Question about 1/72 Airfix Phantom wing

[JE5TAR]

Quick question. Im looking into kit bashing the Airfix 1/72 folding wings onto the Academy F-4J. When looking at the panel lines though the Airfix kit looks totally different. I intitally assumed this was a UK variant thing but after further research I can find no Phantom from any variant that looks like the Airfix kit

 

 

Does anyone know whey they've done it like this?

 

Cheers

[Smudge]

There is an excellent thread on here somewhere about this. Lots of great pictures. Apparently they are reinforcing plates and there are several sizes and shapes.

Search through this section.

 

Good luck with your Phantom.

[iainpeden]

You might be better off getting hold of some Hasegawa outer panels. 

[Shalako]

Let me get this straight, you want to depict a US NAVY Phantom (probably on a carrier deck diorama?) and since Academy doesn't offer the folding mechanism you want to borrow it from Airfix's kit? 

 

In my view, I think what Airfix has done can only be justified as "poetic license". I have never seen - to such an extent - reinforcement plates on any fighter/bomber aircraft. Check what Hasegawa offers in 1/48 or, Tamiya's 1/32 F-4J to see if the specific detail is correctly depicted or not.

[Graham Boak]

No direct experience, but it was common knowledge in the industry that UK Phantoms were covered in reinforcement plates because of their age and past harsh treatment.  Though the comment of six levels of such plates has to be taken as bar talk!  I don't think there should be the slightest suggestion that such were on the aircraft from new, and perhaps modellers should assess that when choosing their subject, but I think that Airfix can be forgiven a certain lack of awareness of the individual repair state of the example they were working from.

[iainpeden]

You might find this useful.

 

 

 

[JE5TAR]

Thanks for the replies, it's pretty much what I thought. 

I stick to using the Academy wings and probably just use the wing fold mechanism.

I wonder if Airfix actually knew there were different built states and chose this specific one.

[bobsyouruncle]

Here are three shots of the starboard outer wing on XV424 at hendon, where you can just about make out the reinforcing plates.

Cheers Bob.

 

 

 

[Reparty]

It's more a question of what period the decals you're intending to use are for. 

The reinforcements started appearing about 15-20 years after the Phantom first entered worldwide service, and got progressively more numerous as it aged into the 1990s.

[phantomphixxer]

As someone who used to fold these wings on a regular basis & has fitted them on numerous occasions (1980-1987), these are definitely correct. They were progressively “beefed up” as time went by. I think some of them were USAF wings but can’t be definite. I also have a recollection that they were called “Steptoe” wings but that could be due to the passage of time, excessive alcohol use (22 yrs RAF service!) & repeated head trauma!

[Grizzly]

Airwaves do a Phantom wing fold in their range.

[canberra kid]

6 hours ago, phantomphixxer said:

As someone who used to fold these wings on a regular basis & has fitted them on numerous occasions (1980-1987), these are definitely correct. They were progressively “beefed up” as time went by. I think some of them were USAF wings but can’t be definite. I also have a recollection that they were called “Steptoe” wings but that could be due to the passage of time, excessive alcohol use (22 yrs RAF service!) & repeated head trauma!

There were some refurbished ex US outer wings used 

 

John