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Tiger Meet RF-4E Phantom (Revell 1/72)

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  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Tiger Meet RF-4E Phantom (Revell 1/72)
Posted by gregbale on Monday, November 19, 2018 8:21 PM

One of last summer's builds...a 'recce-Rhino' from the Luftwaffe's AufklG 52 during the Cold War years.

It had been a while since I did a Phantom...so I picked the one closest to the top of my 'pile,' Revell's late-'90s-vintage RF-4E in its 2006 release, with the striking markings for a then-WGAF participant from 1985's 'Tiger Meet' competition at Kleine Brogel AB in Belgium. The elaborate tiger-stripes were supplied as DACO-designed kit decals covering roughly two-thirds of the model...but fortunately behaved more or less flawlessly, laying down cleanly and bright (despite being semi-transparent) over a (glossed) coat of Tamiya's NATO Black.

Kit is built straight OOB with no additional details added except for 'box' shapes to fill the void beteen the aft cockpit's IP and the front 'pit. Stores are what the kit provided: three drop-tanks, an ECM pod and what I take to be a chaff dispenser under the port wing. Build itself was pretty much trouble free...except for matching the yellow necessary for the inevitable touch-ups where decals didn't quite meet or match.

Enjoy!

 

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Monday, November 19, 2018 8:50 PM

First time seeing that scheme on a Phantom.

Very nicely done, Greg. Just looking at those decals on the sheet would have done me in.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Monday, November 19, 2018 9:15 PM

Greg
Very nicely done, Greg. Just looking at those decals on the sheet would have done me in.

Thanks, Greg.

Trying to mask and spray them would have done me in....Bang Head

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    April 2015
Posted by Mopar Madness on Monday, November 19, 2018 9:44 PM

Very nice!  I love those aircraft in the Tiger Meet livery.  

Chad

God, Family, Models...

At the plate: 1/48 Airfix Bf109 & 1/35 Tamiya Famo

On deck: Who knows!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Monday, November 19, 2018 9:58 PM

Sweet! Black shows every flaw and i didn’t see any. Nice job.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Monday, November 19, 2018 10:35 PM

Well done, Greg.

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 4:14 AM

That looks great, thosde yellow decals look really nice on that surface, i like how they have a soft edge.

Good to see more Phantoms on here latley.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 6:41 AM

Thanks, guys.

Bish
That looks great, thosde yellow decals look really nice on that surface, i like how they have a soft edge.

Bish, the decals came as a nice surprise. I had already started looking for other options before I 'popped the top' on the kit---pretty much assuming they'd be rubbush---but even for kit decals and with the 'dot printing' of the black stripes pretty obvious at super-close inspection, from anything beyond that they looked great.

Though it was prominently marked that they had been designed by the brilliant folks behind DACO models, there was no indication on the sheet that they'd been printed by Cartograph or any of the known 'outside' printers. Soaking the first small 'tiger' area off the sheet brought what seemed like two bad omens: first, that the yellow hadn't been printed on a white base, and was semi-translucent; and second, that the decal material was what I typically call 'crispy,' with a sort of hard brittle feel to it (that usually means they'll crack and crumble at a glance). Much to my surprise, however, the yellow went down still-bright over the black under-color...and the 'hard' decals proved tough and easy to move into place, and settled down well even before a shot of Solvaset.

I was in modeling heaven! Plus, the complex multi-part 'pattern' matched surprisingly well even around compound curves and such, with only a spot or two of touch-up needed at odd corners or edges where the decal shrank back a bit settling down. Well done, Revell/Germany! I was actually sufficiently impressed to send them a message commending their efforts and quality control.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 6:55 AM

It is really surpriseing how bright the yellow is on a black surface. And even in the close up there is no sign on the decal film, i could swear they had been sprayed on.

A lot of companies are now useing cartograph, i know both Airfix and Academy say that on the box. I am sure as well as the licencing issue, this would also be a selling point if people know they are getting good quality decals.

These have really come out well, and as good as the decals are and as easy as they conform to the shapes, it must still have taken a lot of patience to get them down right, so credit to you as well as the makers.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 9:08 AM

gregbale
Trying to mask and spray them would have done me in....Bang Head

True Dat!

  • Member since
    June 2017
Posted by Chemteacher on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 9:20 AM
Beautiful job. Phabulous!

On the bench: Revell-USS Arizona; Airfix P-51D in 1/72

  • Member since
    August 2014
  • From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posted by goldhammer on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 9:29 AM

Nicely done bent wing.  Always have had an affair with Phantoms.  Decals came out great and love the emblem on the verticle fin.

  • Member since
    August 2016
Posted by Keyda81 on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 1:24 PM

I recently went through a nightmare with decals on a Tamiya F-16 Thunderbird, ugh, I won't ever forget it.  Glad you didn't have those issues!  I thought at first glance it was painted.  Nice job! 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 12:38 PM

Thanks, all!

Keyda81
I recently went through a nightmare with decals on a Tamiya F-16 Thunderbird, ugh, I won't ever forget it. Glad you didn't have those issues!

Been there, done that! Nothing more frustrating than sucessfully getting the project through the 'finish' stage...only to have the vicious little decals fight you at every turn!

I appreciate the kind words!

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 5:15 PM

Very cool!  I've always wanted to do a tiger meet scheme.   Yours turned out great.

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 7:23 PM

I just love seeing different Tiger Meet schemes. Never seen that one before though. I've got a few Tiger Meet decal sets in my stash.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 10:01 PM

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

I just love seeing different Tiger Meet schemes. Never seen that one before though. I've got a few Tiger Meet decal sets in my stash.

Here's the kit I had, with the uber-complete decal sheet [except for any trace of instruments for the cockpit]. (I'm sure its out-of-production now, but it might be findable on one of the auction or old-kit sites.)

Apparently Hasegawa did a version of the same scheme as well, in the same scale; looks like they took a slightly different tack with the decals:

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
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