Jump to content

1/32nd F-4C "Wolfpack" Phantom


11bravo

Recommended Posts

Quick update, painted the radome (I'll be weathering it further down the road, for now it's just a semi-gloss black), did some touchups to the camo scheme and started decaling the undersides.   These early F-4C's retained their Navy style gloss white undersides, along with about 200 servicing / warning stencils.  The only thing the Airforce did was to overpaint the large national insignia and "USAF" on the lower wing surfaces.   On more than a few jets, you could still make out these marking under a thin coat of white.   I did my best to replicate that look.    I've only started to add all the servicing decals. 

 

MPsZFsO.jpg?1

 

I3Gdhde.jpg?2

 

REAxHha.jpg?1

 

Ac5hCxP.jpg?1

 

3KpJlzM.jpg?1

 

Thanks for checking in! 

  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really like how you’ve done the underside and can still make out the USAF & star-and-bars. If anything, the weathering (especially below the engines) is too restrained. I knew a guy who serviced Phantoms, and he was always beating up my F-4 models for being too clean!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/14/2022 at 7:00 AM, billn53 said:

I really like how you’ve done the underside and can still make out the USAF & star-and-bars. If anything, the weathering (especially below the engines) is too restrained. I knew a guy who serviced Phantoms, and he was always beating up my F-4 models for being too clean!

You are spot on.   These aircraft got filthy.  I've got more work to do once the hundred or so decals are in place.   Here's the real thing:

PZvqPpc.jpg

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, billn53 said:

I used a Flory wash on my ZM F-4J, and am very satisfied with the results 

 

49385597852_c5a5aaf3b2_b.jpg

 

 

Bill - that is one of the best weathered F-4 underbellies I've seen.   Great work!   It's surprising how many fantastic looking F-4 models have pristine undersurfaces.   

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, 11bravo said:

Bill - that is one of the best weathered F-4 underbellies I've seen.   Great work!   It's surprising how many fantastic looking F-4 models have pristine undersurfaces.   

 

Using the Flory wash made it quick and easy. I simply sprayed a clear, flat coat where I wanted the wash to adhere, dirtied it up with the wash, and wiped it down after the Flory had dried.

 

Here's another pic, after I'd finished the build:

 

49519236816_10ae7cf348_c.jpg

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As my subject was an early F-4C in the "Navy" scheme, it had a full set of stencils on it's gloss white belly.   Took me the better part of a week but I was finally able to then start the final weathering on the undersides.   I used a mix of Flory Washes (love this stuff), some thinned black and brown enamel paint and a touch of pastels.   Still have some touchups but I think I'm 90% done in this area.

 

DZkknRQ.jpg?1

 

jdWzkK1.jpg?1

 

ihTEIEx.jpg?1

 

3SXNjce.jpg?1

 

rDuD1a6.jpg?1\

 

Thanks for checking in! 

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Wrapped up my underside weathering.  Last step was to grunge up the external tanks a bit since most of my pictures show the undersides as less than immaculate looking. 

GWVHILc.jpg?1

 

FJQjlNs.jpg?1

Note the intentional sloppy paintwork and mismatched sections.   Unlike later in the war when the tanks arrive painted from the factory, these early tanks were overpainted green in the field when the switch was made to the SEA camo scheme and you see lots of strange looking tanks in service.

 

Next up are the TER/MER (I'm building an asymmetric weapons load of external wing tank / 2 AIM-9 with ECM pod underneath / MER on centerline with 5 M117's / TER with a single M117 / external wing tank).    I added close to 50 extra parts for each of these, as the kit parts are extremely basic.   Note that the red numbers are intentionally mis-aligned, as it per my pics of the originals.   I'm going to be touching up those bolts on the sway braces, looking at the pictures made me realize they are less than optimum.

 

0EeNUd0.jpg?1

 

NTZPATm.jpg?1

 

IQ9O65H.jpg?1

 

Press fit of an M117 on the TER.   Still have much cleanup / paintwork to do on the bombs. 

2a9LUfr.jpg?1

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Got the landing gear finished and installed (sans the nosewheels that I bumped into and sheared off), also decided to load up the centerline MER and get the rack mounted.    Love the look of those M117's!

 

ipPrvHa.jpg?2

 

FdFXHFU.jpg?1

 

NdYrI2T.jpg

 

4QOMYUC.jpg?1

 

qKk2R2U.jpg?1

 

lQa5vCe.jpg?1

 

xMnFsRH.jpg?2

  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Everything except the 2 foward AIM-7's are loaded up.   Honestly, the F-4 is simply a brute.   It doesn't even look like it could get off the ground with all that gear hanging off the bottom and yet.....

 

The external tanks are a bit off-spec as is the QRC-160 ECM pod with the crudely painted green camo and the grubby Sparrow missiles but I've got pictures that back all this up!   No liberties were taken.  

9zQaajJ.jpg?1

 

J6n81Cq.jpg?1

 

eD6ntKJ.jpg

 

RRH1b7P.jpg

 

Getting closer to the finish line! 

 

 

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Working on the WSO's cockpit.   Add the upper instrument panel (Quinta), removed the anemic Tamiya instrument housings on the back of the panel, scratchbuilt new ones, added a bunch of wiring and connectors, also added Airscale placards on the instrument cases.   On the aft bulkhead, I installed the canopy retaining lock and spring, the canopy airline connection, along with yet more wiring.    Doing my best to replicate the 'busyness" of those areas on the real jet.   Lastly I added some boot scuffings along the intake and fuselage upper surfaces.   

 

iwfniVr.jpg

 

GTjSIst.jpg

 

AbUJM8s.jpg

 

7OU1lUt.jpg

 

mBuXnR7.jpg

 

SxKXRzM.jpg

 

That's it for now, thanks for checking in. 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Plugging slowly away.  I think I'm 99% of the way there.   Notable updates are:

 

Added a bunch of scratch built details to the canopy interiors, installed the hydraulic jacks (with their hydraulic lines added) and glued the canopies in place.

 

Added details to the interior of the wing folds (Tamiya must have been thinking about offering folding wings as an option since they provided some of the details).  

 

Fixed the outer wings in position (yes, USAF jets did on occasion fold their wings). 

 

A few pictures:

mScJjT4.jpg

 

JQPTUD1.jpg

 

P9zIk7m.jpg

 

SzGsb1H.jpg

 

If you look close, you can see a portion of the original large "USAF" marking that was on the lower wing until it was hurriedly overpainted when the SEA camouflage was applied.   These early jets were just left in their gloss white undersides, with the large national insignia and USAF overpainted (sometimes quite lightly) with white paint, allowing those markings to occasionally be seen under the top coat. 

TKB265F.jpg

 

C7NIFsK.jpg

 

kSziEWF.jpg

 

Mz8ZBEy.jpg

 

xeqRVJW.jpg

 

That's it for now.  Thanks for checking in and have a safe and happy New Years! 

 

Edited by 11bravo
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, 11bravo said:

 

 

If you look close, you can see a portion of the original large "USAF" marking that was on the lower wing until it was hurriedly overpainted when the SEA camouflage was applied.   These early jets were just left in their gloss white undersides, with the large national insignia and USAF overpainted (sometimes quite lightly) with white paint, allowing those markings to occasionally be seen under the top coat. 

TKB265F.jpg

 

 



Here is an interesting example of the hurried nature of the re-paint. Not only can you still make out the original, large insignia, but the smaller replacement was painted upside-down!
 

50631456422_5424d2bf93_c.jpg

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, billn53 said:


Here is an interesting example of the hurried nature of the re-paint. Not only can you still make out the original, large insignia, but the smaller replacement was painted upside-down!
 

50631456422_5424d2bf93_c.jpg

 

Just proves that for those early SEA paint jobs, pretty much anything goes.    Almost as non-standard as late war Luftwaffe...  Note also the horrible paint work on the port-side external tank.   

Edited by 11bravo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...