Robin Olds 'Fighter Pilot' - Hobby 2000 1/72 F-4C. +++ FINISHED +++

[Thom216]

On 10/25/2021 at 5:49 PM, Gene K said:

On your next Has kit,

 

GeneK

That's going into the playbook!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

47 minutes ago, Johnson said:

I'm using Xtracolor enamel paint and feel quite unusual on BM in that. But I really can't get on with acrylics using an airbrush and haven't tried the new lacquer based paints, though I feel that I ought to.

If I could get a wide ranged easily available enamel I would use it. Otherwise I will stick to my Lacquers and the rare acrylic. 

[Johnson]

1 minute ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

If I could get a wide ranged easily available enamel I would use it.

 

The nice thing about Xtracolor is it's gloss, no messing about with that extra gloss clear coat prior to the decals.

 

The other enamel paint that I'm liking and building up a collection of is the Sovereign Hobbies Colourcoats range. I'm planning to use their USAF SEA range of paints on the Fine Molds F-4D which should be next on the bench, and will be interesting in comparison .

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

38 minutes ago, Johnson said:

 

The nice thing about Xtracolor is it's gloss, no messing about with that extra gloss clear coat prior to the decals.

 

The other enamel paint that I'm liking and building up a collection of is the Sovereign Hobbies Colourcoats range. I'm planning to use their USAF SEA range of paints on the Fine Molds F-4D which should be next on the bench, and will be interesting in comparison .

 

 

I know Sovereign has a U.S. distributor but they don't always have all the colors in stock. I wish someone would work out a decent manufacturing deal with them here. That way they can be more widespread than just the one or two locations. 

[giemme]

On 31/10/2021 at 14:51, Johnson said:

OK, not terribly exciting I grant .

Still, looking quite smooth

 

Ciao

[Alan P]

This is going very well Charlie, your usual attention to detail paying off again 👍

[Johnson]

On 11/2/2021 at 10:17 AM, giemme said:

Still, looking quite smooth

 

On 11/2/2021 at 1:12 PM, Alan P said:

This is going very well Charlie, your usual attention to detail paying off again 👍

Thank you Giorgio and Alan, much appreciated! Though with just over 2 weeks to go, my attention to detail may be my undoing. It's going to be tight to finish on time and there's a Military Vehicle Day at the Brooklands Museum over the last weekend 20/21st and I'll be taking my 1:1 Willys Jeep there. They want 80 jeeps on show for the 80th anniversary.

 

Progress over the last week has mostly been masking and painting. But a bit of detail alteration on the elevators. The early Phantoms didn't have the reinforcing plates on the elevators (I hope!) Anyway, they're gone now and elevators rescribed and polished;

 

 

 

And then what's been the most complicated masking and painting I've ever attempted. No wonder there aren't many SEA Phantoms in the GB!

 

FS10219 Tan sprayed on and masked in preparation for the 'Forest Green' (looks like olive drab to me). I'll call it Dark Green for now.

 

Then the dark green masked in preparation for the FS14102 Green (light green) which went on OK.

 

Hope it's worth it. I want it to dry fully before I try to peel off the multiple layers of masking, so we'll find out tomorrow!

 

Back soon,

[Alan P]

You have a Jeep! 👍👍👍 Kudos. Incredible that is 80 years ago, what a timeless design. I'm sure it'll be a great day.

[giemme]

Three tones camouflage is a lot of work - looking forward to how it comes out

 

Ciao

[Dansk]

That camo is gonna look gorgeous charlie.

[The Rib Man]

I’m looking forward to seeing the masking come off!  I am about 2 days behind you in painting my F-4c. I just got the brown on today. Seeing all your tape makes me nervous for prepping for the green!

[Johnson]

Masking off.

 

Generally happy with the results, some overspray in places, a bit of retouching needed, but not too bad. I used home made paper masks held off with thin blue-tac sausages to get a slight feathering between the colours, which worked much as I'd hoped. The following two pics have been lightened to take account of the white background in the exposure.

 

 

I also took the same pics against a darker green backdrop and it's interesting the way the background alters the colour perception;

 

I'm not convinced that Hannants have got the color of the FS14102 Green right. Compared with a photo of a Phantom in SEA colors;

Sorry, not the best photo. I had trouble finding a decent photos of an F-4 in SEA colors actually in theatre. But you probably see what I mean, the 102 green isn't really right.

 

I'll be looking for different paint when I make Fine Molds Ritchie's F-4D, suggestions gratefully accepted!

 

Cheers,

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

3 hours ago, Johnson said:

I'm not convinced that Hannants have got the color of the FS14102 Green right. Compared with a photo of a Phantom in SEA colors;

Sorry, not the best photo. I had trouble finding a decent photos of an F-4 in SEA colors actually in theatre. But you probably see what I mean, the 102 green isn't really right.

I wouldn't worry about too much, once your flat coat and weathering are on the difference will be less noticeable. 

[Johnson]

15 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

once your flat coat and weathering are on the difference will be less noticeable.

That did occur to me Dennis, thanks.

 

I'm going to do some experiments to see what effect a flat coat has.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Just now, Johnson said:

That did occur to me Dennis, thanks.

 

I'm going to do some experiments to see what effect a flat coat has.

It also occurs to me extreme heat effected the paint also. Im sure there was all sorts of variations after awhile in Vietnam. 

[Johnson]

'evening all,

 

While I ponder what are the correct camouflage colors (I'm using the US spelling of colour, it's USAF plane, in case you wondered) and waiting for daylight and better light (13h away) I thought I'd better get on with the bits, lots of them, that get attached to the underside.

 

Undercarriage parts and tanks, cleaned and ejection marks removed, waiting to be painted (tomorrow   )

 

There's also the QRC 160 ECM pod that was carried on the starboard outer weapons station. I have a Fine Molds AN/ALQ-87 ECM pod, but I'm unsure if it's the same as the QRC 160 (question raised in the Cold War forum which will hopefully tell me. Unless YOU know, if so do say).

 

And the missiles! Nothing with the kit (Hasegawa - Huh! ). But I found some very reasonably priced Eduard Sidewinder AIM 9b on eB*y, I should have bought 2 sets! They are marvellous, little kits in their own right;

I've got some Sparrow missiles lurking somewhere in the stash, better go and look.

 

Cheers!

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

While looking for something else concerning Vietnam Phantom's I found this. 
 

http://thecombatworkshop.blogspot.com/2018/08/one-vietnam-era-f-4-characteristic.html?m=1

 

There are some good photos of worn and touched up Phantoms during the war. Not sure if you’ve seen these about Old’s mission load-outs. 
 

https://usfighter.tripod.com/phantom.htm

 

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/2-january-1967/

Edited November 6, 2021 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Johnson]

Great links Dennis, many thanks. Amazing diversity of paint finishes. Going to have to do some weathering, something I struggle with.

[The Rib Man]

I wouldn't worry much about the green color.  I have seen numerous F-4s in SEA colors at museums in the States, and the colors are never quite the same.  I have the impression both the brown and the green's started fading almost immediately at the bases in Thailand and Vietnam.  Sometimes the tan looks almost an off-white color after time in that climate.  Also some of the planes were painted in the field vs. others painted at the factory.

 

[giemme]

Charlie,  the camouflage looks excellent 

I remember when I did mine that @Gene K mentioned the aircraft being routinely sent for repaint because of the extreme weather conditions they operated in; back then I found a lot pics showing so many variations on any of the colors, and on top of that you need to consider the light and camera used to take those pics....

 

Ciao 

[Dansk]

Looking great Charlie.

If you add a dark panel line wash it will visually reduce the intensity of the colours and desaturate and darken them a touch optically. Then the, as aforementioned, flat coat will desaturate everything too and you should be just right.

[Chrisj2003]

Charlie, assume you’ve seen this thread above?  Brilliant photo of very weathered Spunky VI. A combination of weathering and repainting and a lot of bombs, 4 slicks on one TER and 3 daisy cutters on the inboard pylon. 
 

Keep up the good work, your rhino is looking nice. 
 

Chris

 

[Johnson]

14 hours ago, The Rib Man said:

I wouldn't worry much about the green color.  I have seen numerous F-4s in SEA colors at museums in the States, and the colors are never quite the same.

Thanks @The Rib Man, good advice! I was tempted to redo the FS14102 green, but it would have been a load of extra work and might (probably would) have gone horribly wrong.

 

6 hours ago, giemme said:

Charlie,  the camouflage looks excellent 

Cheers Giorgio, a bit of a way to go yet. I've spent the last hour retouching around the nose and intakes. These Phantoms are really tricky to paint! But I'm enjoying it again.

 

1 hour ago, Dansk said:

Looking great Charlie.

If you add a dark panel line wash it will visually reduce the intensity of the colours and desaturate and darken them a touch optically. Then the, as aforementioned, flat coat will desaturate everything too and you should be just right.

I'm hoping the flat coat will do as you say Paul, really looking forward to getting that far!

 

34 minutes ago, Chrisj2003 said:

Charlie, assume you’ve seen this thread above?

Hadn't seen that Chris, great link, super photos, thanks!

This build is an F-4C but I may have to add a Fine Molds E to the stash. I'm finding buying from Japan far too easy!

 

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. I was a bit miffed with the light green, but these days I tend to leave well alone for a day or two and calm down, glad I did! My mojo has been restored.

 

[Johnson]

A bit more progress with the paint. Re-touching the underside where topside paint had got to places it shouldn't have, and the camouflage returns under the wings (actually adding white back where I'd gone a bit too far on the port wing);

 

 

I think that's OK.

I think

that's about it for the underside. Need to sort out the Aux Intakes. Anyone know what color the walls were painted? Red? Not that you're going to see much.

 

Next up, paint this lot white...

 

Still to do;

Black radome

Jet exhausts and surrounding area.

NMF on elevators

Camo inside jet intakes

All the decals (including the AIM 7Es & AIM 9Bs)

U/C

Green on the Sgt Fletcher tanks

QRC 160 ECM pod (more white paint - thought I'd finished with it! )

Aux Intake doors (yet more white)

Canopies!!!

Weathering

Probably others I've missed

 

I think this might be a bit tight

 

And Mrs J. says we really ought to have a day out somewhere at the weekend... 

[giemme]

46 minutes ago, Johnson said:

Anyone know what color the walls were painted? Red?

The inner side of the Aux intake doors was red, just like the air brakes. The inner of the Aux intake itself,  no clue - but that's really invisible; I'go with a dark metallic hue and a black wash.

 

Underside looking neat after the touch ups

 

Ciao