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Right.

Here we go then.

First WIP for Quack.

 

I thought I'd have a go at a WIP thread, never having done one before.

The kit is this one....the Revell / Hasegawa 1/48 Spey Phantom FGR2. I fell in love with these brutes growing up near Leuchars, and loved to watch and listen as they thundered out on training or QRA sorties. OK in fairness they were largely FG1s from 892 Sqh FAA, or 43 / 111 Squadrons when the airframes were gifted to the RAF, buy I can't find a 1/48 FG1 so this'll have to do for now. With any luck ZM will get around to issuing Spey Phantoms in 1/48 scale.....(!?)

 

50336677263_2b5fddd839_b.jpg02 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Always a sucker for "little extras" I have already invested in a Big Ed set and Aires ejection seats.

 

50337523737_1b85810e87_b.jpg04 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

The Big Ed set is fairly pricey but you do seem to get a lot of stuff for your cash, and I don't do many builds in a year so my overall annual expenditure on "toys" is reasonable (errrr...I think it's reasonable don't you Dear??)

 

The plan is to finish the build as XV474 using the Xtradecal set.

 

50337365001_a54c66be39_b.jpg06 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

The idea behind doing this thread is to stretch myself a bit further and gain more experience / consolidate my skills.

I'd really appreciate it if folk would feel free to comment, especially to give tips on construction from their own experience, and to tell me of any howlers they observe so I can try to correct glaring errors and cock-ups!

Thanks in advance.

Finally - a warning.......don't expect a quick build here. I'm a notoriously slow builder and this may take some months........It'll NOT all be over by Christmas!

 

OK, on we go.

The Eduard cockpit details look a bit scary, as it involves a fair bit of plastic mangling , especially the Nav's console, but I think the result should be worth a bit of risk taking, don't you?

The detailing on the side consoles has been sanded off, never to return.

 

50336676913_0d1fd278d4_b.jpg08 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

A few brass bits added.

 

50336676913_0d1fd278d4_b.jpg08 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Bits ready for a first dose of primer...

 

50336676588_1baaaf936a_b.jpg12 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

The Aires seats look absolutely amazing - so detailed. I hope I'll be able to do them justice when it comes to painting.

 

50337522672_579f08e1d5_b.jpg14 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

First dose of primer lets me see how things are shaping up. Early days. Beginning to relax into this build and enjoy it.

 

50337522697_fbe84f1e0a_b.jpg16 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Thanks for tuning in and please do offer construction tips.

Next instalment hopefully before Christmas!!

Q

 

Sorry Dear.....Whats's that about the credit card bill?

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Nice.  Going to be 74 Sqn Tiger then.  I live down the road from Wattisham & have a soft spot for Phantoms.  Working on a German RF-4 in 1/48 at the moment.  The Revell kit is nice but nowhere near a fiddly as the Revell Tornados.  Didn’t like the two part nose cone tbh.  The cockpit is looking good.  Doing etch seat belts?  And what about the periscope?  Not included on the Revell kit.  I did mine as ex-Wildenrath twin sticker XT902 which ended up at Wattisham alongside 56 and 74 squadrons.  Keep thinking I should get one & build it as Mark Hannah’s 56 Sqn Jet. All the best with the build

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Thanks all.

Yup, I'll probably use the Eduard coloured etch seat belts and details when the time comes, though Aires supply etch details as part of their seat package. I'm currently trying to work out the best colour to use for the tub, as it needs to (more or less) match the Eduard coloured panels......don't know where they got their colour reference!

 Thanks for your interest.

Q

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  • 2 weeks later...

Right.

OK

A few more happenings here at Quack Towers, so here's the update.

 

Firstly some work on the cockpit and panels....front IP has at last got some etch on board. The Nav panel requires some daunting (for me at least) surgery to allow the Eduard bits to fit - I've marked out the areas to be removed - not sure at this stage if the panel is going to survive!

 

50378442556_8b378c1a87_b.jpg20 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Stage 2 in progress - nearly done mangling the rear panel - structural integrity severely compromised now....

 

50377744838_dfbdd99328_b.jpg22 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Some reassuring progress now......

Front panel complete

The Navigator's starboard side wall is a separate kit part which needs shaved down to fit with the Eduard etchy bits - now has details added.

Rear panel nearly done. At this stage you may notice my notatalldeliberate mistake in placing the black instrument bezel (lower left). It should go over the threat indicator display next door! 

Also started blocking out main colours on seats.

50378622847_f031605445_b.jpg24 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

A bit more work on the seats - nearly ready to try making sense of the harness system...

50378622672_b75a225eb8_b.jpg28 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Nav panel corrected and radar control stick added........all coming along much better than I expected (note to self - Tempting fate - Don't EVER even THINK that!)

 

50378622207_83a02db45c_b.jpg30 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Tub dry fitted to stbd fuselage half. 

After all the cutting involved on the rear IP, there really are no positive location points or lugs left to fit the panel accurately. I'll probably need to align everything at the dry fit stage and secure it with CA or epoxy - what do you all think?  Always grateful for advice here.

 

50377744533_d70ed9e4eb_b.jpg32 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Last bit of progress.....(seems amazingly quick given that my builds usually progress over geological time!)

I absolutely hate fitting intakes. They never seem to align properly (in my hands) and I always end up with a prominent step or end up over-sanding / losing contours / creating flat areas where there should be compound curves etc.

This time I'm trying to add the intake at an early stage - hopefully to make handling easier.

Here the intake part is part-secured - I've tried to align the upper part of the join to avoid an awkward step.....accepting that there will be slight mis-alignment nearer the wing join. I'm wishfully hoping that I can securely align this portion when the rest of the join is securely cured......🤔

 

50378442596_a85fbfdd75_b.jpg34 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

50378622397_196dd4a9d7_b.jpg36 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Thinking ahead to the rest of the build, I have some dim questions and seek the expertise of the Britmodeller Hive Mind..

1/ Loadout - The kit ordnance is limited to the 4 semi-recessed Skyflash (I presume) missiles and a gun pod. I'm planning on adding some AIM-9Ls - would the Limas be accurate? Would the gun pod be routinely carried, or would the centreline station usually be left clear?

2/ Finishing - I plan on finishing this by airbrush - I'm slowly getting used to this new toy but still find the thinning process to be something of a black art. After initial past success with Xtracrylix I ran into difficulties with their Sky shade on my Sea-Fury and found it refused to play nicely regardless of dilution factor (using water or Xtracrylix thinner). In the end I gave up and used Vallejo model air which sprayed perfectly. Unfortunately Vallejo don't seem to do a match for the various greys required for this scheme. 

Back to the question - can anyone recommend Model-Air matches or alternatively, can anyone with experience comment on the MRP greys? Yes I know they are lacquers with their associated issues.

 

Thanks for tuning in again - and thanks in anticipation for any advice

That's all from Quack Towers..

Keep safe! 😷

 

:dunce:

 

 

PS - I found a part that looks astonishingly like it's meant to represent the periscope fitted to the Nav's port side window, though no mention of it in the destructions. That'll mean I don't need to try scratch building one......just as well as that would mean playing with sharp instruments and associated blood loss. 

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And a little bit more....

The tub is installed and the rear IP seems ok to my eye. The Stbd rear side wall is now fixed in place - there is a seam where it connects to the cockpit rim but I'm hoping this will be covered and hidden by an etchy bit in the fullness of time.

 

50404516186_ea536836b0_b.jpg42 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Seats are coming along....

I tried using the Eduard coloured set but found the parts rather too stiff to use easily, and also the colours looked somewhat garish and toy-like - maybe it could have been improved with overpainting / washes / filters or summat but I gave up. In the end I stripped them off and used a combination of the etch parts provided by Aires, and some selected Eduard parts annealed to make them softer and easier to shape (goodbye pre-painted colours!). Actually I'm quite pleased with the end result - using the etch in this way it's been possible to arrange the belts differently for the front and rear seats - I've been slightly irritated in the past with some resin seats with moulded harnesses, where the moulded belts are in identical positions in front and rear cockpits. or is that just me?

I was also quite glad to be able to use Eduard bits to supplement the Aires harness which seemed a bit simplified compared with reference pics.

50404668402_8a7f1d3999_b.jpg44 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Nearly forgot the Emergency Harness Release Handle on the seat pan - Eduard coloured bit salvaged from the floor.

Honestly I'm seriously fumbly these days and constantly dropping tiny parts on the carpet - anybody know of a supplier of adult size Pelican Bibs (remember those??). Maybe I'll start a production line for them - anybody else interested??

 

50404668362_f3890c7624_b.jpg46 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

The face-curtain firing handles will be added after the seats are installed at the end of the build.

 

So, not much to report this time. If anybody has any thoughts on my previous question about loadout, then I'd be happy to hear them. Meantime I've ordered up some MRP paints for the main colours.   💸  🙄

Until next time, stay safe. 😷

 

Keep Calm and Mangle some Plastic!

:dunce:

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Lovely build so far and very nice bang seats!

 

Im following with interest as I have a couple of these kits in the stash and am as yet undecided on just how much aftermarket stuff to chuck at them. Aires seats are now a deffinate. 

 

James

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Thanks, James - appreciated. I think the Aires seats are a worthy addition. I'm not sure the Eduard Big-Ed set was a real necessity for me as it provides quite a lot of bits which I wouldn't miss, and I suspect their rbf flags are non-RAF. I may be wrong (that happens a lot).

It does however include canopy paint masks which I'm grateful for. It doesn't include replacement wheels, which may be a problem as the kit wheels are inaccurate. It all depends on which bits you can live with.

I'm still using some of the seat belt set included in the Big-Ed pack. I could never paint the firing handles adequately myself. Also, I really like the printed cockpit panels and side consoles, much better than my awful painting efforts.

For completing this build I'm still thinking about the Brassin AIM9s and the Flight path ladder......maybe Santa is listening!

Q

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Weapon load answers.

For the Sidewinders, you definitely want AIM 9L's. That was the only variant in use when 74 had FGR2's.

If you are doing a full 4x4 load, the usual reason for this is the jet going on QRA duties. The UK based squadrons had centerline fuel tanks fitted, together with the sergeant fletcher tanks on the wings. This was due to the common need for a QRA scramble to be heading far out over the North sea. 4x4 plus the gun was the QRA load for 19 & 92 squadrons in Germany, as their scrambles involved a quick flight towards the East German border.

The other times they were loaded was for war game exercises. Not that they usually flew loaded. Then you can have whatever you want on the centerline, tank, gun or clean. Whatever you want.

 

Hope this helps.

Rob.

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Lil' bit more progress to report.

I thought it would be fun to dry-tape the fuselage together, just to see how thigs look.......

 

50423671652_88bab0020c_b.jpg50 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

.....and before I knew it, I'd glued them together.......well it looked ok at the time, so why not?

 

50422810468_ec125c73c4_b.jpg52 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Now that it's solid I note that there's a bit of a step along the fuselage spine - I should really have taken better care of the fit, as there aren't really any good positive location tabs to keep things well-aligned. Perhaps if I'd added some plastic card guides inside the seam this could have been avoided!. Oh, well, I'll get practice with the seam-scraper / Flexi-file / sanding sticks / Black & Decker.🙄

50423506351_c2cb04ef27_b.jpg54 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

On the subject of seams and lack of moulded positive fit guides, the nose cone comes in two separate halves with absolutely no tabs for alignment. I can see from some other build logs that people have tried attaching the nose halves to the fuselage halves prior to fitting the two sides together, and other similar tricks. In the end I decided that it would be easier (for me at least) to align the two halves on a true flat surface and glue them prior to attaching the assembled nose to the front of the assembled fuselage. I thought it would be easier to get good alignment of the nose halves this way making seam-sorting easier. I prioritised it this way round as the F-4 nose is a single seamless, smooth, fibreglass piece, and I'd rather deal with a cr@p seam between nose and fuselage.

Hope it works!!😬

Here goes....

50423670977_78f0edde12_b.jpg56 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Meantime wings have been assembled ready to be mounted....

50423670967_347be121e2_b.jpg58 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

.......and as this will be finished with a 3 tank loadout, I've started on the tanks early to give me time to work on those flipping seams!

 

50422809683_5c197afd48_b.jpg60 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

I'm beginning to think I'm making things hard for myself, but on the plus side the build is progressing rather quickly for me (🐢), and I'm learning as I go.

 

All tips gratefully received.

 

Keep Calm and mangle some Plastic!

:dunce:

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Good work so far @Dr. Quack.  If you're up for it the rear 1/3 of the port lower auxiliary intake door has a bright metal heat shield fitted to it for (I think) the starter exhaust (I wish I knew which BMer pointed that out to us). Believe me it's easier to fit/paint before assembly!

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5 minutes ago, Dr. Quack said:

I presume that's the lower aux door.... It'll definitely be easier to add that before the wings go on.. I'll have a look at some walkarounds.

That’s the one.  I’ve done the job with a bit of Kit Kat foil on an Airfix 1/72th FGR. 2 but haven’t yet got round to doing it on any of the 1/48th F-4s in the “to build” mountain pile.

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9 hours ago, stever219 said:

That’s the one.  I’ve done the job with a bit of Kit Kat foil on an Airfix 1/72th FGR. 2 but haven’t yet got round to doing it on any of the 1/48th F-4s in the “to build” mountain pile.

Thanks for the heads up, I am building a 1/32 FG.1 at the moment on LSP.  After all the photo staring, I hadnt noticed that either!  Thanks for the heads up.

 

Loving this build, its inspiring me with my 32nd one

 

Cheers Anthony

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Yes Sir, Mr Quack!  There was a lot more involved than I first thought even though I have the Wild Hare conversion set...turns out I am not using a lot of it!

Here is a link and I am sorry if this is not allowed and I will remove it.  Some Britmodeller chaps have been very helpful

https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/86105-raf-fg1-xv571-wild-hare-phantom-conversion/

 

Keep up the great work here

 

Cheers Anthony

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Thanks @Anthony in NZ, and thanks for the link. Your project is hugely impressive and inspiring. Too big and complex an undertaking for the likes of me. I salute you sir  :clap:.

I'll maybe wait for the HKM kit which has been promised for several years. 

 

Patient Quack :dunce:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Right.

Here we go again.

Further developments here at Quack Towers so on we go.......

 

Thanks @stever219 for the tip about the heat shield in the engine aux door - I've not found a decent pic of this so just fudged it with some kitchen foil. Once this is built I'll probably never look down there anyway, but it's rather satisfying to know it's there.

Wings pretty well ready to be mounted.

50488588646_8f9e47c8a1_b.jpg62 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

At the pointy end, some further cockpit stuff has been added - any positive comments should be forwarded to that nice Mr. Eduard.

50488588566_9aba19e8e5_b.jpg64 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Some more eyestrain with a bit of detail on the nose leg......

50488587911_62fd9806a1_b.jpg66 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

....and let me introduce you to a new and essential part of my modelling tool box.........

50488739002_877e478865_b.jpg67 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Absolutely essential for finding teeny etch bits which regularly escape my forceps / tweezers / fumbly-fingers and burrow themselves into the carpet.

I'm still looking for that pelican bib in my size by the way.

I've invested further in a set of resin wheels (Aires I think), and when comparing them to the kit originals, I think even I would spot the difference.

50487879903_f423b2d76c_b.jpg68 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

For a bit of light relief (!!) I've made a start on the Flightpath RAF F-4 ladder. I've not tried making any etchy constructions as complex as this before.....beautifully designed etch and cast parts and excellent instructions, very clear but still bain't easy for the likes of oi. The individual steps require folding of very narrow edges to create the correct gutter profile, and there are a lot of steps!

The initial construction step is to attach the folded top platform and one lower step to the ladder siderail, prior to attaching the other siderail. Lego was used here to try to ensure a reasonable 90degree angle as the first components cured in place. And anyway I like playing with Lego, so there!  :tease:

50488737772_d0e74e71fd_b.jpg69 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Once the other siderail is attached and cured the structure is a bit more rigid so hopefully the other treads will be easier to fit and align.

50487879548_b35b91c6c1_b.jpg70 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

 

A few more bits added to clutter up the interior. Pictures I've seen tend to show that the area between the back of the nav panel and the pilot station in front, is decorated with pipework relating to the nav panel instruments, and that some of these are partially obscured by (what looks like) plastic wrapping. Perhaps this is just in museum display examples and perhaps not representative of working jets - anyway I've not gone overboard in this area and just used a bit of rolled / scrunched / painted kitchen foil to represent the plastic wrapping, and some lightweight fuse wire for some visible ducting.

50488587096_fdc29348f6_b.jpg71 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

And from a different angle. The messy area gouged from the lower fuselage and in-filled with brass detail, is for the fitting of the pilot's retractable pull-out steps, also included in the excellent Flightpath ladder set - now isn't that convenient?

50488587001_e4565f9717_b.jpg72 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Unless I can turn back time and rid myself of dodgy eyesight and shaky hands (I heard that sniggering in the back!) that's about my limit here in the cockpit. I'll try to add some ducting at the nav's rear bulkhead but there's a brass portion to apply later so that can wait for now.

 

Wings are now on - a bit of filler required along one wing-fuselage seam but that's probably my fault for misaligning / mis-handling things. it's really not that big a gap and looks ok now to my eyes. Etch parts added to wheel wells in preparation for priming.

50488586736_f57c68f16f_b.jpg73 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

50488737207_35c56b454a_b.jpg74 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

I'll review this area after priming, and decide if it needs much more decorating. In all honesty I'm not too inclined to go overboard on areas I don't look at much / ever. I'll look at some more walkaround pics, see what else is within my capabilities, and see how the mood takes me - how's that?

 

The last job I've done was to take a look at the tail hook which is quite a prominent feature of the F-4's rear.  The Revell kit has the hook moulded on one fuselage side only, and it is fused along part of its' length to the underlying heat shield. This looked a bit obvious to me so I've managed to saw through the attachment and I think it looks more like a separate articulation now.

50488586606_12d65ecb84_b.jpg75 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

And FINALLY (about time!) the Flightpath ladder is progressing quite well. Some other parts are still to be added but It's definitely taking shape. Another learning experience - another addition the file marked "Hey, Even Quack Can Do It, Just Not Very Neatly"

50487879218_8163220dd5_b.jpg76 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

And that's it for now.

Lots of parts are now forming a big queue mumbling "prime me, prime me" but that'll have to wait.

 

Thanks for tuning in again.

Advice always welcome.

 

Keep Calm and Mangle some Plastic.

:dunce:

 

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