detail. Are the markings and stencils kit-supplied decals as well? I really like the effect you achieved on bare-metal areas! What shades of Alclad did you use for the bare-metal tail sections? Did you use a laquer, enamel, or acrylic paint for the black undersurface? As enthusiastic as I am about modelling Phantoms (especially MARINE Phantoms), I must admit that replicating the metal areas daunts me.

The Steel Beach F-4J and F-4S Updates for the Monogram Phantom include the proper Navy-style IFR probe door. It was thoughtfully produced in gray vinyl so as to NOT contrast with the surrounding plastic. I applied it using a technique used by sign painters. 1) Peel the backing sheet from the vinyl. 2) Immerse the vinyl into a dish-soap/water solution. 3) Apply the vinyl to the plastic as though it a decal. The soap/water solution allows the vinyl to be properly positioned. 4) Once in the right position, squeeze out the water to allow the adhesive to bond to the surface. The Steel Beach update includes refined airscoops which also fit the Monogram F-4C/D kits. Also included in the Steel Beach update are the 4 undersurface antennas for the ALQ-126 system. These antennas (installed on F-4Js from the mid-1970s onwards and all F-4Ss) were indicated by the antennas on the intake "shoulders". The undersurface antennas were next to the speedbrakes and at the wingroots. Since the plane I want to model didn't yet have the ALQ-126 system installed, I omitted the underwing antennas. * The F-4J I'm modelling did have the earlier wing-root antennas, so I sanded the larger wingroot antenna to match the smaller one and installed them. I used quarter-round stock styrene to refine the leading edge of the ailerons and sheet styrene to cover the gap on the flaps. I replaced the plastic pressure sensors on the tail with FineMolds brass items. I also removed the splitter plate/ variramps (what is the correct term?) to simplify seam-filling and painting. Last photo before painting begins. *EDIT - See update below.

WOW! WOW! WOW! The addition of markings certainly took it from "ho-hum overall gray" to "Woo-hoo! Hi-Viz color". The "MARINES" on the side makes it all the the more menacing as well.* Certainly motivates me to pick up my tools and work on my Phantom kit. * Completely unscientific biased opinion.

Both of these models are 1/48 Hasegawa Corsairs in USMC markings during the Korean War. Both kits still need armaments loaded and a few more weathing steps performed. The F4U-4 is the old Hasegawa kit (with raised lines) converted to a cannon-armed F4U-4B with parts from the new-mold Hasegawa Corsair. The True Details cockpit (intended for the Academy kit) was adapted to fit the Hasegawa fuselage. The level of detail over the kit cockpit definitely makes it a cost-effective investment. The erroneously-molded windscreen frames were sanded off and painted in the proper position. A simple, yet effective solution! This shot illustrates many of the donor parts incorporated. The engine, propeller, exhausts, rocket stubs, and 20mm cannon are from the new-mold Hasegawa F4U-5/-5N/-7/ AU-1 kit. The wingroot inlets, landing gear, and gear doors are Tamiya Corsair parts. The beautifully-detailed wheels are Ultracast replacements. The markings for VMA-332 aboard USS Bairoko are from Cutting Edge. The second Corsair is the Hasegawa AU-1 in VMA-323 markings. The cockpit was enhanced by the removal of the radar scope (a feature of the F4U-5N night-fighter) and replacement with an instrument decal, swithboxes atop the instrument coaming from the True Details cockpit set, and seatbelts from an out-of-production Promodeller decal sheet. Most of the decals are from Eagle Strike for a F4U-4B. They were positioned to match photos of VMA-323s AU-1s along with additional generic decals for the gear doors. The wheels were Tamiya Corsair donor wheels. A Marine Corsair family portrait. The in-progress posts are here >>>AU-1<<< and here >>>F4U-4B<<<

After my initial experience attempting to replicate the exhausts stains on my F4U-4, using MIG pigments didn't work so well on my AU-1. The finish is just too glossy for them to adhere to the paint. I'll try to replicate the exhaust stains again when the Tamiya Weathering sets are restocked locally. I tried applying a light gray wash to the panel lines, but the contrast was a little too stark for my taste. I rinsed the wash away, but some of it remains in places. This shot shows how nicely-detailed the kit engine is. A wash and light dry-brush really made those characteristic bolt heads stand out nicely. It also shows where the interior green/ sea blue demarcation line is inside the cowl. The wing pylons are only held in-place by friction. The plan is to load 3 250-lb bombs on each wing and 2 500-lb bombs on the inner stations. The armament boxes on the instrument cowl came from the True Details F4U-4 cockpit set. The instrument panel is still not 100% accurate, but I think the minimal change I made was very effective . At least it doesn't look like the radar-equiped -5N cockpit anymore! The "inverted T-shaped" radar altimeter antennas and wheels are Tamiya Corsair parts. Here's the shot to compare to the closing images in my previous in-progress posts. The family portrait of both 90% complete Corsairs. There's still more weathering and underwing items to be added, but the planes themselves are finished.