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Phantom FGR.2, 1/72 Fujimi, 23. Squadron, RAF Stanley


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Here is my 1/72 Phantom FGR.2 XV423 "D", 23. Squadron RAF, RAF Stanley, Falkland Islands 1983/84.

Old Fujimi kit made "out of the box", except resin ejection seats (Pavla) and Sidewinders (Eduard). Decals are based on Print Scale`s 72-285 set.

 

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Thanks for watching! 😊

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British Phantom is my favorite F-4. Looks just awesome! I've always wanted to build a model of it and I'm happy that it's already finished.

 

I don't know if new Airfix kit is much better than old Fujimi, but I've started this one few years ago, before Airfix released their Phantom. Proudly finished it today. 🙂

 

In fact this model is part of my "1/72 Falklands defenders trio" collection. Tornado F.3 of 1435. Flight is already finished too, and maybe someday I will make Typhoon FGR.4, but I want to make it with Hasegawa kit (which I don't have), not with old Revell kit (which I have since 2010) as I wanted before, so it won't be soon. 😛

 

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Yowzah! Ain't nuthin' wrong with the Fujimi Spey Phantoms that a little aftermarket and TLC won't fix! That's a beautiful Rhino! Wish I had bought  few more Fujimi kits rather than the new Airfix FG1 and FGR2, as those Airfix kit panel lines hurt my eyes! Very nice build! :thumbsup:

Mike

Edited by 72modeler
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6 minutes ago, tweeky said:

Great build and weathering only one thing the RBF flags are US style the RAF use a different style to them. These are the correct ones  RBF Flags

I know British RBFs and even have Eduard's set, but on all pictures that I've seen Sidewinder's RBFs (even on Gulf War Tornados Sidewiners!) were American style, so I've used these one. 🙂

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1 minute ago, tweeky said:

Sorry but I've fitted blanks, covers, safety pins and ground locks to RAF Lightning, Phantoms, Tornado and a vast amount of visiting aircraft and they were the uk type.

And you are right! But look at Sidewinders at Phantoms or Tornados and you will see this strange exeption! I think that those US RBFs came with AIM-9s "included" and were used only with them, even in RAF. So I've put them on my Sidewinders by purpose, not mistake. It was yesterday, so remember it well. 🙂

 

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First thing we did was cut the non-UK spec warning pennants off any blank, cover, safety pin/device and attach the uk version to then this even when working on TTTE for the German and Italian Tornado's.

 

I took Eduard to task on there AH7 BigEd (1;48) as it has the us style RFB pennants included in it. They sent the correct one to me.

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Really nice, the Fujimi kit is still right up there even after the recent airfix offering, so much so that I've bought several of the Italeri re-boxings recently.

 

Rich

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10 minutes ago, tweeky said:

First thing we did was cut the non-UK spec warning pennants off any blank, cover, safety pin/device and attach the uk version to then this even when working on TTTE for the German and Italian Tornado's.

 

I took Eduard to task on there AH7 BigEd (1;48) as it has the us style RFB pennants included in it. They sent the correct one to me.

 

As I know UK RBFs are red/white stripes, while US RBFs (as we use them on Polish F-16s) are all red with "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" text on it (black or white). And all RBFs on British Phantoms and Tornados were UK's red/white stripes, as you've said. And I agree with you. But my point is that there was exception - RBFs on Sidewinders exactly in place that I've put them on my model. Like here:

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And they are also visible on Stanley's Phantoms in 1983/84 period. I don't know the reason - just noticed that.

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20 minutes ago, tweeky said:

1st pic is a museum so anything goes, second photo is 1st gulf and the new Aim 9L came direct from the US as far as I remember.

 

Like I said great build.

OK, I got it. Is it possible that they've cut US RBFs and don't put British RBFs?

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1 hour ago, tweeky said:

1st pic is a museum so anything goes, second photo is 1st gulf and the new Aim 9L came direct from the US as far as I remember.

 

Like I said great build.

 

It seems that we`ve found some interesting issue!

 

OK - there`s nothing more worth for modeller than the word of real Aircraft Technician, and I say this with true respect! And it really won`t be a problem to get off those US RBFs from my Phantom`s Sidewinders (I think it`s 1 minute work). But I must be absolutely sure before I`ll do that. That`s why I paste some pictures from my research archive, so that you can make an judgment:

 

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Oh! That`s my bird! I see US RBFs on Sidewinder, but the resolution of this picture is not very good.

 

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Another Phantom from Stanley. I see US RBFs on Sidewinders again.

 

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And again.

 

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Probably again, but I`m not sure.

 

And now Tornado from Mt. Pleasant - British RBFs on caps, US RBFs on missiles. RBFs on Skyflashes are total mistery for me.

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I don`t know what should I think about it now. Maybe standards were not standards everywhere in RAF? Maybe there is some other explanation? What do you think? 

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2 hours ago, alex_stela said:

As I know UK RBFs are red/white stripes, while US RBFs (as we use them on Polish F-16s) are all red with "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" text on it (black or white). And all RBFs on British Phantoms and Tornados were UK's red/white stripes, as you've said. And I agree with you. But my point is that there was exception - RBFs on Sidewinders exactly in place that I've put them on my model. Like here:

You are correct Alex, The red RBF tags with black wording came with the American equipment,, I was on Phantom Sqns in the late 70s/early 80s.

Lovely F4 by the way, very impressive. :worthy: 

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Phabulous Phantom Alex, really great job.

 

You are correct on the RBF pennants on the AOTD covers. All pins/covers that had the pennant attached by a metal ring were replaced by British diagonal reflective strip pennants.

The AOTD covers had the pennant sewn onto the cover so they were left as supplied, just as your photo's show.

 

Rob. (Ex Phantom Armourer).

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Hi Alex,

 

Firstly, that's a lovely Phantom! You've captured the look of the real aeroplane beautifully & the details are superb.

 

Just to add my 2 pence-worth to the debate about the RBF tags..... I completely understand what Tweeky is saying (btw, I think we may have met at Binbrook during the mid-80's?) but there's often a difference between what should happen according to the books (red & white UK tags) & what actually does happen in real life (red US/ NATO tags), due to operational circumstances, lack of spares, etc.

 

As always, if you have a photo of the real thing showing what you have modelled then that's proof enough that it existed (although I accept that museum exhibits aren't always exact replications of real life).

 

By way of illustration, here's a photo of 2 RBF tags from an RAF Tornado F3 during the early 2000's, one from a Skyflash, one from an AIM-9L Sidewinder:

 

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As you can see, they're both red, not the usual Brit red & white tags. I can definitely vouch for their authenticity..... as I was the last person to remove them before we fired the missiles! For a few years afterwards, they were attached to the flush handle on my toilet, now they're on the storage boxes in my office.

 

Bottom line is, go with your photo evidence.

 

Nice Phantom!

 

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NAlex, like others here I’m not a fan of panel line washes and dark edges to panels (look at some of the images posted in “the great RBF tags debate”) but I do think you’ve done a pretty good job on your Phantom.  I’ve got a Fujimi FGR. 2 in build at the moment that’s intended to wear 1435 Flight colours from a Modeldecal sheet as depicted in the Airfix FGR. 2 kit and I’d be more than chuffed if I can get a finished product as good as yours.  Now all yours needs is a decent display/diorama base to show it in context.

Edited by stever219
Pitifully poor punctuation preventing properly pleasurable perusal.
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16 hours ago, Phone Phixer said:

Phabulous Phantom Alex, really great job.

 

You are correct on the RBF pennants on the AOTD covers. All pins/covers that had the pennant attached by a metal ring were replaced by British diagonal reflective strip pennants.

The AOTD covers had the pennant sewn onto the cover so they were left as supplied, just as your photo's show.

 

Rob. (Ex Phantom Armourer).

As the man who ran the Missile bay  I can assure you that Every Skyflash and Sidewinder missile at RAF Leeming had US style RBF flags on the arming keys.  The only exception was when the flag was terminally damaged when a RAF striped type  was used to replace it.  The changes usually were  more related to the yellow  noddy cap as the flags on these seemed to have a short working life.

 

Selwyn

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