Zoukei Mura F-4C

[J.P.]

So its been ages since I've built anything, but I'm bound and determined to finish this beast. For those who are unfamiliar...I had no clue it existed until a month or so ago...these are great kits with Phabulous detail 😁. I found out about it when I posted a question an F-4 with checker tails, I had a 1/72 scale Hasegawa kit with those markings way back when and wanted to know if there were any aftermarket decals available in a larger scale, 48th or 32nd. Well low and behold, I was informed about ZM's offering by some fine folks here on this site.

 

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Anyway, as I said it's been a very long time since I've finished anything or even started anything for that fact primarily due to no work space. I've commandeered a corner of the basement in my girl's house and I'm bound and determined to finish this.

 

I used the kit decals for the IP

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They worked pretty well which since they're from Cartograph its not a huge surprise

 

I was all set to paint the inside of the afterburner but all the pictures I found on line showed a light green color, so I used a British interior green.

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And the rest of the engines...I used a combination of Model Master Metalizers (magnesium, gunmetal and burnt metal), Alclad (pale burnt metal) and some SNJ aluminum powder. I probably spent more time on them than I needed to since they won't be seen once the model is complete.

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That's all fer now, hopefully I can get this thing to the finish line. Thanks for looking

John

 

Edited November 2, 2018 by J.P.

[whiskey]

More phantoms! Awesome start.

[J.P.]

A teeny tiny update for anyone interested. I'm about ready to button up the fuselage but I'm out of paint to add a wash to the side walls so I need to hold off. but here's the cockpit tub ready to go and the seats, which are ex KMC castings that Squadron now packages. There were no ejection handles included with the Squadron seats and their instructions tell you to scratch build them with wire. My scratch building skills are MEH!!! at best so I cut the handles off the kit parts and glued them in place.

 

http://i.imgur.com/yk9nknM.jpg

 

*EDIT* Ok, I have no idea why I can't get any images to show up. I'm doing the same thing I did in my first post. I tried every link Imgur offers and none of them show.

Edited November 12, 2018 by J.P.

[J.P.]

There we go.

 

This picture made me realize I needed to paint the back of that rear instrument panel black which I have since done.

[Mick Drover]

Nice so far J.P.

 

I've not seen a ZM kit built as a thread. I'll e interested to see how it turns out.

 

Regarding the ejection pull handles, I recently saw a tip where yellow and black sewing thread was twisted together and then some water down white glue was applied to kepp it together and smooth the finish. The finished result looked quite convincing.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[J.P.]

15 minutes ago, Mick Drover said:

Nice so far J.P.

 

I've not seen a ZM kit built as a thread. I'll e interested to see how it turns out.

 

Regarding the ejection pull handles, I recently saw a tip where yellow and black sewing thread was twisted together and then some water down white glue was applied to kepp it together and smooth the finish. The finished result looked quite convincing.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Thanks Mick. Now that you mention it, I remember seeing that same tip. May try it for the next build.

[whiskey]

Jon Bryon's F-4E build posted in the RFI.

 

 

[exdraken]

looking good! 

 

nice cockpit details!

[dov]

Good done.

I did als the C-version, but slightly different approach.

Now I am on the D-version.

You may all see also in WIP right here.

Happy modelling

[VT Red Sox Fan]

Looking great!  Like what you did with the engines & cockpit

[J.P.]

On 11/13/2018 at 2:30 AM, exdraken said:

looking good! 

 

nice cockpit details!

Thank you sir but really it's all in whats supplied in the kit....90% anyway.

34 minutes ago, VT Red Sox Fan said:

Looking great!  Like what you did with the engines & cockpit

Thank you, sadly those engines won't get seen much when buttoned up...or maybe its a good thing, that quells any desire to add all sorts of wiring and what-not. 😀

[J.P.]

6 hours ago, dov said:

Good done.

I did als the C-version, but slightly different approach.

Now I am on the D-version.

You may all see also in WIP right here.

Happy modelling

Yes, I'm following along on that one. Here's the link for anyone who missed it

My first task was to tackle the ordnance and external tanks too, I just haven't taken any pictures of those. The externals are my least favorite thing to do so I wanted to at least get them assembled before starting the "fun stuff". They not in paint yet, I just assembled them.

[J.P.]

Well, I just got done catching up on Dov's F-4D build, not sure mine is up to snuff but here it is. mine is on a much slower pace.

 

Here's the fuselage all buttoned up, I taped a piece of cardboard on the vertical tail to keep from knocking off the probes molded on it, a trick I learned building one of the Accurate Miniatures kits....the Avenger, I believe?

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After gluing up the engines/intake I stated to worry about the "sqaureness" of the whole assembly as Dov's build shows with the support he made...I should have done that. Oh well, we'll see once I get the intake on. 😟 I had the assembly standing up vertically while the glue dried so fingers crossed

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Don't forget to paint that little section on the side of the fuselage (it's a bit blurry in the shot) white as it makes up part of the wheel well.

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Sadly, this is the last these engines will be seen...at least they will forever be free from dust. 😀

 

A nice wash pops all that nice detail,

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...and also works nicely on other parts too.

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I used a bit of Bare Metal Foil on the....oleo??? ...the sliding part of the nose strut.

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The intake seam was a lot easier to deal with than I expected. I filled it in with Mr Surfacer 500 and went at it with a sanding stick. I didn't bother with that rear seam assuming it wouldn't be seen anyway....I'm starting to re-think that.

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...maybe not 😀 Nothing has been glued here hence the horrific gaps.

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There was a slight gap in the port wing root that was more than likely user inflicted. The top of the wing was slightly misaligned to the left but I was able to run some Tamiya thin into the gap and close the gap with a "shim".

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Edited November 27, 2018 by J.P.

[Christer A]

Very nice job on those engines!

I'll tag along just to get a kick in the backside to finish my F-4C..

Edited November 27, 2018 by Christer A

[J.P.]

21 hours ago, Christer A said:

Very nice job on those engines!

I'll tag along just to get a kick in the backside to finish my F-4C..

Thank you sir, If I can help just one person I feel like I've really accomplished something. 😀

[J.P.]

A small update I'm calling "Ughhhhhhh!!!!!!". Tedious is the word for applying these decals.

 

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...and of course the fins fell off because...why not?

Edited December 1, 2018 by J.P.

[Nikolay Polyakov]

Hello @J.P.,

 

it's a very accurate work here! Some people said that the Zoukei-Mura's Phantoms are not so easy-to-build, but your works shows us its better side 👍

 

Cheers! 😎

[J.P.]

13 hours ago, Nikolay Polyakov said:

Hello @J.P.,

 

it's a very accurate work here! Some people said that the Zoukei-Mura's Phantoms are not so easy-to-build, but your works shows us its better side 👍

 

Cheers! 😎

Thanks Nikolay, the kit has been an absolute dream so far, I don't know why anyone would say they're difficult. The hardest part is finding time to work on it. 😄

[Nikolay Polyakov]

4 hours ago, J.P. said:

the kit has been an absolute dream so far

I knew it 🙂

 

Cheers! 🙃

[J.P.]

Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been a bit side tracked by a Tamiya 1/35 M48 my son got me for Christmas 3 years ago or so. Really trying to get that one finished before the end of the year. If interested, you see that progress here.

 

I WILL get the F-4 done at some point soon too. 😉