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Academy's 1/48 F-4B VF-111 kit markings


Jon Bryon

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Hi all,

 

I am going to be building the Academy 1/48 F-4B soon and was intending to use the kit markings for the VF-111 '200' 151000 option. However, some googling has left me very confused.

 

Most images I can find of this aircraft suggest it is an F-4N without the ECM ducts on the intakes and with a different under-nose sensor compared to what Academy recommend in the kit.

 

I've found one shot '202' that looks similar to the boxart and appears to be an F-4B with VF-111 on Coral Sea.

 

Did Academy get the kit decals wrong?

 

And if so, can I simply follow the instructions, swap out the under-nose pod and call it an F-4N?

 

Thanks for any help

 

Jon

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Hello @Jon Bryon ... I found during my research that the decals corollated to the 1975 cruise markings and built it as an “N”. The  correct “B” markings  for a 1972 “B” should all be red stripes on the tail.  The 1976 cruise mairkings had a red white blue stripe on a diagonal slant from lower forward to higher rear. Like i said i built it as an “N”. Build it how you want it. 

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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8 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Hello @Jon Bryon ... I found during my research that the decals corollated to the 1975 cruise markings and built it as an “N”. The  correct “B” markings  for a 1972 “B” should all be red stripes on the tail.  The 1976 cruise mairkings had a red white blue stripe on a diagonal slant from lower forward to higher rear. Like i said i built it as an “N”. Build it how you want it. 

 

Dennis

 

Thanks Dennis! I don't suppose you found any good photos online...?

 

Cheers

 

Jon

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Hello @Jon Bryon ... heres a few of 151000. The first two are both clearly marked as “N’s”. They're from Miramar in 73-74.  

Q4YXytl.jpg

Gl2NKzt.jpg

The next one is from 1975. I'm guessing they didn't attach the antennas along the intakes until 75-76. The decals represent this period. ⬇️

ukYwbha.jpg

She must have gotten them because here she is after leaving VF-111, with VMFA-321.

ida7kTX.jpg

And here she is at China Lake in 1988 a QF-4N.

ZV40Sdy.jpg

I hope these help you. 

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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Bu.No. 151000 is probably one of the most famous Phantom in History, for more good pictures just google F-4N 151000, you will find several links with a lot of pictures.

 

Initially the Ns didn't have the ECM fairings on the intakes and therefore it was hard to tell an early N from a B. All Ns had slotted tailplanes but Bs had started receiving these on the production line and many were retrofitted so really it's only by knowing the history of the aircraft or reading the details above the Bu.No. that it's possible to tell one from the other. All Ns were rebuilt Bs of course so the same aircraft could have been both a B and an N at different times.

 

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Thanks Dennis and Giorgio, much appreciated! I really like this scheme, so will stick with what the kit provides and call it an N. I note that Academy got some of the decals around the canopy wrong (the ejection triangles and there should be some lettering under the RIO's cockpit, and the position of the 'S' on the intake ramp is wrong), but at least I know what I'm building now!

 

Cheers

 

Jon

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If you have some doubt over whether a B is actually an N minus the ALQ-126 fairings and cable ducts, just look at the front cockpit canopy rails, if it's an N (with or without DECM fairings/cable ducts) it will have the VTAS kit fitted (also retrofitted to Js and all S models at rework), it's clearly visible in ground shots with the canopy open and usually shows as two triangular shaped protuberances just peeping above the canopy rails when the canopies are closed, the B's never had the VTAS kit, simples! 🙂

 

-Daz

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