The Official F-4 Phantom II Group Build 2011

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Jim,

I hope the stress at your job is getting better.  Mine has picked up as well and I have decided that I will try to use my mind set to battle against it.  Remember you still have friends here even if they are cyber.

Your "F" is coming along nicely!     

I am in the middle of studying for my two final exams that are tomorrow and Wednesday then I am done with classes until next semester.  I hope to get some work done on my Phantom during the break.  No chance in hell in getting it done for this Group Build, so it will just have to carry over to the Berny Memorial Group Build starting in February.

Ken

No, the job isn't getting any better. I don't know about using a "mind set" to battle as I have pretty much feel sometimes like I've lost the battle. I've ended up being laid off from 3 different jobs in the span of 8 years just to end up here, and this job has jerked me around on so many levels, from the tyrant supervisor all the way to the top at the corporate level. I've missed out on several raises due me, because constantly changing incompetent, less than caring bosses have mismanaged my training. Being acquired by a different company and having to move our operations across town hasn't helped the stress.

Aside from all that Ken, I hope your exams go well, and I'm sure you'll do great.

As to the build: Decals start on the other side:

And painting gear and doors:

My F-105G 'Weasel' is visible in the back. I'll probably have it and the "F" for the Berny build.

I've also glued the cockpit assembly into one side of the "Thud" fuselage and I am about ready to button the two halves together. I tried to get a good picture of it, though my camera is obviously not up to it.

As I mentioned before, the entire cockpit tub had to be built from scratch as I destroyed the original. When the Berny build starts, I have to post a blog of all the issues this kit given me.

Thanks for your concern, Ken.

Jim

Jim, ditto that, great looking plane, worth the annoyances I'ld say.......

Hi Jim,

I hope the stress at your job is getting better.  Mine has picked up as well and I have decided that I will try to use my mind set to battle against it.  Remember you still have friends here even if they are cyber.

Your "F" is coming along nicely!     

I am in the middle of studying for my two final exams that are tomorrow and Wednesday then I am done with classes until next semester.  I hope to get some work done on my Phantom during the break.  No chance in hell in getting it done for this Group Build, so it will just have to carry over to the Berny Memorial Group Build starting in February.

Ken

Well, I haven't had much time to work on the Phantom, and still doubt I will finish in time. I understand that I can still claim another badge if I manage to finish a bit late?

A bit more of decaling done and I have nearly finished the right (starboard) side with a few exceptions. The decals are a bit brittle and I had to coat them with Microscale liquid decal film. I still have a few issues with breakage though.

That long dotted yellow and red line on the shoulder above the intakes was a pain and I will probably cut the other in half to ease handling of it.

My research shows very few "F" Phantoms with the shark mouth so I am going to omit it.

Still much to do-I am off this week and I am dead broke as always so I will probably have extra time to work on the build. I am also splitting my time with the F-105G-I will finally be putting the fuselage halves together shortly. Those PE parts have been driving me crazy! Not to mention the fact that I have managed to lose the control sticks on it and I ended up substituting a couple from a Revell Apache helicopter! I won't tell if you don't! I might have to post a picture of the detailed cockpit if anyone is interested?

I am stalled as well, mostly due to the Holiday season approaching...too busy trying to get the actual aircraft ready for the 3 weeks of downtime during the Christmas break.

It's a bit quiet alright.

Poor effort on my part, my Phantom has stalled and really there is no excuse for it - I got to a "tricky bit" that isn't really that tricky at all. 

Better get stuck in -3 weeks to deadline and all

Hmmm......I think a tumbleweed just rolled by.....

Decalling continues, but I ran into a bit of a dilemma: The kit provides a shark mouth for the nose, but it is very large, covering from the radome back to almost where the forward formation light is mounted. The problem is that it actually will cover part of the chin intakes on the bottom of the fuselage. No amount of solvent will make that conform and I don't know about cutting it to fit. I tried to find some photos of aircraft without the mouth in the Norm 72 scheme and it seems that though I had a hard time finding any, the ones I found did not have it. I may attempt to try cutting, but if it doesn't work, my F may be without a mouth.

Other than that, I almost have one side done, but still need to decal the bottom and the port side of the aircraft. Plus I need to work on landing gear, pylons, fuel tanks, weapons, doors, stabilators, etc.

In other words, my finishing in time looks doubtful, though I do have a vacation coming up....

68GT

After not being happy with the kit vent (Not RF type) I tried to work with styrene and putty but didn't like that look off that either.  So I borrowed a pair from a Fujimi kit.  I'm still not too happy with the fit and positioning but I'll just have to accept it and push on.

After not being happy with the kit vent (Not RF type) I tried to work with styrene and putty but didn't like that look off that either.  So I borrowed a pair from a Fujimi kit.  I'm still not too happy with the fit and positioning but I'll just have to accept it and push on.

I was just checking to how much time I had for the RF-4E and noticed that my Revell F-4J was never added to my list.  First post was back on July 3 and the finished product was November 5.  I have to work on the drywall in the house and then I'll be back to the RF-4E.

Good looking Phantom there, Casper. I am curious though-do Navy birds have a pitot tube in the nose? I don't know as I have yet to build any of mine. I saw yours doesn't have one that I can see.

In the mean time, I seem to have had little time to work on the F, but when I can I have adding a few decals at a time. I don't believe I will be able to finish my bird by the end, although I did take a week off here in December, so maybe i can finish it off. I have little else to do other that take some time off from the h*ll that my job has turned into.

One thing Had a problem with is those pesky decals for the formation lights on the tips of the wings. When i tried to apply mine, they fell to pieces. I am resorting to masking and painting them with a light yellow. I ended up doing the same on the 'Geasel as I had no decals for it.

Any interest in a GB Rhino build for 2012? I see so little activity here lately. I don't know if I will even finish this one let alone start a new one.

Jim

Let me guess Mike......guys got better graves, and not only that, many gals didn't get a head stone......

Of course, my hypothesis might be the reverse of your findings.....

Nope, that's it -- some characteristics of grave architecture were linked to the sex of the sole or primary occupant, and varied through time and with regard to context -- urban or rural. When the final level of anaylsis was done some positive results were significant at the .01 level, so that's pretty clear. Death was not the great leveller in the 19th century, it remained as gendered as life. There are always exceptions, contradictions and statistical freaks, but as far as the survey went it held reasonably true.

M/TB379

Let me guess Mike......guys got better graves, and not only that, many gals didn't get a head stone......

Of course, my hypothesis might be the reverse of your findings.....

Survey a thousand graves, record their characteristics, use stats to see if there was a difference in how men and women were buried in the first hundred years of the colony... There was.

M/TB379

Thunderbolt379

Bocks -- Thanks! Well, this one was 112, 000 words, I'd better... I miss styrene!

M/TB379

Duuhhhhh what the heck you write 112,000 words about, or should I ask???

Bocks -- Thanks! Well, this one was 112, 000 words, I'd better... I miss styrene!

M/TB379

Casper:

Great build man, lot's of detail.

Not sure what the translation is on the splitter......but you'll have to let us know where you learned to write so small with brush and ink!.....lol......

Well done!

Mike:

Congrats on your PHD credential! So you like writing long essays mate?....lol.....

A nice, clean build, Casper -- well done! Updating p1 now -- glad to have had you aboard this GB!

Mike/TB379

Ok, after months of deliberation on what to do with the damaged decals for the tail, i decided to use the starboard decals and carefully apply them. Hence the photos only from that angle. I'm sort of ok with this build, not one of my best efforts to date but definitely a good project. I am very tempted to do the Tamiya 1/32 bird one day but problem is where to put it once it's finished.

Cheers

Hi all,

I've been absent for a while -- I've been in England for the last fortnight, attending a conference, then having a few days vacation. Now I'm back in Aus and wading through pages of back emails.

Omar -- sorry you're havinging it up for this GB, but I understand entirely. I thought I was going to have my biggest output year ever but I've not actually completed anything since February, and finishing my PhD as well as working was largely to blame. Never mind, there'll always be another Rhinos build coming along and projects will always carry over.

Jim -- the F is looking great! You inspire me to get back to mine one of these days!

Cheers, M/TB379

Looking good Jim!

Ken

I love it!

I have a half built RF-4E sitting here that I was going to paint with the NORM 72 camo.

Try again: The code i used incorrect;

Hello gang!

Seems so quiet here as of late! So much going on in my life, it's hard to find time anymore.

I have managed to put on a few decals, but slow going!

A photo for now:

rufioizgrreat

what scale is that and is that the stock seats?

It is 1:48 and the seats are Verlinden

what scale is that and is that the stock seats?

Making slow progress, I have the cockpit completed and installed into the fuselage halves now.  Now it is time to build up the Aries Exhaust Cans.

The seats are Verlinden pieces.

:550:0]

well the gas bags are done and primed, put on the lower wing and broke out the filler(yikes) either i am not half the modeler i thought i was or this revellogram repop is that bad... pics to follow