The Official F-4 Phantom II Group Build 2011

Sparrowhyperion

Whichever cat did it better feel really lucky that I can't find a single one to blame it on.  Otherwise, I'd have to change one of their names to "CueBall"...

Yeh.  Hasegawa sent me a set of replacement fuselage halves that arrived today.  Actually they sent me the entire sprue.  I'm not sure if I will need it now but at least I have a couple of other spare parts as well in case someone needs anything on that sprue.  The intakes are coming out well though. I'm almost to the mask and paint section of the project.  I don't put on the engine cans or the landing gear until I have the rest painted.  It saves a LOT of masking.

The other F4 is also coming along reasonably well except for the tail stabilizer that's missing.  I am continuing to work on the rest of it for now.  Marissa has had a lot of homework this week so she plans on catching up with me this weekend.  It's turning into a sort of contest to see who's comes out best, with my Wife as the judge.  I am starting to get worried that I am going to owe her a lot of ice cream...  And another kit....

 

 

Bockscar:

 

Rich; let me guess, Snakes n' Ladders is one of your old favourites! I think I have an old electric shaver around here if you get serious about that cat!

I'm glad you stuck to that intake project, it's shaping up real nice. Lol...Those clamps look like a giant robot is grabbing your F4!

 

 

Gosh Rich, it's just awful you may have to buy extra ice-cream and maybe another model, what a ghastly outcome...lol...hey soon you will have more spare parts than Berny!

Maybe Marissa put the cat up to it Rich, you better keep an eye on that!

You may be right.  I know they conspire about many things.  I see them all talking together all the time... LLOLOLOLOOL  Okay..  I have to stop watching Dementia 13 so often.....  She has been hinting about  a 1/48 B17F or G.  I made the mistake of letting her watch Memphis Belle with me and now she's picked up my B17 tastes..

Bockscar

 

 

 

Gosh Rich, it's just awful you may have to buy extra ice-cream and maybe another model, what a ghastly outcome...lol...hey soon you will have more spare parts than Berny!

Maybe Marissa put the cat up to it Rich, you better keep an eye on that!

Here's some Royal Navy Phantom artwork, I think there are a few more;

For gosh sakes Rich, don't let her know about the big 1/32 scale B-17!

Annnything but that!!!

Can you even imagine how much ice-cream you'ld need for a kit like that!?!?

Nice painting!

I found another one:

Bocks, just in case you are thinking of mailing off "big bucks" to get some of those "collectible" kits,,,,,,,you should know that no matter what they say on the boxart,,,,,the kits that are labeled as Hasegawa F-4K/M and that early AMT Red Devils F-4D are really F-4B's in the box, only they didn't include the IR sensors

the "short list" is

Hasegawa F-4K/M

AMT/Hasegawa F-4D/F-4J prototype

Hasegawa F-4J (early JS series numbers)

and the Eastern Express copy of the F-4K

all of those are thin winged, no matter what they say on the boxes

having said that,,,,,,that F-4D kit is a good place to get the Red Devils markings, and the first production F-4J markings,,,,,,,,and the VF-74 Airfix kit is a good place to get those markings, the Airfix/MPC kit is also a thin wing, no matter how it's labeled

Rex,,,,,,,has all of them in the stash, and/or has built them in the past

How is this for a Phantom Group build?  Photo was taken in 1981 at Nellis AFB, NV during a Red Flag deployment.  We deployed from Homestead AFB, FL.

Rich, I have the stabs all boxed up and ready to ship.  I am not sure if I will get to the post office today but if not I will have time Monday before a doctors appointment.

No rush Berny.  I really appreciate this.  I can work on the FGR2 until the package gets here.  That one is in need of a lot of contouring on the underside so it will take a few days anyways.

Thanks again.

Rich

berny13

Rich, I have the stabs all boxed up and ready to ship.  I am not sure if I will get to the post office today but if not I will have time Monday before a doctors appointment.

I am trying to locate a 1/72nd Fujimi F-4E for this build that carried the markings for the Missouri ANG I believe.  It was a commemorative scheme celebrating the Phantom's service.  So far I've come up empty though.  Not sure what version I'll go with at this point now.

TarnShip

Bocks, just in case you are thinking of mailing off "big bucks" to get some of those "collectible" kits,,,,,,,you should know that no matter what they say on the boxart,,,,,the kits that are labeled as Hasegawa F-4K/M and that early AMT Red Devils F-4D are really F-4B's in the box, only they didn't include the IR sensors

the "short list" is

Hasegawa F-4K/M

AMT/Hasegawa F-4D/F-4J prototype

Hasegawa F-4J (early JS series numbers)

and the Eastern Express copy of the F-4K

all of those are thin winged, no matter what they say on the boxes

having said that,,,,,,that F-4D kit is a good place to get the Red Devils markings, and the first production F-4J markings,,,,,,,,and the VF-74 Airfix kit is a good place to get those markings, the Airfix/MPC kit is also a thin wing, no matter how it's labeled

Rex,,,,,,,has all of them in the stash, and/or has built them in the past

Thanks Rex,

I had no idea so many of the kits were just repeats, but that helps. I'll need to get one of these Phantom survey books to help me understand the evolution of the plane.

You brought up an interesting point about repackaging. I remember as a kid wanting a new version of something, saving up and buying it, then finding out it was the last one I had. Oh yeah, with different decals.

I'm at a point where i buy some kits just for the time period and box art. I got a few 'big buck' kits from Alan, I wouldn't trade them for anything, but I have no intention of building them either. My favourites are the old 50's and early 60's Revell and Lindeberg box tops. But horrors, that old Revell Thunderstreak is an ugly piece of plastic:

But here's the old box art:

So is that box top worth $135? Well, i admit I bought a few others like it (musta been into the wobbly pop), but it's kinda like old comics, and I'll never get my money back on Ebay, so I'm happy for the ones I have.

As for box tops, here's a nice one:

An LHS has a few of the old F-4 kits in Toronto, I may have to have a look soon.

Okay Berny, I'll bite:

Are you in that shot? 

Hey gents, Sprue Brothers is telling me I ordered the wrong part, and I'm telling them they charged me for the part I wanted(ARS2074), which is $4.50 more than the part they sent(ARS2094).

What would you guys do? I could send it back and walk away in a huff, and I'l be out $10 shipping, or just eat it and re-order, and feel a bit ripped.  Heck I'ld phone them, but that'ld cost $10.

They refuse to refund the difference! maybe call PayPal and complain?

Suggestions?

Most items bought through Paypal are covered under their Buyer Protection system.  Even stuff not bought on eBay.  Open a case on their website.  If the item was NOT what they advertised, they will usually issue a refund and take it out of the seller themselves.  Don't wait to do it either.  I believe there is a time limit.

Rich

Bockscar

Hey gents, Sprue Brothers is telling me I ordered the wrong part, and I'm telling them they charged me for the part I wanted(ARS2074), which is $4.50 more than the part they sent(ARS2094).

What would you guys do? I could send it back and walk away in a huff, and I'l be out $10 shipping, or just eat it and re-order, and feel a bit ripped.  Heck I'ld phone them, but that'ld cost $10.

They refuse to refund the difference! maybe call PayPal and complain?

Suggestions?

Thanks Rich, I'll have a look.

Bockscar

Okay Berny, I'll bite:

Are you in that shot? 

Yes.

Rich, I have the stabs in the mail.  I had to go to the hardware store and get another part for my well pump and the PO was just a little out of the way.  You should get it sometime next week. 

Thanks!  Th timing should be good too.  This FGR2 is goint to take me all weekend.  There is going to be a lot more work than I thought to get it passable.

Rich

berny13

Rich, I have the stabs in the mail.  I had to go to the hardware store and get another part for my well pump and the PO was just a little out of the way.  You should get it sometime next week. 

berny13

 

Bockscar:

 

Okay Berny, I'll bite:

Are you in that shot? 

 

 

Yes.

Hmmm........I'm looking for a boss man......

Bockscar

Hey gents, Sprue Brothers is telling me I ordered the wrong part, and I'm telling them they charged me for the part I wanted(ARS2074), which is $4.50 more than the part they sent(ARS2094).

What would you guys do? I could send it back and walk away in a huff, and I'l be out $10 shipping, or just eat it and re-order, and feel a bit ripped.  Heck I'ld phone them, but that'ld cost $10.

They refuse to refund the difference! maybe call PayPal and complain?

Suggestions?

Hi Dominic,

When I order from Sprue Brothers I always get an email showing my order.  Do you still have that?

Ken

Bockscar

berny13:

 

Bockscar:

 

Okay Berny, I'll bite:

Are you in that shot? 

 

 

Yes.

 

Hmmm........I'm looking for a boss man......

Front row center.

berny13

How is this for a Phantom Group build?  Photo was taken in 1981 at Nellis AFB, NV during a Red Flag deployment.  We deployed from Homestead AFB, FL.

 

I shoulda' said something, it was those galsses and that no-nonsense look that gave me the idea....lol, I was wondering if I could read that name tag....great shot Berny.

Ok, Berny!

Your just going to have to put your finger on the one that's you!

Anyway, no building at all this weekend as I seemed to have caught a bug and been mostly in bed or on the couch! Why doesn't this happen during the week so I can call in sick? Sunday isn't looking good either.....

jimbot58

Ok, Berny!

Your just going to have to put your finger on the one that's you!

Does this help?  To my right is Capt Pete Foster, deployment OIC.  I was deployment NCOIC, maintenance superintendent, and first sgt.

Slow & steady progress.  Radome is 98% done (small pinhole that needs to be addressed), painted the upper wings with med. grey, but I forgot to glue the fences on.  No matter, as neither area is going to be med. gray at the end.

Had to mess with the camera settings to get this pit shot.

Also got the fin cap glued on the tail, & the catapult hooks installed at the wing roots.  Now for a really long session of filling & sanding.  Not looking forward to the bare metal areas at the tail.  Metalizer shows any scratches soooo easily.

I was researching F-4 Phantom II Martin-Baker Mk. H-7 Ejection Seat and found this, sorry if this is a duplicate of an earlier post by Berny:

I think that's the back view Berny mentioned way back about page 21-23 or so.

The site is:

http://www.ejectionsite.com/f4seat.htm

That red thing could do alot of damage in the wrong hands.

I have come to the conclusion that the modeling gods are out to get me...  Luckily I have a Daughter who is a genius.  I finished the joint filling and sanding on my FGR2 this morning and then decided to continue with assembly.  The next section to be put on was the nose.  Unfortunately, when I went to look for the nose cone (RADOME) sections. they had gone AWOL...  After hours of intensive S&R work, we were finally drawn to the inescapable conclusion that the Carpet Monster must have grown tentacles and had the parts for lunch.  I was about to take an M80 to the thing when Marissa brought over one of my old Testors 1/48 F4-G parts kits and she handed me an unused and spare tree of nose cone parts.  She said that it looked about the same size and it even had the locator pins in the same place.  I was a bit dubious, but it fit almost perfectly. Just a few swipes with a sanding stick to even out one little bit on the bottom.  Who'd have thought that Hasegawa and Testors parts would be even close to the same design.  None of the other Testors parts are, but those two critical radome halves were.  Now I realize that it isn't going to be 100% accurate but it's better than having a dead $30 kit.  I use Liquid Tamyia glue so if I ever do find the right parts down the line, I should be able to snap it right off and put the correct one on.  It actually looks very close.  She just earned my spare B17G Kit...

Rich

Rich:

Marissa and the cats planned the whole thing just to get that B-17. See, she gets the cats to take stuff and hide it, then she gets to be the hero....LOL....I swear I am re-living the old Walt Disney shows! Ummm, don't walk around in bare feet or socks for a few days, ya never know what goes crunch in the night!

Way to go on the build, as for me, I spent the day researching ejection seats and learning to stretch sprue to make a set of ejection loops. I was going to use a Martin-Baker H7 seat set from my R 04743 to install in my R 4754 bird , but it won't fit without major Rhino plasty. It would break up the seat set to just take the loops, so I'm learning a new skill set. 

Hey, Revell came out with the 4754 kit first, how do you go from 4754 to 04743?

Kudos to Marissa for getting the technology right, sounds like talent to me.

Marisa definitely gets her brains from her Mom, and her coordination and tiny little hands which are great for stuff my big old fat hands can't do anymore.  I know what you mean about crunch.  I already lost a horizontal stabilizer for my Revell 1/48 F4C that way...

Someone ought to write a stern letter to these aircraft companies and tell them to stop building pieces that break so easy at 1/48 scale... LMAO...

Anyway.  I am phantomed out for now.  I am probably going to putt out a quick builder kit and do something completely different for fun.  Have a great week.

Rich

Bockscar

Rich:

Marissa and the cats planned the whole thing just to get that B-17. See, she gets the cats to take stuff and hide it, then she gets to be the hero....LOL....I swear I am re-living the old Walt Disney shows! Ummm, don't walk around in bare feet or socks for a few days, ya never know what goes crunch in the night!

Way to go on the build, as for me, I spent the day researching ejection seats and learning to stretch sprue to make a set of ejection loops. I was going to use a Martin-Baker H7 seat set from my R 04743 to install in my R 4754 bird , but it won't fit without major Rhino plasty. It would break up the seat set to just take the loops, so I'm learning a new skill set. 

Hey, Revell came out with the 4754 kit first, how do you go from 4754 to 04743?

Kudos to Marissa for getting the technology right, sounds like talent to me.