The Official F-4 Phantom II Group Build 2011

Kinda like saying, "Make a big noise here!" 

Ken

LOL.. It's amazing what you have in the old Garage isn't it..?

Rich

The ultimate 4th of July fire cracker!

Ken

Bockscar

Keep that pointed towards the neighbors house! They'll keep that darn stereo turned down!

Slow progress on the Fujimi -K (nothing worth photographing today):

I prepped the stabilators for five phantoms (3x Fujimi 1:72s and one each in 1:72 and 1:48 from Hasegawa), by wet-polishing where the stiffening plates were removed with 2000-grit paper, then repairing some inevitable surface damage by brushing on putty cut with liquid cement and resanding. Panel lines on the surfaces are rescribed and all set to go. I actually got to the stage of mixing paint, but I really did not like how it was going on. Maybe it's the cold here, but the Tamiya acrylics were reluctant to go through the AB, even with a tad extra thinner than usual, and their inherent granular quality was seriously magnified.

I abandoned the job at once, will sand back what little I did apply, and try again tomorrow, or maybe when it warms up a bit... Does anyone have any experience with this situation? I sprayed a lot of Tamiya silver last year and it behaved a lot better, I can only think it's the temperature that's worsening its bad trait. My option might be to go with enamel for this part of the job, but the point of acrylics is to be able to spray indoors in the poor weather. Does anyone have any experience with metallics in the MM Acryl range? I can order them here now.

Hmm, I might need a fresh #3 needle in the Paasche as well, that would be worsening the effect too...

M/TB379

jimbot58

 

Bockscar:

 

 

 

Keep that pointed towards the neighbors house! They'll keep that darn stereo turned down!

Son Of Medicine Man

Here you go Dom, an AIR-2A, ready to go!

 

Ken

Huntin' for Bear in all the wrong places...Huntin' for Bear in all the wrong faces......lol....ummm.....can I get fries with that????

PS:

VooDooMedice Man.....you've been bitten.....don't ask that Genie for anything other than very, very, very, very very, very, very, very very, very very, well done pal!

Thanks for the great shot Ken!

Sorry guys, I forgot, i liked to light fire crackers when I was a kid:

Operation_Dominic_Starfish-Prime_nuclear_test_from_plane.jpg‎ (451 × 460 pixels, file size: 32 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

LMAO...they named it after me......

Ken:

The Bedford Incident

Yeah,

Very scary movie.

I had never seen a destroyer and submarine blow up in a nuclear fireball in the stratosphere before that flick.

Wow, 50's technology.....lol....

You mean to tell me it's NOT too late to join this build? I just rolled out a G a week or two ago, and finished an E last night, and an RF-4 is close to starting.

Edit: Laptop keyboards hate me

PS, it's never too late! Always recruiting for the Rhino Wing!  Bring her on...

M/TB379

Oh, you Phantomites are gonna be the death of me!

So, while surfing the web I found some cool pix of early Phantoms with some interesting asymmetrical loadouts.  (I'm a sucker for uncommon and/or heavy loadouts.)  I thought to myself, "Self, one of these days it'd be neat to build something like that."

Well, the other day the wife comes home from a stop at Michael's (local craft store) with a 40% off couponand asks me if I could use it.  I snatched it out of her hands and ran giggling towards the front door.  A little while later I came home with this.

My Hase -C is dragging along, so I thought I could build a -C or -D cousin along with it.

Now all I gotta do is figure out what I'm gonna hang off of it.  Anyone have any cool pix of early USAF Phantoms in SEA with cool loads?

Cheers!

-O

oortiz10

Oh, you Phantomites are gonna be the death of me!

So, while surfing the web I found some cool pix of early Phantoms with some interesting asymmetrical loadouts.  (I'm a sucker for uncommon and/or heavy loadouts.)  I thought to myself, "Self, one of these days it'd be neat to build something like that."

Well, the other day the wife comes home from a stop at Michael's (local craft store) with a 40% off couponand asks me if I could use it.  I snatched it out of her hands and ran giggling towards the front door.  A little while later I came home with this.

 

 

My Hase -C is dragging along, so I thought I could build a -C or -D cousin along with it.

Now all I gotta do is figure out what I'm gonna hang off of it.  Anyone have any cool pix of early USAF Phantoms in SEA with cool loads?

Cheers!

-O

 

 

 

Maybe we could peek at a phew of those Phantom photos with the loadouts? (Sorry, I can't spell asymmetrical....)

I'm not sure about a heavy loadout, but one word of caution with that kit.  It's a great kit with 1 exception.  When you attach the stabilators, glue more than just the part that slides into the slot., or it WILL snap off at some point during construction or painting.  It's happened at least once on every Monogram mold Phantom I have ever done in 1/48.

oortiz10

Oh, you Phantomites are gonna be the death of me!

So, while surfing the web I found some cool pix of early Phantoms with some interesting asymmetrical loadouts.  (I'm a sucker for uncommon and/or heavy loadouts.)  I thought to myself, "Self, one of these days it'd be neat to build something like that."

Well, the other day the wife comes home from a stop at Michael's (local craft store) with a 40% off couponand asks me if I could use it.  I snatched it out of her hands and ran giggling towards the front door.  A little while later I came home with this.

 

 

My Hase -C is dragging along, so I thought I could build a -C or -D cousin along with it.

Now all I gotta do is figure out what I'm gonna hang off of it.  Anyone have any cool pix of early USAF Phantoms in SEA with cool loads?

Cheers!

-O

 

 

 

Sparrow,

Thanks for the tip.  I actually have some experience with this kit, so I have an idea of what areas I need to pay special attention to.  The stabilator issue you mentioned is one of the hurdles I had to clear while building my last Revellogram F-4.  Thanks for the input!

Jim,

Here are a few pix I like from 8thTFW.com. http://www.8tfw.com/pages/index2.htm

Here’s a –C (I think) with Mk. 82s and Falcon missiles:  http://www.8tfw.com/images/177-1.jpg

A –D with a Pave Knife pod, two LGBs, two drop tanks, and an ECM pod: http://www.8tfw.com/images/66-7709.jpg

This one’s a –D with four napalm cans and six Snakeyes:  http://www.8tfw.com/images/66-8738.jpg

A –D with a whole lotta hurt:  http://www.8tfw.com/images/66-8762.jpg

I can’t tell if this a –C or a –D, but the four napalm canisters are cool:  http://www.8tfw.com/images/f4-1.jpg

A –C or –D with Mk. 117s under the belly and Mk. 82s on the inboard pylons.  I wish I could see what was on the outboard pylons:  http://www.8tfw.com/images/m117mk82.jpg

A –C with Falcons and an ECM pod under one with wing, with Mk. 82s under the other and Mk. 117s on the C/L: http://www.8tfw.com/images/594.jpg

Lastly, a couple pix that came from an unknown source.

Here’s a –C with 750 pounders and 2000 pounders:

And another –C with 500 pounders and rocket pods.

Anyway, all these have piqued my interest.  I just gotta pick one.

Thanks for lookin’!

-O

NP Oortiz.  My Daughter has one of their J kits I had to pick up to replace a horrible olde Revell kit using the old Revell molds.  I wish they would redesign the molds for the detail and wing design of the Monogram molds, but with the cockpit canopy of the Revell molds.  The Revell mold kits have the center brace between the two seats, molded right into the gray fuselage halves which makes painting that area much easier.  But the fit on the old Revell kits it horrid.  That's why I had to get her a new kit...  It's kind of like the ultimate in recycling too.  She gae me $20 in a card for my Bday which I held onto and eventually used to buy HER a new kit.  LOL...  Gotta love kids...

Rich

Sparrowhyperion

NP Oortiz.  My Daughter has one of their J kits I had to pick up to replace a horrible olde Revell kit using the old Revell molds.  I wish they would redesign the molds for the detail and wing design of the Monogram molds, but with the cockpit canopy of the Revell molds.  The Revell mold kits have the center brace between the two seats, molded right into the gray fuselage halves which makes painting that area much easier.  But the fit on the old Revell kits it horrid.  That's why I had to get her a new kit...  It's kind of like the ultimate in recycling too.  She gae me $20 in a card for my Bday which I held onto and eventually used to buy HER a new kit.  LOL...  Gotta love kids...

 

Rich

Recent activity from Revell over the past several years suggest we could see a re-release of the J, since they just did a re-release of the C a couple years ago.  However, I doubt the molds will be retooled.  Fit problems must be kit to kit because all the major components of my J are fitting very nice when I dry fit it

Well.  I'm talking about the old Revell J kit.  From the pre merger Revell molds.  The same one that comes in the double aces 2 in 1 kit, with the MIG21.  The main issue was the fuselage halves.  They were pinching in severely on the bottom where the wing module attaches.  it just pulls apart in a few hours even with CA glue.  I even tried making braces but they simple couldn't hold and would snap off inside.  I have personally never had a fit issue quite as severe.  I think someone may have left the kit out in the sun before I got it.  The Pre Merger Monogram kits I have are great..  With the exception of the touchy stabilators that is.  I think I must have built a few dozen of the old Monogram kits over the decades. lol  Marissa's replacement kit is an old releaser Mig Ace Phantom II F4J kit from Monogram.  It's the Navy bird which she will be building as a Blue Angel.  I was lucky enough to score some nice CAM decals for it a few months ago.

redraider56

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

NP Oortiz.  My Daughter has one of their J kits I had to pick up to replace a horrible olde Revell kit using the old Revell molds.  I wish they would redesign the molds for the detail and wing design of the Monogram molds, but with the cockpit canopy of the Revell molds.  The Revell mold kits have the center brace between the two seats, molded right into the gray fuselage halves which makes painting that area much easier.  But the fit on the old Revell kits it horrid.  That's why I had to get her a new kit...  It's kind of like the ultimate in recycling too.  She gae me $20 in a card for my Bday which I held onto and eventually used to buy HER a new kit.  LOL...  Gotta love kids...

 

Rich

 

 

Recent activity from Revell over the past several years suggest we could see a re-release of the J, since they just did a re-release of the C a couple years ago.  However, I doubt the molds will be retooled.  Fit problems must be kit to kit because all the major components of my J are fitting very nice when I dry fit it

Oooooooo, I wasn't aware Revell made a J pre merger.  I have the Monogram kit as well

I am assuming it was their molds because it is radically different from the Monogram/Revell kits.

redraider56

Oooooooo, I wasn't aware Revell made a J pre merger.  I have the Monogram kit as well

Hi Everyone,

I like putting on some tunes when I work at my bench.  I have a very large collection of music.  While scrolling through it to find something I was in the mood for, I came upon Creedence Clearwater Revival.  I have not listened to that for a while.  I tell you, that put me right back in time.  Excellent music for a Phantom build!

Ken

Love me some CCR.  "Have you seen the rain" is one of my alltime favs

Man, I think all of their songs are great!  It would be hard for me to choose one favorite. 

I think my favorite CCR tune is Bad Moon Rising.  But I am more of a Kiss/Def Lepeord/Blue Oyster Cult guy as far as rock goes.  lately I have gotten into some European singers (Mylene Farmer, Alizee, etc...)  More pop and soft rosk.  I must be mellowing with age.

Rich

Son Of Medicine Man

Man, I think all of their songs are great!  It would be hard for me to choose one favorite. 

I think my favorite CCR tune is Bad Moon Rising.  But I am more of a Kiss/Def Lepeord/Blue Oyster Cult guy as far as rock goes.  lately I have gotten into some European singers (Mylene Farmer, Alizee, etc...)  More pop and soft rosk.  I must be mellowing with age.

Rich

Son Of Medicine Man

Man, I think all of their songs are great!  It would be hard for me to choose one favorite. 

All the music I like came before my time (70s, 80s).   Lots of good stuff came out in that era

I haven't posted any progress pictures for a while so I have a couple to show.  The color phot-etch that I got is not exactly the same scale as the Aires cockpit.  Working on the rear cockpit's front panel I tried trimming the color photo-etch to fit but some of the dials ended up getting cut off.  So now I have to do it the hard way.  I started by taking the non-color photo-etch that came with the Aires cockpit, masked it off, and sprayed Model Master Arylic flat black on it.  Here is a picture:

I let that dry for a couple of days.  Next I sprayed a coat of Model Master Arylic clear and let that dry.  Tonight I sprayed a second coat of Model Master Acrylic clear.  Here is a picture:

I will let that dry for a couple of days and then I will spray some Xtra Color FS16231 (Dark Gull Grey) enamel on it.  Finally after that dries, I will take a tight woven cotton cloth dipped in mineral spirits and wipe it across the top.  If everything works like it is supposed to, I will end up with a grey instrument panel with flat black gauge housings.

Ken

Sparrowhyperion

I am assuming it was their molds because it is radically different from the Monogram/Revell kits.

 

 

redraider56:

 

Oooooooo, I wasn't aware Revell made a J pre merger.  I have the Monogram kit as well

 

 

Just to see what I could find, I looked to make sure lol.  In the 70s I guess Revell tried to scale down their 1/32 F-4 (which wasnt the best to begin with).  I think this was a C/D and they musta thought they could do a J as well.  As you can vouche for, it wasnt the greatest.

Here's a shot of Berny with an old friend:

Most of my shots from the museum didn't turn out, I used the wrong settings. But this one did!