F-4 C from ZM

[dov]

Hallo

I would like to show you my F-4 C from ZM work in progress. Just to mention, all my pictures you may see I took by my old Samsung batched and renamed by IrfanView and I put them on Flickr by an alias name.

I intend to take you all with me, so I do show you also the tools and materials I work with. If there are choices, I will let you know my arguments. My decision.

The kit, why from ZM. Why ZM, is quite easy. First of all I got to know the first models from them in Japan. I was thrilled. I built the Ta-152, the J7W1 Shinden, the P-51 and the J2M3 Raiden. At the Raiden I was confronted with some design flaws, I discussed them with ZM and they reacted and made all correct now. With some error log on their website, they are always improving. They are really awesome. At the P-51 the same thing, and they reacted well. So far, ZM is company who really makes models for modeler. Business is the second.

The last Phantom I build s 40 years ago. No comment.

I have to build the C, D, and S. The E will come soon from ZM too.

I generally use for paint the Gunze C colors from Mr. Hobby. Why? Because it dries fast. Not as the H colors I used first, here you may wait 24 hours to touch a sprayed surface. With C colors, I can touch them at 30 minutes for sure! Therefore, I can build 6 hours straight ahead without major time breaks.

The aircraft I want to build is any one of my extra decal sheet. The ordinance I want to build is  as shown on picture 29, 30, 33:

 

Station 1 and9 : MER with Mk.82

Station 2 and 8: TER with Mk.82 and two AIM-9

Station 5: MER with Mk. 82

Station 3,4,6 and 7 with AIM-7.

 

To accomplish this I have an aftermarket resin set. Picture 17, 18 and 19.

 

This set causes me some headache because of the centerline and outboard pylon. For the centerline and outboard pylon, I need photos, as attached.

 

Until now I built straight from the box. I have etched parts, but I preferred to paint the Cockpit.

Just to Close the Cockpit during WIP.

Next time more.

Happy modelling

 

[whiskey]

Awesome, looking forward to seeing your progress.

[exdraken]

fantastic work so far!!

[dov]

Hallo

I took the wings, and assembled after drilling holes the upper wing parts. In this stage, you should be for sure about your external stores on all 9 stations of the aircraft. This decision is here necessary, because of the front missile bay. Here is a special part, you may omit, if you install AIM-7 and station 4 and 6. Check the station numbers in my overview from my post from last time. I conformed the resin pylons to the centerline hard points and the outboard pylons to the wing surface.

Now the work continued. The next step was the air intake diffusor.

 

 

This part takes some patience, since assembling and grinding. After this, I had to fill the tiny gaps with some filler. I used surfacer 1200. Here I would suggest stiffening the joint seam, because the thickness of the part is too small. When polishing, you may break it and have to repair it very time consuming. Use a thin styrene strip from evergreen. Grinding and polishing of the diffusor is not so easy, because of the size of fingers. Anyway, in two or three stages I sprayed it with 316 white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The engine is not complicated, the afterburner area and exhaust pipe I shaded. I used as a basic black 1, white 316 and metallic black 78. So I got a quite realistic effect. The finish was a Mr.Color GX 114.

 

 http://www.mr-hobby.com/en/itemDetail.php?iId=2580

 

I use for all clear vanish this products. Number 112 gloss, 113 medium and 114 flat. Advantage is it dries fast, very fast and you can continue on your model.

Well, the auxiliary air doors I sprayed inside with aluminum, Mr.Color 8. The nozzles I will do again, since I have masks and may do it better. Here I used after black some dry brush and then metallic black. After the engine was completed with the first compressor stage and last turbine stage and flame holder, I assembled it.

The assembly of the engine is not complicated at all.

 

 

 

Here now you can assemble the whole group. It fits excellent. Really ZM is a real joy! The ZM guys do some things not so correct, as the ejection seat, but also here I will build the brasin seat from Eduard and after that I will decide which seat is to take.

In summery the ZM kits causes no headache at all!

Happy Modelling

Edited October 12, 2018 by dov
I got mixed up with the slow reaction for photo insert

[Creepy Pete]

Good start!

 

If I may make a couple suggestions. These very early F-4C's still carried the US Navy style inboard pylons, as you can see on this one, for instance. Also a few pics here. They could be seen on some jets well into 1967, as for example on this raggedy looking one. If you still want to use the True Details pylons, those chaff and flare launchers on the rear of them were a much later addition.

 

Also, these early F-4's used the Martin Baker Mk. 5 seats. I believe Eduard only does the later Mk.7's? Hypersonic Models do a very nice set of the Mk.5's. You can get them from Jeffrey directly or from The 48ers, for instance.

 

 

[dov]

Oh Thank You

I have completely overseen it. Thank you so much.

My problem is the inboard pylon! I can take it from my S version. I will build the S version from USS Midway VF-151 in a clean version.

The seat, also thank you very much! I ordered the seat.

Happy Modelling

[dov]

Hallo

In the meantime, I added the air intake. Before I sanded the seam line of part O2. This is the intake area and the underwing and fuselage area. In the back and front.

 

 

I used super glue to get the small gaps smooth filled. Afterward with sanding stick to polishing degree.

 

The part E8 in the front wheelbay I really forgot. I did not want this part installed anyway, because it would break for sure.

 

Therefore, I divided this part, and I can install it afterward easily. The saw I used is a japan saw.

 

See at the photo. This saw has some advantages in comparison to a European saw. It cuts when pulled, therefore no bending and the blade is much thinner. No vibration. The volume of shavings is much smaller, about 10% to a common saw. It needs much less energy too. The cutting surface needs no further treatment, just deburring is necessary. They are from Platz.

 

The US Cutter from Modellbau König in Germany. The tool I tried at ZM headquarter in Kyoto, Japan. It was perfect. Back home I bought immediately. Here you can cut resin without dust. The force required is like cutting warm butter! Even plastic you may cut easily. It is like in wonderland.

 

Before adding the air intake, I sprayed the intake with white 316 and the area of splinter plate and fuselage in my top surface color 325. The pitot tubes you should not forget ion aluminum color 8.

I did some spraying on the nozzles to get them a little more complaisant.

Happy

Modelling

[phildagreek]

Looks good!

[dov]

Hallo

Next steps on the Phantom: Sanding the intake area. Assembling the parts for the wings and getting the smaller parts for completion.

Generally, the sanding is no major issue on this nice model.

• The upload of other media did not work yet

In some aspects, we have to consider, that ZM joints are very often thin and brisk. As I mentioned already at the intake, the same I had before on the spine. Since the seam line in the cross section leads inward, the adherend (the adhesive surface) is a minimum. This matter accompanies us during the whole assembly. The leading edges for instance are wobbling and to get them in position takes patience!

• The upload of other media did not work yet

The landing gear by itself has a good fit. The main wheels have a design flaw. The inner part and outer part of the wheel has the same transverse dimension, so that you simple get nearly no adherend (the adhesive surface). Gluing with plastic Tamiya glue may not fix the part.

The instruction for the front door of the front wheel bay is wrong, because if you drill it twice in 0.8mm as the instruction says, you can throw the antenna through the hole! The antenna also has a pin!

The major design of this kit is full of flaws. Parts look nice, but to assemble them is like a trap. I think, that this team lacks experience in both the original and the construction. In comparison to Hasegawa or Tamiya, They never can cope with them. This old kits lack some detail, but assembly is straightforward. After all the components for the F-4C are ready, disillusionment gets around.

Painting and detail work ahead.

 

Happy

Modelling

[J.P.]

I'm building this same kit, mines going at a glacier pace though. So far all I have assembled is the 4 Sidewinders and the 4  Sparrows, and a couple of the major cockpit parts. I'm doing the box supplied F-4C with the checker tail from the 57 FS. I'll follow your build with great interest.

 

Edited October 17, 2018 by J.P.

[dov]

Hallo

The pictures from yesterday.

 

 

Today I used Google Chrome.

 

The weaponry. Here I intended to use a MER at the centerline position with six Mk.82 bombs and two TER with 3 Mk.82 bombs at the inner wing pylons. Here I used the Navy style pylons from the H-runner from my F-4 S version.

My astonishment was big, as I had to realize that the Eduard Brasin equipment does not match. Exactly the suspension equipment of the TER seems to be correct. The MER suspension equipment is scaled down about 90% and the bombs do not fit in. That means the suspension hinges of the bomb do not fit in the MER holes. I wrote to Eduard and seek for the answer.

 

 

Therefore, consequently I had to cut off one hinge and put a metal pin to fix the bomb.

To fix the pylon to the MER or TER is an easy. The rail on the pylon together with the shoe from the Brasin set makes this task quite easy.

Finally, I glued the four Sparrows from the ZM kit.  

So far, all parts of my kit are done. Except spraying and assembling. I will do it systematically. Starting with all external equipment. Starting with the weapons.

Happy

Modelling

 

 

 

 

Happy

Modelling

[Nikolay Polyakov]

Very interesting build @dov, thanks for an explanation and additional info! I love Japanese tools and models too - their designers have a perfect blend.

 

Cheers! 😎

[dov]

Hallo

Now I did spraying my external stores. Weapons, 12 Mk.82 from Eduard Brasin and 4 AIM-7 Sparrow from the kit and 2 TER and 1 MER from Eduard Brasin. 2 Navy style wing pylons and one center pylon for the MER. The two outer wing external fuel tanks too.

The color is 316 white and a mix of different green for the bombs. Some parts are silver, the fuse.

Painting the support brace of the pylon and the racks. Also the backside of the AIM-7. Some other detail too.

Well, after all painting, some gloss vanish of GX 112 gloss.

Tomorrow I will start with oil, decals, and stencils.

Today Flickr is unreliable, so the photos will come one day later. The website does not accept the upload today!

Happy Modelling

[dov]

 

 

Hallo again

Now Flickr is not working yet, upload is impossible, so I changed to IMGUR.

Anyway, the external stores are finished yet. After stenciling and spraying gloss and flat, I could assemble them. As I mentioned at the beginning, I used the GX series from Mr.Color. 112 is gloss 114 is flat.

For the bombs and racks, as MER and TER:

The attachment lug has a distance of 14 inch and the bracing has a distance of 20 inch. Valid for US a/c and iron bombs. From the weapon manual.

To give you one hint:

 

http://www.f4phantom.com/drupal/references

 

Here you find flight operation manual and maintenance manual. There is much more, more or less from ALL U.S. aircraft in the web for free download.

As well all manuals for coloring the a/c in different schemes and so on.

 

The ejection seat in resin is from Hypersonic. It is Mk.5 Martin Baker. The painting was spraying and hand brushing. The color guide in the Hypersonic package is quite accurate.

Well, so far today.

Happy modelling

[J.P.]

Very nice.

 

[dov]

Hallo again

Now today next steps I did were the paintjob of the gear, the canopy and surrounding parts and the ladder.

First of all to mention: The ladder from the kit is a joke. The standard F-4 ladder looks very different. My ladder is from PlusModel from Czech. Here you have to cut the two angled tubing about 1mm on both ends, otherwise the ladder is too far separated from the fuselage. The two pins, which are for the hold in the cockpit I cut away and will substitute it for one hook in the center, as it was used in the USAF.

·        

The paint job of the gear: To mention are the landing lights in the front- wheel bay door. The glasses causes a gap all-around. Far away from the precision of Tamiya! Fill this gap with CA, grind, and polish it! All other parts are easily done. For masking I use NewWare masks. They are the moist precise one, for all glasses on both sides and sealing too. Tires and on some a/c many panels too. The quality is the best I know. Accurate and the cutting without distortion and a clear cut. Opposition to the scraggy ones from Eduard, where I could use often just 50% of the set. In addition, they are just for outside too. Same price approximately!

      

Next major flaw in the kit is the separation of the cockpits. There is none! The two cockpits are hermetically separated. Not so in the kit!

Well, this all I know until now. See by yourself!

Happy modelling

[dov]

Hallo again

Now today I had to do some paintwork.

First of all, was the nose. It is in my case all black including the area from the front cockpit. This makes masking very easy and the contrast to the light grey frame and white seal is very striking.

The next step was the red airbrake well. Just some masking.

 

The real horror was to spray the aluminum air-intake leading edge. This edge is in reality not pure metal. Actually, it is a heat resistant paint from 822-010 Polyurethane Enamel DeSoto Chemical Coatings Inc.

Well, also this I did successful.

The other leading edges are still to do, and the red paint on the spine, in my case.

 

I just want to add: In most cases in literature and the web, you get lots of information about the F-4. However, consider please: There are so many wrong information or misleading information about an a/c, which was for at least 2 decades the most popular one in the western world. Also all displayed F-4 in the museums too, be careful and do not believe everything you see. An operational a/c is a very different thing. I have many photos, but I can release just a few of them in the forum, due to existing laws. You may see very soon one example, the F-15I. This aircraft and all F-15 will be flying with remarkable updates and life extension programs forever! See at walk around in a little while!

 

Happy modelling

 

[phildagreek]

Looks good, making steady progress with it.

[dov]

Hallo again

This time we have to spray the walkway and the refueling panels. According to the photo about my a/c with number 37656. The refueling panels show very strong traces of abrasion. The walkway too. I tried to get it done, with two layers of paint, polishing it with grid 1200 and afterward with 4000. So all mentioned surfaces show explicit wear.

 

 

Next thing was to check out again the quality of HGW wet transfer. I did it with samples from an Fw-190, but it did not work at all. Therefore, I gave up, since the set was open for 3 years or so. The material had become oxidized or rendered unusable by moisture. With the new material, it worked in combination of MicroSet. Both on the intended place of kit as well as on the applied wet transfer too. After six to eight hours the film can be taken away.

 

 

Now the metal surfaces. Aluminum paint surfaces of the trailing edges of wing, ruder and stabilizer as well the Titanium surfaces of the hot area. With aluminum paint Mr.Color Number 8 and alclat I started. Titanium surfaces got Titanium gold and blue. The strengthen area at the stabilizer got some steel to create a shade. The last one was jet exhaust.

 

For masking, I use this tool with rubber in different shapes. Very helpful!

 

 

Happy modelling

 

[Jinxman]

Looking very good indeed.

[exdraken]

On 10/18/2018 at 6:19 PM, dov said:

 

My astonishment was big, as I had to realize that the Eduard Brasin equipment does not match. Exactly the suspension equipment of the TER seems to be correct. The MER suspension equipment is scaled down about 90% and the bombs do not fit in. That means the suspension hinges of the bomb do not fit in the MER holes. I wrote to Eduard and seek for the answer.

 

when I did my 12 Mk.82 bomb loadout for y F-111C last year, I had 2 set of 6 Brassin bombs each..... one set had way smaller bomb bodies.... the rest was ok. Git six replacement bodies from Eduard.... I fear they were from differnet prodution batches, with a corretion loop in between.... maybe these MER/ TERs are from a different era as well  

 

great job by the way!

will be a heavy load out!

 

 

[J.P.]

Great progress you're making.

[dov]

Hallo again

Now I had to spray my model. Was not so much to do, I thought. Actually, it was quite an effort to do the masking and the spraying. It took me in all 13 hours to finish it. I took it in one leg.

The colors I used was white C316 and grey C325. First, I sprayed the a/c all over in white. After that, I did a little pre shading. In my concern was, this a/c got not many hours of lifetime. Just slightly.

After that was grey. The only area I had to spend really great care, was the area where the upper wing meets the fuselage, to prevent a grainy surface.

Well, some wing tip lights painting, and some corrections and that’s it.

Afterward gloss vanish in GX 112.

 

The walkway I prepared, I left out. The geometry with my wet transfers does not match for ZM kits. They are made for Academy. Whatever the reason is, the outline did not fit. So I will use decals.

The wear down and abrasion I will do later on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The small parts I had to cover with aluminum foil and to give them a gloss vanish.

The oil job is ahead.

 

Happy modelling

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JeffreyK]

Hi,

sorry to cast a bit of bad news, but as you're building the "C" kit, it's got the -15 engines with the short petals and the original, wide shroud strip at the end of the fuselage panels. ZM's C and D kits have both the shortened (for J, S and E) and the wide shroud parts in the kit, a fact that most other kit mfs have ignored so far )and I was very happy to see as it's a distinctive feature). It looks like you used the wrong, shortened parts instead of the wide ones...

J

[dov]

Yes, you are right. I took the wrong part instead of J-1 and J-2, and I noticed it far too late. I like mindful modeler. 

Since I think, you have some knowledge about the F-4:

When the a/c is parked, the airbrake is slightly open, due to hydraulic is off. 

The auxiliary air door was open. Secured with a bar, since when hydraulic got on, it snapped closed, and was a danger to all mechanics!

Happy modeling