RAAF 1/72nd F-4E Phantom - in flight

[Mick Drover]

Hi fellas,

With a few models sitting waiting for the gloss coat to go off, I've cracked out the neat little Hasegawa F-4EJ Kai boxing of the Phantom in 1/72nd scale.

The kit is the perfect starting point for an RAAF machine as all the parts except weapons are included in the box. The RAAF machines had unslated wings so no need for any mods or hacking of the kit. The final item will be an inflight display of A69-7205 carrying two sticks of three 500b bombs on TER's on the inboard stations. Missile stations will be empty but it will have a full compliment of gas bags as per this pic from add-serials (the aircraft in the foreground on the right is A69-7205).

I've skipped the cockpit build for the moment and gone straight to the fuselage to get the bulk of the exterior done as there's nothing too adventurous going on externally.

The blisters just aft of the intakes need to be removed.

Before

After

The sharpie outline for the mounting post is marked here. It turns out I needed to move it forward a panel as it would foul the exhausts when they were inserted. The two blisters further behind the main gear towards the trailing edge have since been removed as Aussie Phantoms didn't have these. Perhaps the F-4 gurus can shed some light on what they were/are?

A start on the cockpit. There's not much to it but once the crew are installed the decal instrument panels should be okay.

The rear section of the nose gear door installed. No filler required here.

I've started to busy up the sidewalls as they will be partly visible. I've no idea what the rear left hand sidewall of an F-4E looks like, but some gizmology will get me by.

For whatever reason the right side is provided as an insert but no mention of it is made in the instructions.

Some of the panel lines on the spine needed reinstating after being removed when cleaning up the seam. Some Pactra tape and an Olfa scriber put them back in their right place.

Before.

After.

The circular access panels also needed some work.

The first effort was made using a fluted punch but I wasn't happy with the result. Perhaps okay for a flat surface but not on a curved one.

I reverted back to the old scribing template and needle for the rest.

Progress so far after two evenings. The outer wings and fin cap have also been adde. You can see the hole where I had to move the mounting post position to.

I've been doing some work on the ejection seats and drop tanks but once they're done I'll load up some pics of them.

Anyway, that's it for the moment. I'll be back with another update tomorrow.

Cheers,

Mick

Edited April 1, 2015 by Mick Drover

[Pappy]

G'day Mick,

Great progress so far. A quick point ref the rear cockpit sidewalls. The details you have are not real accurate, but that is not the issue, as you have said, creative gizmology will suffice, especially if aircrew are to be installed and the canopies shut.

The point wanted to make was that the sidewalls should be recessed under the canopy sill. I may be wrong but your pics look like the plastic inserts are attached to the edge of the sill away from the walls ?

Incidentally, the rear right sidewall part looks like it belongs to a navy Phantom (F-4B/J/S) as these had the quilted arrangement which stuck out away from the sidewall (to accommodate the in-flight refueling probe), whilst Air Force Phantoms had a large circuit breaker panel on the rear right sidewall.

I think this is shaping up really nicely, I assume you will be using the Hasegawa weapons sets?

cheers,

Pappy

[Mick Drover]

G'day Pappy.

Thanks for the info on the side walls. It shouldn't be too difficult to remove the work done so far and adjust as you've mentioned. Pics for the rear walls of an E are hard to find. Do you have any decent refs at all?

Hasegawa weapon sets will indeed be used. I've got the TERs but I'm short on 500 pounders and crew!!!

Cheers,

Mick

Edited April 1, 2015 by Mick Drover

[Pappy]

G'day Pappy.

Thanks for the info on the side walls. It shouldn't be too difficult to remove the work done so far and adjust as you've mentioned. Pics for the rear walls of an E are hard to find. Do you have any decent refs at all?

Hasegawa weapon sets will indeed be used. I've got the TERs but I'm short on 500 pounders and crew!!!

Cheers,

Mick

I'll have a look for both,

cheers,

Pappy

[Mick Drover]

I'll have a look for both,

cheers,

Pappy

Thanks.

[Pappy]

Mick,

This link may be useful,

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=54157

cheers,

Pappy

[Mick Drover]

Mick,

This link may be useful,

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=54157

cheers,

Pappy

That's perfect Pappy. Great find.

Thanks a heap.

Mick

[mirageiv]

Nice clean job, just starting some phantoms of my own too so will look for pointers. Still great little kits these.

Found this link, not sure how accurate it will be for the E though, but as you said with pilots and a shut roof it might be ok;

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/awa01/101-200/awa163-F-4Gcp/00.shtm

cheers

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Nice start Mick

I will follow with interest. I want to build a RAAF F-4E and then the same airframe as a USAF QF-4G. I just have too much on the go at the moment to start another one!

[Andrew]

Excellent start, Mick.

The reinstated detail on the spine looks great and it looks as though you'll have it together and ready for paint in no time.

cheers,

Andrew.

[Mick Drover]

Nice start Mick

I will follow with interest. I want to build a RAAF F-4E and then the same airframe as a USAF QF-4G. I just have too much on the go at the moment to start another one!

G'day Ray. Great idea with the progressive history of the airframe. This jet was converted to an F-4G so perhaps throw that one in the middle too?

Excellent start, Mick.

The reinstated detail on the spine looks great and it looks as though you'll have it together and ready for paint in no time.

cheers,

Andrew.

Thanks Andrew. It's a great little kit and goes together quickly.

Cheers,

Mick

Edited April 2, 2015 by Mick Drover

[Andrew]

Mick,

Let me know if I can help with figures and/or ordnance. I'm in Newcastle, so postage won't be very much.

Andrew.

[Mick Drover]

Mick,

Let me know if I can help with figures and/or ordnance. I'm in Newcastle, so postage won't be very much.

Andrew.

Cheers Andrew. I'll probably take you up on that. All the local hobby shops in Brisbane don't have the two sets that I need. I'll send you a PM.

Thanks,

Mick

[Air-to-Air]

I'll be following this build with interest. An RAAF F-4E in 1/72 scale is one of my "must do" projects. I've no prior experience with Hasegawa's F-4EJ Kai kit but I now have two to work with and I intend on building the first in the upcoming F-4 Group Build (commencing 25 April 2015).

I had a thorough look through the five F-4 references available to me and I am disappointed to report that none had particularly good or complete cockpit details. There was next to nothing concerning the sidewall detail. (Wilson, Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service; Black, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom 1958 onwards (all marks) Owners' Workshop Manual; Anthoni & Deboeck, Phantom II A detailed view of the F-4 E/F & RF-4E; Davis, F-4E Phantom II (Walk Around No.45); Kinzey, F-4 Phantom II in detail & scale USN & USMC versions.)

In the circumstances, why don't you take a look at the sidewall detail on the Aires cockpit set as inspiration? This review contains good clear images of those parts.

[Mick Drover]

I'll be following this build with interest. An RAAF F-4E in 1/72 scale is one of my "must do" projects. I've no prior experience with Hasegawa's F-4EJ Kai kit but I now have two to work with and I intend on building the first in the upcoming F-4 Group Build (commencing 25 April 2015).

I had a thorough look through the five F-4 references available to me and I am disappointed to report that none had particularly good or complete cockpit details. There was next to nothing concerning the sidewall detail. (Wilson, Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service; Black, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom 1958 onwards (all marks) Owners' Workshop Manual; Anthoni & Deboeck, Phantom II A detailed view of the F-4 E/F & RF-4E; Davis, F-4E Phantom II (Walk Around No.45); Kinzey, F-4 Phantom II in detail & scale USN & USMC versions.)

In the circumstances, why don't you take a look at the sidewall detail on the Aires cockpit set as inspiration? This review contains good clear images of those parts.

Thanks Air-to-air.

It's always the way though, a decent reference comes along and the work has already been done. Pappy's reference above got the ball rolling. That has translated into something that 'loosely' resembles the sidewalls of an F-4E.

As this will be buttoned up, I'm only after an approximation of what's in there. This is what I've ended up doing. I ripped out last nights work and rebuilt it this evening.

Passable???

First round of paint.

Other work included tidy up of some of the fuselage seams. The seam that runs through the guts of the metal panels aft of the exhaust needs attention as it will have metal shades applied which will certainly show up any problems.

The right underside of the outer wing join needed a lick of Mr Surfacer to address a gap.

That's it for the moment.

Cheers,

Mick

[Pappy]

G'day Mick,

The cockpits sidewalls are 100% better. You are doing good things with this kit, I'll be watching with interest,

cheers,

Pappy

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

G'day Mick,

The cockpits sidewalls are 100% better. You are doing good things with this kit, I'll be watching with interest,

cheers,

Pappy

Yep

I offloaded my Hasegawa Kai but have an old Esci kit I will probably use for my RAAF E. I am sure I can use some of your tips for the Esci kit

I'll be following this build with interest. An RAAF F-4E in 1/72 scale is one of my "must do" projects. I've no prior experience with Hasegawa's F-4EJ Kai kit but I now have two to work with and I intend on building the first in the upcoming F-4 Group Build (commencing 25 April 2015).

....

Looks like there will be more than one RAAF F-4E in the GB

[Mick Drover]

G'day Mick,

The cockpits sidewalls are 100% better. You are doing good things with this kit, I'll be watching with interest,

cheers,

Pappy

Thanks Pappy.

Yep

I offloaded my Hasegawa Kai but have an old Esci kit I will probably use for my RAAF E. I am sure I can use some of your tips for the Esci kit

Looks like there will be more than one RAAF F-4E in the GB

Cheers Ray.

Dave Edwards pointed out that the regular EJ kit and not the Kai boxing is required, I've got a plain old EJ and not the Kai that I mentioned. my mistake.

Thanks,

Mick