1:72 Fujimi McDonnell Douglas FG.1 Phantom A&AEE

[Navy Bird]

To borrow from a previous Phantom build, I have a confession to make: I hate all-grey schemes on jets. Really. But I like pointy planes that go fast. What to do? Find colourful prototype, retirement or anniversary schemes and just say no to low viz! Besides, it's my favourite subject in my favourite scale and my favourite scheme. Of course it's a Phantom and of course its Raspberry Ripple. Yee-ha!

 

The build process is detailed in the WIP thread here.

 

Project: McDonnell Douglas FG.1 Phantom II

 

Kit: Fujimi Kit No. 34001 Royal Collection

Scale: 1:72 (as revealed in scripture)

Decals: Xtradecal X72296 (kit decals were "unusable due to age", an expression I hear often from wifey)
Resin: CMK cockpit set no. 7441; Aires exhaust no. 7179; ResKit wheel set no. RS72-0067
Photoetch: From the kit for canopy details and gear door actuators; from the CMK cockpit set for HUD, instrument panels, and cockpit details
Canopy Masks: Made by hand! With a pencil and a pair of scissors!
Paint: MRP 183 Oxford Blue, 184 Signal Red, 125 Super Clear Semigloss, 048 Super Clear Gloss; Gunze H11 Flat White, H12 Flat Black, H20 Flat Clear, H77 Tire Black, H90 Clear Red, H94 Clear Green, H317 FS36231 Dark Gull Gray; Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black; Alclad ALC101 Aluminum, ALC103 Dark Aluminum, ALC111 Magnesium

Weathering: I hate weathering.

 

Improvements/Corrections

• Scratchbuilt intake FOD covers decorated with decals printed on inkjet at home
• Replaced kit cockpit and ejection seats with CMK resin set
• Instrument panels, rudder pedals and HUD detailed with CMK photoetch
• Cockpit sidewalls, canopies, mirrors, and canopy sills detailed with kit photoetch
• Replaced vertical fin pitot probes with hypo needles
• With a great deal of effort, replaced kit exhausts with resin set from Aires
• Replaced kit tyres with ResKit resin wheel set

How about some photos?   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what the cockpit looks like (hard to get a good picture after assembly):

 

 

 

 

This CMK cockpit set is designed for the new tool Airfix kit, but works well in the old Fujimi kit with minor modifications to the kit plastic. Good to know, because...

 

...I have another Fujimi kit in my stash - and the Xtradecal sheet for Alcock & Brown. Should it be a future project? Vote early and vote often!   

 

Cheers,

Bill

[DougC]

Just stunning!

[slufdriver]

Beautiful!

Can’t wait to see the Alcock & Brown😁

Richard

[Lightningboy2000]

Absolutely stunning Phantom.

[cardiff guy]

fine work, well done.

[Tomcat101]

Great Phantom shown to its best.  Well done. Question - the nose looks a bit odd to me in the photos, is it supposed to be standard or is supposed to be modified in some way?  Anyway just curious.

[Andy Dyck]

Very very nice!

 

Andy

[Rabbit Leader]

Bill, you could of just built up those engine FOD guards and it would have been impressive. Now combine those with a magnificently built Phantom and this is yet another absolutely stunning build. I’m out of superlatives mate… top job! 
Cheers.. Dave 

[upnorth]

That's lovely!

 

I feel the same way about bare metal finishes that you do about grey schemes. I don't understand why anyone would go that route if they had some nice camouflage option or eye-catching special scheme.

[Farmerboy]

Stunning model, Boscombe Down is just up the road, wish they were still flying aircraft like this!

[Caerbannog]

Very nice build! I have the Hasegawa High-Tech kit in the same livery and the Alcock and Brown decals for use on a Revell re-release. But I just do not find the time to finish them 😞 Go ahead with the Alcock and Brown Version

[Vulcanicity]

Gorgeous, simply gorgeous! Who needs grey when you have Technicolour like that?

[Mountain goat]

Beautiful work; very crisp and clean but at the same time visually interesting and realistic.

 

I often wonder what happened to the decals on the real XT597 after IAT '83. They were applied on 22 July, and the aircraft departed, still wearing the celebratory outfit, on the 25th. Perhaps the decals were removed at Boscombe immediately upon arrival...

 

Jay

[tonyot]

Superb as always Bill,..... and an aircraft that I saw flying often when I was stationed near to Boscombe Down,....... albeit in its more `normal' raspberry ripple scheme without the adornments! 

 

For your next one,..... well the Alcock & Brown scheme is nice,..... but what about one of the two overall blue retirement aircraft from 19 & 92 Sqn when they were in Germany? Now they do loo fantastic!! 

 

Whatever you choose,..... it will be brilliant,.... just like this one,

Nice one mate,

Cheers

          Tony

[Johnson]

13 hours ago, Navy Bird said:

...I have another Fujimi kit in my stash - and the Xtradecal sheet for Alcock & Brown. Should it be a future project? Vote early and vote often!   

 

 

Would be a great pair on the shelf.

 

Stunning work Bill and excellent photos. 

[Blackmike]

That’s a beautiful model with photographs and write up to do it justice!  Hearty congratulations, Bill. 

[klubman01]

Great workmanship, great result.

Trevor

[Navy Bird]

13 hours ago, Tomcat101 said:

Question - the nose looks a bit odd to me in the photos, is it supposed to be standard or is supposed to be modified in some way? 

 

Yes, XT597 had a special radome that incorporated additional equipment. I'm not sure what, but I suspect cameras as the bottom of the radome has two flat rectangular areas that look like windows. I could be mistaken, but I'm sure someone who knows can come along and inform us. Fujimi provide the special radome on a separate sprue:

 

 

You have to slice off the kit's original radome and add the special one (thankfully you cut along a well-defined panel line):

 

 

10 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Bill, you could of just built up those engine FOD guards and it would have been impressive. Now combine those with a magnificently built Phantom and this is yet another absolutely stunning build. I’m out of superlatives mate… top job!

 

Thanks! The FOD covers really add a unique look to the aircraft. They were pretty easy to make. I think the most difficult part of the build was getting the blue demarcation line correct on the fuselage sides.

 

10 hours ago, upnorth said:

I feel the same way about bare metal finishes that you do about grey schemes. I don't understand why anyone would go that route if they had some nice camouflage option or eye-catching special scheme.

 

I'm not a big fan of natural metal schemes either unless they have have some colour, like all those cool Super Sabres from the 50s. It's the same with the low-viz schemes - I'm doing a Super Hornet now for the group build, but it's a CAG bird and has some nice colourful markings. Although I have a YF-23 waiting in the wings and just the appeal of that aircraft trumps the fact that it's all grey.

 

7 hours ago, Vulcanicity said:

Gorgeous, simply gorgeous! Who needs grey when you have Technicolour like that?

 

Yeah, I really like special schemes whether anniversary markings like this one or some other fancy display aircraft. I'll be doing the new Fine Molds F-4EJ Kai in the special 2020 "Blue" markings. She should look good next to this build of XT597 and some of my other Phancy Phantoms:

 

 

 

4 hours ago, tonyot said:

For your next one,..... well the Alcock & Brown scheme is nice,..... but what about one of the two overall blue retirement aircraft from 19 & 92 Sqn when they were in Germany? Now they do loo fantastic!!

 

That's a great idea Tony! XT899 and XV408?

 

*****

 

Thanks for all the nice compliments mates! It helps keep the mojo flowing.   

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

 

[giemme]

Impressive scheme and impeccable finish, Bill      

 

Ciao

[binbrook87]

Really superb! That's quite a daunting colour scheme to have undertaken but it's turned out beautifully 👌

[TheBaron]

Vivacious.

And I like your Phantom as well Bill.

[mullac2001]

Wonderful work

[Autle]

Very nice phantom, hard to believe it,s 1/72 finish is subject 

[TonyOD]

That is a head-turner for sure.

[Harry Lime]

Utterly delicious! A stunner as always.

 

22 hours ago, Navy Bird said:

...I have another Fujimi kit in my stash - and the Xtradecal sheet for Alcock & Brown. Should it be a future project? Vote early and vote often!   

 

Yes it should be.

 

Mark.