The Official F-4 Phantom II Group Build 2011

Berny, the stabs showed up today and are on and drying.  A bit of filler in the joint and she will be ready to move on to final pre paint assembly.  Thanks!  Quick question.  Is there supposed to be a noticeable gap between the fuselage and the inside edge of the stabilizer?  And If so, ho9w big should it be?

Rich

Sparrowhyperion

Berny, the stabs showed up today and are on and drying.  A bit of filler in the joint and she will be ready to move on to final pre paint assembly.  Thanks!  Quick question.  Is there supposed to be a noticeable gap between the fuselage and the inside edge of the stabilizer?  And If so, ho9w big should it be?

 

Rich

Uhhh.....did Berny fly those over personally on his way to Pensicola?

It takes months for anything to show up here!!!

He might have.  Then again, I must be earning some kind of frequent flyer miles with the post office by now. lol...

Rich

Bockscar

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

Berny, the stabs showed up today and are on and drying.  A bit of filler in the joint and she will be ready to move on to final pre paint assembly.  Thanks!  Quick question.  Is there supposed to be a noticeable gap between the fuselage and the inside edge of the stabilizer?  And If so, ho9w big should it be?

 

Rich

 

 

Uhhh.....did Berny fly those over personally on his way to Pensicola?

It takes months for anything to show up here!!!

Hi all,

I had meant to check in with everyone as we crossed into May, as that marked officially the one third point in this GB (I was away...). We now have over 100 pages of thread, but at this point still only three completions, one of which was in the first week of January. Several projects are nearing completion and many others are moving along (my own is in the last category, I blush to admit, especially as it hasn't been touched in months...) and as the year progresses we should see the Honour Wall expanding bigtime.

This build is fun and educatiional, both about the hobby and the subject matter, I know I'm learning a lot about the F-4 along the way!

I'll do another census/recap at the eight month mark and we'll see where we are. I'm delighted to be hosting such a great bunch of guys (and gal!) and and hope you're all enjoying the process as much as I am, which is a lot!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Hey Mike;

I bit off quite a chunk, I have another little 'Pilot'  kit with about 10 parts I can sub if you become desperate for results! Ummm....it came pre-painted!

It's been a great GB so far, glad to be here!

Sparrowhyperion

Your build is coming along great.   The modification to the shark decal is not really noticeable unless you really know it's there when you look.  Nice Camo as well.

 

 

 

The funny thing Sparrow, is that as I study the Italeri diagrams and the box photo, they show the decal exactly as I trimmed it! perhaps it was an error on their part to begin with! Oh well, as long as it turns out ok in the end!

In the meantime, I got sick and tired of being sick and got up to work a bit on the Geasel. Decal, decal, decal! I am headed in to see the Doctor in the a.m. and my job is pissed because it will be my second sick day in a row. Hey, if I have nearly 70 hours of sick time accumulated, what the heck is it for but to use when you're sick!

Someone mention the masking eventually coming off the canopies. I wondered about the caulking. Box photos show it being bright yellow and way overdone! Photos I can find online show it more like a dull yellow that looks almost tan to others that were just gray on gray aircraft. I.m wondering if at 1/72nd scale if I should even try to depict it, or let it go.

Sparrowhyperion

Berny, the stabs showed up today and are on and drying.  A bit of filler in the joint and she will be ready to move on to final pre paint assembly.  Thanks!  Quick question.  Is there supposed to be a noticeable gap between the fuselage and the inside edge of the stabilizer?  And If so, ho9w big should it be?

 

Rich

There should be a very small gap, less than half an inch on the real aircraft.  Sometimes the titanium wedge would not be trimmed correctly and would have a larger gap showing.  The forward part would be checked after each flight for rubbing on the fuselage as this would be a sign of the stab bushings being worn.  For scale, you should be able to see daylight but not butted up against the tail section.

jimbot58

 

 

In the meantime, I got sick and tired of being sick and got up to work a bit on the Geasel. Decal, decal, decal! I am headed in to see the Doctor in the a.m. and my job is pissed because it will be my second sick day in a row. Hey, if I have nearly 70 hours of sick time accumulated, what the heck is it for but to use when you're sick!

I know what you mean.  I am getting tired of all the doctor appointments, medical test, and holding out my arm so they can take more blood or give me an IV.  In the last two weeks I have had a MRI, CAT scan, PET scan, X-Ray, and now another CT scheduled for today. Tomorrow I go in for pre-op, doctors appointment the day after, and a biopsy Friday.  I am thinking of taking my old blood doners card with me so the next time they take blood they can up date it.  

Thanks.  I think I have a lot of filing to do them.  Either that or I remove them and sand down the little square bit to reduce the gap.  I'll figure it out.  My Goal is to get the FGR2, the F4-C Or both into paint by next weekend.  I have a feeling that finishing is going to be a major project in itself. lol.  Oh well, at least the carpet monster will be out of the equation by then.  LOL

Rich

berny13

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

Berny, the stabs showed up today and are on and drying.  A bit of filler in the joint and she will be ready to move on to final pre paint assembly.  Thanks!  Quick question.  Is there supposed to be a noticeable gap between the fuselage and the inside edge of the stabilizer?  And If so, ho9w big should it be?

 

Rich

 

 

There should be a very small gap, less than half an inch on the real aircraft.  Sometimes the titanium wedge would not be trimmed correctly and would have a larger gap showing.  The forward part would be checked after each flight for rubbing on the fuselage as this would be a sign of the stab bushings being worn.  For scale, you should be able to see daylight but not butted up against the tail section.

 

 

I feel for you.  I only get out for medical appointments nowadays.  Cardiologist for my heart, Neurologist for the Aneurysm, General Practitioner for most everything else.  Specialized Doctor for my Diabetes, Pulmonoligist for my Sleep apnea...  The list goes on and on.  I can't have an MRI anymore.  The little coils of metal wire keeping my aneurysm from going pop would rip right through my brain if I even got close to an MRI machine.  So once a year, I have t have an angiogram done to make sure the ball of wire is still in place.  I am so sick and tired of it all...  Not to mention all the meds I have to take for everything and what they do to me.  It sucks, but there isn't much we can do about it.  When I get depressed about it now, I just find a fun kit and crack it open. lol

Rich

berny13

 

jimbot58:

 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime, I got sick and tired of being sick and got up to work a bit on the Geasel. Decal, decal, decal! I am headed in to see the Doctor in the a.m. and my job is pissed because it will be my second sick day in a row. Hey, if I have nearly 70 hours of sick time accumulated, what the heck is it for but to use when you're sick!

 

 

I know what you mean.  I am getting tired of all the doctor appointments, medical test, and holding out my arm so they can take more blood or give me an IV.  In the last two weeks I have had a MRI, CAT scan, PET scan, X-Ray, and now another CT scheduled for today. Tomorrow I go in for pre-op, doctors appointment the day after, and a biopsy Friday.  I am thinking of taking my old blood doners card with me so the next time they take blood they can up date it.  

Sparrowhyperion

I feel for you.  I only get out for medical appointments nowadays.  Cardiologist for my heart, Neurologist for the Aneurysm, General Practitioner for most everything else.  Specialized Doctor for my Diabetes, Pulmonoligist for my Sleep apnea...  The list goes on and on.  I can't have an MRI anymore.  The little coils of metal wire keeping my aneurysm from going pop would rip right through my brain if I even got close to an MRI machine.  So once a year, I have t have an angiogram done to make sure the ball of wire is still in place.  I am so sick and tired of it all...  Not to mention all the meds I have to take for everything and what they do to me.  It sucks, but there isn't much we can do about it.  When I get depressed about it now, I just find a fun kit and crack it open. lol

 

Rich

 

 

berny13:

 

 

jimbot58:

 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime, I got sick and tired of being sick and got up to work a bit on the Geasel. Decal, decal, decal! I am headed in to see the Doctor in the a.m. and my job is pissed because it will be my second sick day in a row. Hey, if I have nearly 70 hours of sick time accumulated, what the heck is it for but to use when you're sick!

 

 

I know what you mean.  I am getting tired of all the doctor appointments, medical test, and holding out my arm so they can take more blood or give me an IV.  In the last two weeks I have had a MRI, CAT scan, PET scan, X-Ray, and now another CT scheduled for today. Tomorrow I go in for pre-op, doctors appointment the day after, and a biopsy Friday.  I am thinking of taking my old blood doners card with me so the next time they take blood they can up date it.  

 

 

Now the funny thing is, the morning I am to see the Doc. the pain in my side is nearly gone and my body temp. is nearly normal! It figures!

My F-4C is still in the attractive box it came in.  It has been overwhelmed by other projects.  Fortunately, this is a long GB.

Buffirn - don't feel bad...you aren't the only one in that boat! Shoot, I haven't even narrowed it down to which kit yet - although I keep opening up the 1/32 Revell RF-4C and F-4F's I've got. Hmmmm.

I'm trying to finish the one I've got going by May 21st, so I can enter it in an upcoming contest, the first time I will ever do this & I've been building for the most part since I was a kid in the 70s.

If the job situation permits, & once the contest is out of the way, I'd like to build this one:

Ish

Sweet, Ish! I started that one for Rhinos 1, would love to finish it!

Cheers, M/TB379

Last night I got a little bit of work done on the cockpit.  At least this one is holding the paint.  Depending on how much they cut off of my neck Friday, I should be able to get most of the cockpit finished this weekend.  The wife is leaving Sunday for a week of TDY, so I will need something to keep me busy. 

berny13

Last night I got a little bit of work done on the cockpit.  At least this one is holding the paint.  Depending on how much they cut off of my neck Friday, I should be able to get most of the cockpit finished this weekend.  The wife is leaving Sunday for a week of TDY, so I will need something to keep me busy. 

OUUUUUCHHHH!!!!! I gotta stop whining about my back, I hope everyone recovers okay.

Berny, that's a super shot of the F-4's tail, reminds me of a dragon's tail, or suit of armor.

berny13

Last night I got a little bit of work done on the cockpit.  At least this one is holding the paint.  Depending on how much they cut off of my neck Friday, I should be able to get most of the cockpit finished this weekend.  The wife is leaving Sunday for a week of TDY, so I will need something to keep me busy. 

I can only imagine why you are having your neck cut on.  I most certainly wish you the best and a fast recovery!

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

berny13:

Last night I got a little bit of work done on the cockpit.  At least this one is holding the paint.  Depending on how much they cut off of my neck Friday, I should be able to get most of the cockpit finished this weekend.  The wife is leaving Sunday for a week of TDY, so I will need something to keep me busy. 

 

I can only imagine why you are having your neck cut on.  I most certainly wish you the best and a fast recovery!

Ken

I have had a small lump on the right side of my neck for about a year.  All test showed no problem but on the last PET scan it came back Hot.  I had another CT done and it also came back Hot.  I am going to have a biopsy done tomorrow to check for cancer.  The doctors are sure it is but they are not sure how far it has spread. 

berny13

Son Of Medicine Man:

berny13:

Last night I got a little bit of work done on the cockpit.  At least this one is holding the paint.  Depending on how much they cut off of my neck Friday, I should be able to get most of the cockpit finished this weekend.  The wife is leaving Sunday for a week of TDY, so I will need something to keep me busy. 

 

I can only imagine why you are having your neck cut on.  I most certainly wish you the best and a fast recovery!

Ken

 

I have had a small lump on the right side of my neck for about a year.  All test showed no problem but on the last PET scan it came back Hot.  I had another CT done and it also came back Hot.  I am going to have a biopsy done tomorrow to check for cancer.  The doctors are sure it is but they are not sure how far it has spread. 

Berny, I surely hope that it is not bad.  Please let us know what you find out.

Ken

I really hope it hasn't spread far.  On the good side, Cancer is much more treatable nowadays than it was even 10 years ago.  Think Positive.

berny13

 

 

 

I have had a small lump on the right side of my neck for about a year.  All test showed no problem but on the last PET scan it came back Hot.  I had another CT done and it also came back Hot.  I am going to have a biopsy done tomorrow to check for cancer.  The doctors are sure it is but they are not sure how far it has spread. 

Bernie, we're thinking positive thoughts for you here, too,,,,,,,,we are "in your corner"

I went in and had a lump removed from next to my left eye last year, it too was Hot, it was called a cyst right up until the day the removed it, then in post op they told me it was Hot and they were going to run a biopsy on the Tumor,,,,,of course my reaction was "you called it a cyst!!"

they removed it, tested it,,,,,,,and 6 months later did another "tissue dig" on the site,,,,,,,,the site is now benign,,,,,,,,so, they got enough to get it all out of there

that's a long winded way of saying "they can get it all,,,,,,,and it doesn't have to come back",,,,,,,,so hang in there and think positive

all the best from Anne and I,,,,,,,you'll be back to trying to get paint to stick to your cockpits in a flash

Rex

I went through chemo and radiation six years ago for a small spot on my right lung.  It has now been five and a half years since I was last treated.  It hasn't returned so I am classified as cured.  I am taking an anti cancer drug called Tarceva to keep it from coming back.  I was given a 95% chance of a cure with the lung cancer but the doctors are saying if it is neck cancer the odds will be about 50-50.  I will not be taking chemo treatments but will be injected with a new drug called Erbitux which is more effective against neck and throat cancer.  We will just have to wait and see how the biopsy comes back and if it is cancer see how far it has spread.  I still have a grand daughter that has twelve years of schooling and I WILL be around to see her walk down and get her high school diploma.  I have one grand daughter in collage and I want to see her graduate.  I also have too many kits that need to be finished.  I plan on being around for a long time.   

Berny, 

Yes, all the best with that, our thoughts are with you, it is probably superficial, here's hoping there has been no spread, and yes, you'll be around a long time. 

Rex,

That's a great outcome, you guys have pulled through before, that's good news.

Berny, 

Yes, all the best with that, our thoughts are with you, it is probably superficial, here's hoping there has been no spread, and yes, you'll be around a long time. 

Rex,

That's a great outcome, you guys have pulled through before, that's good news.

Well, I finally have some new progress images on all three of our current phantom builds.  We managed to get caught up to the same point (roughly) on all three kits.  Here are some images.

My F4-C kit is coming along nicely.  I have the intakes and tail stabilizers installed and some of the sanding work done.  Here is a shot of the newly installed stabilizers.  I had an issue with them initially.  The plastic didn't react well to the Model Master glue so I ended up using a couple of drops of CA instead.  They came out well even if they aren't the same vintage. LOL

Here's a front on view of the F4C with the intakes installed.  I have to make a new set of ejection seat loops and new pitot tubes for the vertical stabilizer, since I managed to snap one off.  I actually discovered that the fine metal tube that Testors uses for their Model Master glue containers are about the same diameter and have a hole in them.. Hmmmm...

Here is a diagonal side view.

Here are a couple of shots of Marissa's F4J.  This is just the practice kit for the Blue Angel yet to come when she finishes this one.

Here's another shot along the long axis

The next is a shot of the tail of the F4J.  The tail fins aren't actually off angle.  It's was just some perspective issue with the camera and angle I shot it at.

And yes... She also managed to mangle her Pitot tube.  At least we didn't snap off the fuel dump nozzles ...

Now for the FGR2.  Tail planes on and most of the underside sanding done.  The large areas that are gaps in the bottom of the fuselage are completely filled with CA and smooth.  But until it is painted they show because the CA is clear.

Here's the completed tail..

And lastly a bottom view in an odd perspective..

Good progress so far.

I am doing a couple of side kits to keep my mind from stagnating as well.  Currently I have a 90% complete Academy F86-F30 in 1/48.  Probably the best Sabre I have ever built.  I just love Academy kits..  They're almost as cheap as R/M and have some nice features.  Quick question.  Do you folks have any recommendations for a NMF finish for a sabre?  I'm thinking ALCAD but I have never used it before and need some opinions on the best ones to use.

Tomorrow I will be working on my P38s for that Build and trying to get my Mosquito for the Monogram Mafia build into paint if the weather lets up.

Have a great weekend.

Rich

Rich;

Nice job fitting the intakes and filling the gaps. Thought that was my desk for a sec, some of our associates are way, way too tidy!

Thanks.  I prefer it a bit tidier though.  The thing is I have a 12x14 foot bedroom which serves as stash storage area, work area, entertainment room, and computer room, and of course bedroom, all at the same time...  I really can't wait to find a new place and get a real workroom...  Then I can break out the big kits.  My Daughter and I are going to do a dual build of some R/M 1/48 B17Gs as soon as we get out of here.

Bockscar

Rich;

Nice job fitting the intakes and filling the gaps. Thought that was my desk for a sec, some of our associates are way, way too tidy!

Bockscar

Rich;

Nice job fitting the intakes and filling the gaps. Thought that was my desk for a sec, some of our associates are way, way too tidy!

Is this tidy enough for you?  You can see how organized I am.  

Nice work so far on the Phantoms, Rich.  Sorry about the stabs not being the correct color but with a little paint no one will know. 

Are you going to leave the Beef up plates on the stabs or remove them?