Time to call the Phantom done, sort of. I wanted to add some light weathering and after getting some more advice from PJ i added a Acrylic flat clkear coat and used some oils for some streaking. I normally do this on armour but this is a first for an aircraft. I was a bit wary as i have had a few issues in the past useing oil washes over enamels as on occasion the paint has been damaged no matter now many acrylics coats i apply. But this worked fine. I mainly applied them underneath with some lighter streaking on top.
I then added all the underside stores. While i have used the full stores points i have left those empty that would carry bombs and rocket pods.
One thing to add, i don't add nose weight to my builds as i secure them to a base anyway. Airfix gives no indication as to how much to add, which i know bugs some people. But this kit doesn't need it. I don't know if that normal for phantoms, but even if you put the tail right down it still drops back onto the nose wheel.
Then it was a coat of Alclad light sheen, all the masking was removed and the canopy and other final bits added and time to add it to the base.
Now the more observant will notice a lack of figures, including a driver for the tractor. This is not some early form of self driving vehicle, us Brits are good but not that good. I have once again been hit by the bain of aircraft dio builders, a lack of figures. I did look at the MJ-1 loader driver from the hasegawa set but he would need a lot of modification. There was a company which produced a set of RM carrier deck crew which included a driver but they went out of buisness a couple of years back. But another company, Air Graphics Models, are set to release a set of figures which i believe are the same ones produced by the other company. So rather than try and convert a figure and probably botch it up, i am going to wait until these are released, hopefully in the not to distant fututre. So, until then, i am calling this done. But i would be happy until there are some figures on there.
And there you have it. I have to add that i don't normally like pre made bases, but this carrier deck one is really nice, i would deffinetly get anotehr.
having just finished my HMS Traflagar a few days ago thats 2 RN builds done in less than a week and yet i still have not done my Army Apache, somthing very wrong there.
So next up the Mossie which i am going to make a start on tonight.