Jabba Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 I am entering this GB with the Academy F-4C/D, in which I will be making the D version as an aircraft from the 171 FIS of the Michigan ANG, by using one of the Caracal Models decal sheets. This will be adding to my collection of models from this Sqn, and there are a few more to come. As I have started late into this GB I may not finish it in the allotted time, but I will continue to post updates until it is completed. This is also the first time that I have built the Academy kit, having built several Hasegawa ones of various guises. The kit. Kit Instructions. Some information. The top picture is the aircraft I am making. (Photo credit to Scott Van Aken via Tim Laming). The Caracal decal sheet that I will be using to make the model. I made a start on the model last night, by way of making up the nose U/C bay and adding the bulkheads to the cockpit. I don't like the way that the U/C bays are made up in that they have no positive locationing, and I am not looking forward to making up the main U/C bays. Also a quick question. As the kit is mainly for making a C version of the Phantom, is there any noticeable differences in the cockpit instrument panels as I am making a D from what is stated in the instructions sheet? I ask because there are several panels included in the kit. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Great choice of both kit and markings. I remember seeing the battle damage repair one at Mildenhall which was from this squadron (if I remember rightly that is). I look forward to seeing how you get on with this one. I can't be sure if there are any differences in the cockpit but I do know that the IR sensor under the nose was slightly different. Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Thanks for the info. I think the undernose sensor is catered for in the kit as there are several. A question to anyone who has built this kit? How did you get on with the main U/C bays. I put one together last night and even though I followed the instructions to the letter, it seemed not quite to fit the area it is meant to in the wing, plus the centre bar was too small for the bay altogether. Any help would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 I have built up the basic cockpit, spraying the instrument panels white so as to aid the applying of the grey paint. One thing that I have found strange with the kit is that although it is quite detailed in some areas, in others it is not. The rear cockpit has flying instruments including the throttles (I think), whilst the throttles are not added in the front cockpit. I have also done some trial fitting of the fuselage, and it seems a little pinched at the base. Hopefully it will fit correctly when all the internal gubbings are fitted. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Will be watching your build with interest as you know your way around the F-4 The Caracal decals look good, I like the way they come with an additional sheet which includes the walkways. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Air-to-Air Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I am following this build closely as it sounds as though you will have some very useful observations concerning the kit. I recently acquired the Eduard Good Evening Da Nang boxing of this kit and I'm keen to learn as much as I can before I make a start on it at some later date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 Will be watching your build with interest as you know your way around the F-4 The Caracal decals look good, I like the way they come with an additional sheet which includes the walkways. Michael I would not call myself an expert on the Phantom, although I did work on them at RAF St Athan for two and a half years, but only actually worked on 5 aircraft. Yes I did forget to photo the walkway sheet at the start, I will do this on my next update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 A small update. I have added both wheel and air brake bays to the lower wing, plus I have made up the air intakes. I had to remove the Stbd wheel bay as it had not fitted correctly, and I am still not that happy with the non positive fit of parts. Will be painting the cockpit area soon, plus adding the upper wing halves. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 A small update on my progress so far. I have put together the wings and all the stuff that goes into the fuselage that fits on the lower wing such as intakes and engines. Although there ws no real positive locationing it was better than the main U/C wheel and air brake bays. I have also painted up the cockpit, but I still have the throttles to add to both cockpits. I have also carried out a trial fitting of the fuselage which is a lot better than I orignally thought that it was going to be as the fuselage was rather pinched at the base of it. Anyway some photos. I am a bit concerned about the fit of the fwd lower fuselage to the main wing as it is just a butt join, so I will add some plasti card to aid the fit. I filled in some of the ejector marks and other holes that were quite visual when I looked at them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Another small update. I have completed the cockpit, adding the pilots throttles and the U/C operating lever. This was then glued to the lower fwd fuselage, and hopefully this will be glued the the rear assy soon. I had a slight spillage of liquid poly the other night with this part being slightly damaged. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Liquid poly! So easily done, instant damage. The kit sounds like a mix of good and, well, weird. Thanks for including the top tips as you go along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Added some of the bigger parts, which although fitted quite well still required some pressure here and there so that they fitted better. Hopefully some more bigger parts will be fitted in the next day or so, so that I can see what is required filling wise. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mozzy19 Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Looking good Jabba. Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta7 Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Looks good ,one day I'll add one of these to the collection 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 Thanks for the kind words. A bit of a slight disaster last night. Having fitted the main part of the fin, I then wanted to fit the small intake part that sits at the front of the fin, only to find that I had fitted the fin too far to the rear of the model. Nothing was whereabouts the fin was actually to sit in the slot provided for it. So off it came along with the blast panel parts, and was then repositioned in its correct place and the other parts then refitted to the model along with the small intake. It does also seem on this model that some of the plastics are softer than others, in that the white melts quite easily, whilst the darker plastic seems a bit harder. I am not blaming this on my ineptitude and am now progressing a little further and slower with the model. More photos soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 All the major parts are now together and filler where required added. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Nice work, Definitely beginning to look like a Phantom mow. Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mozzy19 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Looking good. We're seeing the proper Phantom shape now! Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 (edited) I have finished sanding and I have added the inner wing pylons. I am not sure what weapons I will be fitting, but I am sure that some Sidewinders will be fitted. I have also sent off to Hypersonics for their replacement nose air intake, which are better than the kit ones. Any comments are welcome. Edited July 17, 2015 by Jabba 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 The air intakes from Hypersonic arrived today, and have now been fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dermo245 Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Looking the part, nice work on those seams too. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 I know that I will not finish this one before the deadline, but at least I have some paint on the model. I have also added that U/C, which was a slight pain. This was due to believing a reviewer in a mag who said that it can be fitted later than what the instructions say. Well it can but I had to remove a small amount so that it fitted into the wheel bay correctly. I will also paint the anti dazzle panel and start on the back end tonight. A quick question, I haveseen ground to air ANG units with the gun fitted on the centre line pylon, but did the air defence ANG units do so as standard or as part of a role fit? I have seen the famous picture of the Michigan ANG phantom with 5 gun pods fitted, but I don't want to do that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 I started to paint the tailplanes last night, I don't know why I didn't when I painted the rest of the model only to find that the triangular reinforcing plates are not there and the aircraft that I am modelling requires them. I have looked on the sprues to see if they maybe parts for them, but no so I will have to try and make these from thin plasti-card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 I have now applied all of the bigger decals, and will apply the smaller ones tonight. I had put together the ejection seats but I did not like the look of them so I decided to get a set from Hypersonics along with their canopy set. I think that these ejection seat may not be the correct mark for the time period that the model comes from, but they just look a lot better. I will also start to make up the weaponry in the next day or so. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimrod54 Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Looking good Jabba, keep going bud nearly there now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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