Building a HAS

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And a quick Phantom pic from Bentwaters last year

 

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Bit more done.  The wings are attached, and the exhaust nozzles have had some paint & a test fit

 

 

The nose has had a sand down & coat of primer.  I was a bit worried by the 2 part nose & having a visible joint.  Think it will be ok though

 

 

I didn’t like the 2 part piece between the front & back tubs so I put a piece of plasticard across it   On to checking the wing & body joints next

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All the main parts are on.  No work on the wheels yet or tanks, gun, missiles & pylons, but the main body looks good to go.  First coat is more to find spots to fix than any colour reason.  So may go car dark grey primer

 

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Put on a coat of car primer and now have a grubby grey F-4. Fit seems ok, just a few spots to touch up

 

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So decided the wing brace was needed.  My last two uk Phantoms had them on so I thought this one should join in.  I just made up a paper template and stuck it on, painted then started underside pre shading

 

 

The top got the various colours on it too

 

 

Then Tamiya LAG over the underside.  The shading does show - honest!

 

 

Then preshade on the top

 

 

And grey over it.  The nose is actually darker, and the tail got some blue.  It is French blue and I think it’s a bit light.  Sure it should be nearer to navy blue.  But since I don’t have any darker blue at the moment.  it is a start

 

 

Tail is done too

 

 

 

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First test of the wheels (held on with blutac) and the canopy.  Starting to look like a spook now.  Still think that tail blue is too light

 

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So quick shot in daylight to see the colour.  It should be insignia blue but it looks nearer to low viz insignia!  Need to get some proper blue paint

 

 

And the wheels are glued on

 

 

And even got the wheel well doors on.  The canopy has its black inside done.  Got to paint the outside frame.  Need to build a periscope for the centre section too

 

 

I don’t have a Phantom problem, honest!

 

 

Mind you that’s just the RAF ones, there is an F-4D and an RF-4C upstairs!

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Got a plan for the FGR2 identity.  Going 19 Sqn and looking for good reference photos found this

 

 

XT902 photographed here at Wattisham from the ABPic website.  I was all set to build the periscope and add a spinal antenna but no, not seen on this one.

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New tail blue is on and the canopy is attached

 

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Just about finished & ready for decals

 

 

And started the decals.  Not done the serial number yet ( going to be XT902) but she has her 19 Sqn tail

 

 

you can just see the slightly darker main wing tops in this pic - not noticeable in all lights.  More decalling and a few bits before I call her done but coming along

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And she has her identity

 

 

And coming along now.  Got to d3cide if I go for a full set of stencils, even though most can’t be seen in the reference photos

 

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Thinking about the remaining bits to do.  Still no belts on the seats, so need to sort them.  Started painting the wing tanks and Aim 9 rails.  Was thinking of leaving these empty but fitting two dummy/ballast sky flashes.  Borrowed some FOD covers from a US F-4 so fit is poor - need to make some new ones.  And my previous Phantom ladders are a bit past it, so a new paint of ladders are needed.  Posed with the ill fitting FODs and the stand alone ladder ( this one is still ok)

 

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Went for the classic air shows of the late 80s line up using my recent builds

 

 

And then today started on the new FOD covers.  Porgressing nicely.  Just made from cereal box cardboard and waste telephone wire

 

 

Then an I went and knocked off one half of the tail.  Always thought the whole thing on a tiny pin was asking for trouble

 

 

Going to have to look at putting a rod right through & find a good way to fix on the stabilisers and get the angle right

 

All done while I was shaping up some tape to form a nose strap

 

 

Not sure if it is too thick.  Might just need some colour on it to make it look better.

 

 

 

 

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Well after knocking off the rear horizontal last night, dug out some wire & started making a rod to go right through & fix both sides to it

 

 

FOD covers are painted & fitted, along with the nose strap and rbf tags.  Front end is looking better

 

 

And underneath the tanks and rails are painted & two balast Skyflashes are in place

 

 

Still lots of stncils to do but quite happy with it now

 

 

 

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The FGR2 isn’t really finished yet but a silly cheap kit I picked up a while back keeps getting my attention.  It’s just sitting there going ‘build me!’  It’s a Siat / MMB Flamingo trainer.  Very few parts, very little detail, doesn’t fit my usual build criteria but what the heck

 

 

if I build it as the Turkish version it could even go in to the trainer group build

 

 

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I put an RFI of the FGR2 up today after I got the HAS out with a little sunshine

 

 

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So been progressing the little Flamingo build as part of the trainers GB, so thought I would put progress so far.  This one may be little but it has been putting up a fight!

 

 

lots to finish off & tidy up but she is getting there

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Got the Flamingo finished off today and got the HAS out too pose her.  They have HASes in Turkey, so why not?

 

 

Its been a fun little distraction of a kit that could well have ended up lost somewhere in the stash.  

 

So what next? Three options spring to mind

 

 

Yes, the ESCI Alphajet Kit I picked up couple of weeks back is tempting, but the F-16 to be built as a Bentwaters aggressor, the vacform TSR2 or more effort in to the scratch build F-27 are the front runners.  I fancy doing the F-16, then the TSR2.  With the F-27 ticking along in the background

 

[xffw45343tg]

Good plan. I'm looking forward to the TSR2 in particular. Are you thinking prototype or an imaginary operational scenario?

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was going to go with the white prototype.  I remember seeing it almost in bits at Duxford in the 70s.  my dad thinks he was breaking TSR2 parts when he did his national service.  have s and plan to open up the bomb bay & scratch build the inside a bit.  there is a ton of resin to copy from

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Must get on with the Bentwaters F-16 soon.  It is sitting there looking at me.  Until then another Phantom arrived via eBay today.  So what could I add to the current F-4 list?  At the moment it stands at:

F-4J (UK)

2 x FGR2

F-4D

RF-4C

 

One that has evaded me so far is a late Euro 1 scheme USAF Phantom.  Ideally a Spangdahlem example.  And this AMT version popped up

 

 

Never been keen on the grey scheme, and I think I have some extra decals around somewhere too

[bzn20]

On ‎4‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 3:01 PM, bar side said:

thinks he was breaking TSR2 parts when he did his national service. 

The last National Service man left in 1963 . TSR2 didn't fly until 1964 wasn't  scrapped until 1965 by the   Wilson Govt . He must have been on some other RAF kites. Not even sure any RAF guys were on them to scrap as they weren't in Service. A few ,can't remember were at Colley's Yard in Feltham,Middx . waiting for the breakers . We could see them from the road under tarps on wagons .

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That’s interesting @bzn20 I’ll ask him for more details and see what he might have been up to.  I know he was based around Farnborough before being shipped out to Hong Kong with the engineers.   

[bzn20]

10 hours ago, bar side said:

based around Farnborough

Was he Army  ? Aldershot is just a stones throw from F/bro

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On 5/2/2019 at 10:31 AM, bzn20 said:

Was he Army  ? Aldershot is just a stones throw from F/bro

Yes Engineers.

Just thought I hadn’t posted a link to the F-16 build that I mentioned