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RAAF Rhino 304’s early days.


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Hello everyone… Going to throw my hat into the ring with this one. 
 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegawa-51552-f-4e-phantom-ii-thunderbirds--135582

 

I will build it in the S.E.A. Scheme with RAAF Roundel’s. The Australians operated a number of the early “E” type while waiting for their F-111’s. If I have time to do a second one it will be an USAF “G”. 
 

Dennis 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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:wub:  what's not to love with this scheme!!! I keep longingly looking at my distressed one up on the top shelf.... I really do have to try and figure how I can fix her! 

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Nice to see Dennis, I would have done a RAAF one for this GB but finished the Esci kit last year in RAAF markings.

 

The one thing I will say is that the RAAF F-4s were modified over the their short life in service with our Air Force. So you will find pictures of them as delivered and when returned to the USAF they had the longer gun muzzle and slime lights installed. They were never used as a fighter so they were only loaded with bombs* during their service here (no A-A ordinance**)

 

*Mainly MK82 low drag of the pictures I have seen.

 

** There was an exception to this when the the RAAF did some trials with sparrow missiles up in Darwin for McDonnell Douglas/USAF, these were only captive tests so no live missiles carried.

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Hello and good morning everyone … Ive finally caught up to a degree but for the next couple of weeks will have 13-14 builds going. So please be patient I will get to this. Here are my obligatory sprue shots. ZiGTPP0.jpg

 

3vPX7yZ.jpg


37AVmIF.jpg

 

EyKMbmD.jpg


rzgWToa.jpg

Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or add thoughts. 

 

 

Dennis

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Hello @Bertie Psmith I was finally able to get this one started. SRPalck.jpg
 

G89TDyG.jpg

I still need to add seat harnesses and the ejection handles but will do that before I seal the pit up. Currently the seats are just mocked up snd not glued in. 

3ImZgMy.jpg

 

KmsZFD4.jpg

 

d17KJ9Q.jpg

I’ll be 110% honest Im not happy the way this fuselage or most of the Hasegawa kits go together. To many bits and seams for my taste. Wish I could have gotten one of the new F/molds kits for this. 

W7UaPLX.jpg

Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or add thoughts. 

 

Dennis

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4 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Im not happy the way this fuselage or most of the Hasegawa kits go together. To many bits and seams for my taste.

 

I agree entirely. It seems a bit parsimonious to me to try to use one main set of moulds, with an auxiliary sprue or two, to make a range of sub-types. Especially when they keep reboxing and re-decalling the same kit for decades. It's like they are trying to get every last bit of profit from the one product. Different moulds for different marks would be so much more customer friendly. That said, they were among the best available for a very long time.

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        Good morning everybody … Well we have a full airframe minus the stabs. But I usually add those after paint on Phantom builds. Usually because they're a pain in the backside to mask otherwise. dqmubbg.jpg
You can see almost all the props Ive got going currently. Though I’m missing a Cessna, Messerschmitt, and Mustang prop in that bunch. NpSnBc0.jpg

 

RUQhOiq.jpg

Rough sanding has been started on this so Im happy. 9SXnoZ2.jpg

 

s2wthHn.jpg

I did finish up the Bang seats for the build. 

2GkCXCB.jpg

 

Js5YPKm.jpg

        I also painted the burner cans, oddly they look metallic but aren't ? They're grey and ceramic tan on the inside.
lGHMXG4.jpg

They still need a wash on both the cans and seats. Im toying with and Idea and curious on input ? The RAAF “E’s” were returned to the USAF after a few years and most if not all were converted to “G’s”. Im thinking about doing my Fujimi “G” as the same plane in a later scheme, any thoughts on this ? Please feel free to ask questions or post comments. 

 

 

Dennis

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello just a short update, the sanding is done for both versions of 304. I am currently trying to get a belly-strap for the later F-4G version of the build and should have it soon enough. Once that is done its on to paint for both. In the meantime I can play catch up on my other 15 or 16 builds. 
 

Dennis

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This will be a fun build Dennis.  I don't think I've ever seen an F-4 in RAAF markings.  Nice job on the cockpit.  

 

Even though there are a lot of seams on the Hasegawa kit, are they decent? or do they require a lot of sanding?

 

Love your solution for holding props, BTW -- I'm going to have to borrow that one if I can find some lids.

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4 hours ago, opus999 said:

This will be a fun build Dennis.  I don't think I've ever seen an F-4 in RAAF markings.  Nice job on the cockpit.  

 

Even though there are a lot of seams on the Hasegawa kit, are they decent? or do they require a lot of sanding?

 

Love your solution for holding props, BTW -- I'm going to have to borrow that one if I can find some lids.

Its not the best to be honest. The big problem is the modular design but thats standard Hasegawa. It leaves fit issues that are not the greatest. Particularly around the nose and belly area. The intakes are always hard on any Phantom build so wont say much about that. They can be played with to get pretty close fit. The fin cap is another area which is not the greatest. If you're looking for an F-4 in 1/72 Id recommend looking at the brand new tool Finemolds kits. I think they look quite good and hopefully will be able to build some soon. 
 

Dennis

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4 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Its not the best to be honest. The big problem is the modular design but thats standard Hasegawa. It leaves fit issues that are not the greatest. Particularly around the nose and belly area. The intakes are always hard on any Phantom build so wont say much about that. They can be played with to get pretty close fit. The fin cap is another area which is not the greatest. If you're looking for an F-4 in 1/72 Id recommend looking at the brand new tool Finemolds kits. I think they look quite good and hopefully will be able to build some soon. 
 

Dennis

My Canadian CF-104 was a Hasegawa and the fuselage was in quarters.  It was an odd setup, but I was extremely lucky that the fit was pretty good.  I can see how that is probably not the case most times...

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20 minutes ago, opus999 said:

My Canadian CF-104 was a Hasegawa and the fuselage was in quarters.  It was an odd setup, but I was extremely lucky that the fit was pretty good.  I can see how that is probably not the case most times...

The Starfighter is definitely a better fit I didn't need glue on the wings when I built mine. The only filler I needed was my fault I sanded the back edge of the intake/fuselage join a little wrong and it left gaps. Their Harrier is horrible and the F-18’s are good not great but pretty good. In all fairness this is my fourth Hasegawa Phantom. I have built 1/48 F-4EJ and FG.1. Both of which went great, and two not so much. The RF-4B the front fuselage is so out of whack its unbuildable and this one which is ok but not the greatest. I will need to get an Academy or Tamiya F-4B and graft the nose on to the kit. The biggest issue is the cockpit pieces are wider than the fuselage. So much so that when you attempt to close it up they form an elliptical shape like a football. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

       Morning well first color is down… I didn't relish the idea of painting the off white/lt.grey onto a white plastic. So I decided to mottle the belly with lt.ghost grey first. Then went over it with the SEA Lt.grey. bDyuX00.jpg
Hopefully it looks ok, I may spray the tan on tomorrow ? Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or add thoughts. 
 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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    Morning everyone … well I think I pulled the longest painting session Ive ever done today. In total 9 hours over three sessions. The positive other than a couple of touchups is that both Phantoms are now painted. 7meIElM.jpg
 

vSuuhEN.jpg

 

XSEuW4d.jpg

 

XIT1O0g.jpg

 

7pSYUtr.jpg

Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or add thoughts. 

 

 

Dennis

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