Chrisj2003 Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 (edited) My placeholder pending Viper completion. Only 2 Fine Molds' Rhinos in the stash ...so far, plenty of Fuijimi and Hasegawa. Intending to do this OOB, no etch, no resin, no scratch building, no stores except centre tank (as photos) only AM masks and colourful decals, so I will have time to do the worn paint evident in photos of this 2007 ACM winner. Chris Edited April 30, 2022 by Chrisj2003 Update 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 Ah a bit of weathering will be good to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJL Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 Nice entry, these look like nice little kits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted August 16, 2021 Author Share Posted August 16, 2021 18 hours ago, DaveJL said: Nice entry, these look like nice little kits. Thanks, there are some comments about them not being perfectly accurate, but they seem even better than Hasegawa's detailed 1/72 tooling, with clever splits and lots of inlet trunking. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted September 6, 2021 Author Share Posted September 6, 2021 Was painting white on the Viper so thought I would get a start on the inlets and trunking; and then some friends turned up direct from Japan. 😉 Chris 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted September 9, 2021 Author Share Posted September 9, 2021 Was intending to have no AM for this, apart from the decals, but I decided to try the FM plastic seatbelts. I prefer painting and washing raised seatbelt details to trying to getting etch superglued correctly, as per two of my last three models. This bits may be too fiddly.... And while waiting for the dry brush of cockpit panels to progress I jumped to step 10; assemble lower wing, and step 28 assemble centre tank, of the 35 steps. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted September 12, 2021 Author Share Posted September 12, 2021 This is still on the backburner while I progress my Viper for the close to end STGB, but I have done more gluing; the 4-piece bang seats (got to add the plastic straps now and will paint the grab handles first) and the high-G central tank, which for JASDF light grey Rhino's is dark (gunship) grey. Also painting up the inlet trunking; which I am excited about as it curves away to engine faces mid-fuselage. There are a lot of bits needing white, but why I forgot the front u/c bay I don't know. From my samples of Fine Molds F-4s this is one of the common sprues; 'A'. with wheels, heat shields, inlets and basic parts for tubs; exhaust nozzles, instrument panels and wheel hubs are on specialists sprues. Chris 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 5, 2021 Author Share Posted October 5, 2021 While waiting for varnish on the Viper to dry I have progressed the pit on the Rhino. Loving the engineering by Fine Molds (there are 15 parts to the pit), and the details have come up well to some dry brushing and clearfix. Chris 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Excellent work. The kit looks very nice. trying to find the new FM F4-D, but rare as hens teeth! Following with interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 8, 2021 Author Share Posted October 8, 2021 @Johnson the C and D have sold out even faster than the special EJs last year. I have two D enroute to add to the C above. But would happily have more. Hopefully FM will recognise the demand and reissue in different schemes. The Hasegawa kit is good but the detail and split of parts in the FM is much better; the pit, the intakes, even the wheel wells. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 9, 2021 Author Share Posted October 9, 2021 Pit buttoned up. Dry fit of underside at same time. Intakes next. Not sure if splitter plates can be left to end, which is a good detail on the Hasegawa kits; anyone know? Slow progress, main effort still on Viper, and one son down, from Scotland, for weekend. (His idea of modelling is Warhammer 40,000; each to his own.) Chris 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 20 hours ago, Chrisj2003 said: @Johnson the C and D have sold out even faster than the special EJs last year. I have two D enroute to add to the C above. But would happily have more. Hopefully FM will recognise the demand and reissue in different schemes. Ordered a D from Japan... not done this before, just hope it arrives OK 🤞. 20 hours ago, Chrisj2003 said: The Hasegawa kit is good but the detail and split of parts in the FM is much better; the pit, the intakes, even the wheel wells My current build is the Hobby 2000 (Hasegawa) F-4C. I'm now reminding myself of how finicky it is, joining the front/rear fuselages, intakes etc. 1 hour ago, Chrisj2003 said: Pit buttoned up. Dry fit of underside at same time. Intakes next. Not sure if splitter plates can be left to end, which is a good detail on the Hasegawa kits; anyone know? Looks very good, I really like the cockpit details with the back of the instrument panel which I always felt was an omission with other kits, and the ejection seat rails. And you have the engine intakes included with the kit . Can you try dry fitting the intakes to see if the splitter plates can be fitted later? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 10, 2021 Author Share Posted October 10, 2021 Charlie, dry fitted and splitter plates need to be installed early on (need to paint behind first) or else the outside of the intakes is left rather loose. Dry fit in photo, all the way down to the engine front fan faces, But the phone camera doesn't show that detail, so second photo shows what you can see with the naked eye down the intakes. Not only does it look nice but it is also a push fit further securing the main fuselage to the front section. So apart from the splitter plates this kit is engineered so much better than others in 1/72. Looking forward to the Ds arriving. Chris 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 12, 2021 Author Share Posted October 12, 2021 Bit of dark compass gray so I can get intakes constructed (second coat required), and some distraction by airmail from Japan. Not bad, only 7 days from being shipped from Fine Molds via shop in Tokyo to northern England. Chris 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 14, 2021 Author Share Posted October 14, 2021 Ok I have a plane: wings, intakes and the Kai specific ribbed nosecone added to front fuselage. Heat shield and tailfin just dry-fitted for now. Can see I will need a smudge of filler on some seams, so I'll do that then add outer wings. I remain very impressed by the engineering of this kit; the abundance of tabs and very clear fit of bits. As I have a black tailfin on a light grey plane I may paint that separate. The instructions are paint now and add heat shield later, but that's one area I can see some filler will be needed. Chris 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJL Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 Coming together well! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 17, 2021 Author Share Posted October 17, 2021 So Viper done, and I progressed with fitting outboard wing panels and heat shield and a bit of filling and filing. The basic JASDF scheme is light compass gray overall, with dark compass gray on most of the upper surfaces with a wavy delineation. Hit a problem; the underside is fine, all over light gray, but the topside when viewed in artificial (daylight light) light both the camera and my eyes can't see the difference between the two grays. At this time of the year in Newcastle upon Tyne there isn't much good natural light. In natural light the 2 shades look like the real thing; different but not that different. Chris 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 23, 2021 Author Share Posted October 23, 2021 So went for a grey that isn't the correct FS number but looks right as the dark colour on the wings. On with the weathering on the rear of the fuselage as per the real thing. This is the 3rd shade tried, white with a few drops of grey; it's not done but I think I am getting there; but will probably tone down the contrast on the patches at the front. Any thoughts or suggestions on that? Chris 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 36 minutes ago, Chrisj2003 said: I think I am getting there Agree. The colours and contrast of the greys look about right, in comparison to the actual aircraft (weathering and paint variations considered, rather than exactly following some model paint manufacturers interpretation of the 'correct' FS colour) and isn't that what really counts? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 25, 2021 Author Share Posted October 25, 2021 So happily made up the main wheels, including following the instructions to paint hub steel with a white rim; I haven't any photos that show me the wheels of JASDF rhinos clearly, so I'll accept FM on this. Anyone who has done an FM F-4 know how A7 fits to A50? There don't appear to be any positive attachment points? @Jabba ? @Creepy Pete ? Thanks in advance, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 I looked at my previous build, and on one leg it's not sitting quite right. So I guess I had some trouble with it too. I took the parts from my current build and glued them together. I hope it makes it a bit clearer now. The thin rod bit with the squarish bit at the end goes on the base of the lower scissor link joint, the thicker bit goes on the leg where the mantle on the leg meets with the thin rod thingie that goes up to the wing. (So many technical terms here. ) And a picture: I hope this helps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted November 7, 2021 Author Share Posted November 7, 2021 Still working on weathering fuselage, other bits progressing e.g. stabs and exhausts. Happy with the variation in metal tones on stabs, very obvious at some angles and almost invisible at others. Chris 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted November 12, 2021 Author Share Posted November 12, 2021 First decals on, 4 sets of 3 Japanese characters which I assume say the equivalent of 'no step'. There are 20 of these, among the ~400-ish stencil decals; will be a while No chance of finishing by 21st, Christmas is more likely. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 3 hours ago, Chrisj2003 said: There are 20 of these, among the ~400-ish stencil decals; will be a while Good Grief! The 250-ish stencils on the Airfix FG,1 nearly drove me nuts. And I have a FM F-4D waiting to be built. Maybe I should go back to Spitfires!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted November 12, 2021 Author Share Posted November 12, 2021 Charlie, the 400 ish are the DX aftermarket. FM Nicely merge stencils into groups. Fewer decals. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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