MiG Killers Group Build, 7/07 to 6/08

Thanks AMM,

I tried the missile nose technique you explained earlier.  I love the results, but several pics I took didn't look very good. 

Semper Fi,

Chris

ridleusmc wrote:

I have a question about the Air Force's SEA camo colors, even thought it will probably be another week before I start painting.  The Tamiya instructions call out Tamiya Spray paint: AS-16 Light Grey (USAF) AS-13 Green (USAF) AS-14 Olive Green (USAF) AS-15 Tan (USAF) These colors aren't very easy to find, plus I'd rather shoot from my AB than from a can.  I'm going to replace the AS-14 Olive Green with XF-58 Olive Green, but the other 3 colors have me at a loss.  Color Charts on computer Screens don't seem to help very much.  Do you guys have any ideas? Semper Fi, Chris

Chris, The colors I show on my F-4E's SEA scheme are as follows 

AS-16 Light Grey (USAF) ..........Model Master Camo Gray FS36622 (underside)

AS-13 Green (USAF)................ Model Master Dark Green FS 34079

AS-14 Olive Green (USAF)......... Model Master Medium Green FS 34102

AS-15 Tan (USAF)................... Model Master Dark Tan FS 30219

The model master colors would be the correct ones. You need to get a cross reference at:

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_fs.htm

Look up on the chart for the FS #'s and see what Tamiya paints match it to the colums on the right.

Hope this helps.

I have a question about the Air Force's SEA camo colors, even thought it will probably be another week before I start painting.  The Tamiya instructions call out Tamiya Spray paint:

AS-16 Light Grey (USAF)

AS-13 Green (USAF)

AS-14 Olive Green (USAF)

AS-15 Tan (USAF)

These colors aren't very easy to find, plus I'd rather shoot from my AB than from a can.  I'm going to replace the AS-14 Olive Green with XF-58 Olive Green, but the other 3 colors have me at a loss.  Color Charts on computer Screens don't seem to help very much.  Do you guys have any ideas?

Semper Fi,

Chris 

Mike,

I have limited space for displaying a model so they all get hung up and this is why I choose canopy closed. I will leave the canopy hatches loose for removing to show off the detail in the pit but when I hang them they are closed. My F-4E came with an extra one piece canopy I am considering putting that on it after I do some mods to it. Hopefully with some luck I fit it and use it. Its not a total loss, the model is still good and I can still finish it but the canopy it came with is FUBAR. I am seeking alternatives and maybe I'll get a Vac-Form Canopy for it.

Definitely good Karma!!

Will that solve the USAF/USN wheel issue too?

About ten years ago I was on a job site inspecting the stuff I do, and it was at Portland Intl, which also is/was a base for the Oregon ANG. This was an open parking garage right across the loop road from the runway, where F-4s taxied to right here and took off. It was pretty incredible, and really noisy too.

Loving to listen to you guys develop this up.

Thanks Frank.

Well Guys,

I just scored the Revell kit from ebay so it will be a week or so before I can start again. Nice thing is the Revell F-4J is essentially the same kit. Not often I win an auction and only pay start bid price plus shipping and be the only bidder so thats a plus.

Anywayyyyyyyyyyyy, Showtime 100 WILL BE BUILT!!!!

Rand-

Sorry to hear about your F-4.  Even though I am not in this GB, I still pop in and read and look at the awesome work you guys are posting here.  Taps are being played here too.

Chris,

Scrap Happens! I am replacing the Monogram F-4J with a Revell F-4J and it will still be Showtime 100. It's not a total loss since I can get a Vac-Form canopy later for it, trim it to fit then finish it as a Marines F-4J.

Oh man,

That's terrible.  At least you still have all that nice armament and landing gear to use. 

Taps are being playing.  Showtime 100 went down, but Driskol and Cunningham flew again.

Semper Fi,

Chris

Gentlemen,

I am sad to announce that my Monogram 1/48 F-4J will be going back on the shelf. I messed up the canopy fit so bad using the Legend resin set that no matter how hard I try to fix it I am messing it up even more. I am still going to build Showtime 100 but I am going to get an older Revell 1/48 F-4J kit to replace it and use that instead without any resin detail except maybe a PE set if I can find a set to use and build it OOB with my own modifications.

The problem is the canopy does not properly align with top of cockpit tub and will not sit flush and line up with the other canopy parts. I tried to remedy this using several techniques and none worked. My only way to save this kit is to get a vac form canopy for it and I have no idea where to get one.  

Anyway, it will be a week or two before I can start again.

(plays Taps)

ridleusmc wrote:

Looking at the pic of your LG.  Did you replace the drag strut plastic with metal tubing?  The color looks like brass.  Semper Fi, Chris

Chris,

It's Tamiya Transparent Red over Testors Chrome Silver enamel. I was looking for detailed pictures of the landing gear on F-4J's at Prime Portal's web site and they show the struts as (metallic) oxcide red, so I tried to simulate that into the detail. When I spray them with final clear flat coat they tone down a bit and look duller red as shown on the pictures.

Looking at the pic of your LG.  Did you replace the drag strut plastic with metal tubing?  The color looks like brass. 

Semper Fi,

Chris

Steve and Chris, Thanks for the kind words! 

I had a slight setback on the Rockeye's. They are the wrong type according to the Phantom Guru here. Chopperfan is going to send me a 6 pk of the right Mk-20's for this beast so for now weapons are on hold till I get get the right ones. Another inacuracy are the main gear wheels, they are for the F-4E and not the type the Navy had on thier F-4J's but I am stuck with them so I am going to use them anyway. 

Yeah Rand, That Phantom's looking great.  I like the inspection display you have set up there.  Those missilles and bombs look wonderful, so does the gear.  Those parts give us a good idea of what your phantom is going to look like, and we are getting excited.  I'm going to try that clear missile head technique you explained before on my sidewinders.  Great work,

Semper Fi,

Chris

Hey Rand, really great progress you have there. Nice job and very well done. I still have not started on my F-4 yet but hope to this weekend. My kit is the AMT and it is really lousy, so it's going to be lots of fun. I have some AM but it is made for the Hasegawa and looking at it, it would take too much to put it in. I will save it for another kit.

Steve

well guys i have at least 48 hours of R&R, so with it being so hot out side its going to be nothing but modeling this weekend trying to get the 3 done that i have going on at this time. and i should be able to start on the f-15c by wed. so far from what i have seen all the builds look great.

Thanks Mike! I am just doing what any good host would do, just setting a good example. I still hope it will comes out as good as my F-8E did but I am seriously having some doubts about it with the problems. I'll know more after I get the primer coat on it and then I'll see where I messed up. Hopfully it wont be anything I cant fix.

Thanks again for your kind words! 

AHHHH! At last some progress pictures! 

As you guys can see I have been BUSY! This beast is ready for primer coating and then airbrushing. I was able to somewhat fix the canopy fit problem by adding scraps of plastic where needed. I will most like have to go over it again after I set down the primer coat and fix any snafu's I cant see right now.

Anyway here are the pictures.

I was hoping to have some progress pictures for you guys tonight but my Phantom is not cooperating. I started working on the canopy last night and I am still at it tonight. I am having HISSY FITS with the fit of the canopy. I got grand canyon size gaps that are driving me nuts. I am going to try and remedy those by adding some scrap plastic to fill them in. It seriously looks like I am going to have to build it with canopy glued closed unless I figure out a way to fix the fit problem.  

Lookin' forward to those progress pics, it may be a few more days before I've made enough progress worthy of a picture. 

Semper Fi,

Chris

Gents,

I should have some progress pictures to post soon. So far all the putty and sanding on the wings and fusalage is done... Finally! Landing gear and gear doors have been painted and just need some detailing and weathering. Missiles, Rockeye's, pylons and centerline tank is done. I'll be working on getting the canopy masked and set in place over the next few days. Hopfully by this weekend I can get a primer coat on it and get it prep'd for airbrushing. If all goes well I should have it finished by end of the month.

Wow, ya'll have been busy since I last checked in. Started on my F-4 tonight by getting the wings cleaned up. One question, it's the Fujimi "N" model, and I'm backdating to the "B". It has some boxes molded into the bottom of the wing, that I believe is only for the "N", but is that right? I know the extra electronics sleeve on the intakes don't belong, but am unsure of the boxes(all my reference materials are 100 miles away at my parents). Otherwise, I'm going to inflight it on a stand to save time fixing the interior and updating the wheelwells. Bricks look best flying.

Glenn

Brief update on the Thud...still in work on the cockpit which is coming along nicely, darn shame that the engine is closed up and can't be seen. Thought I could get more done this afternoon but the History Ch is playing one episode of Dogfights after another which is exciting stuff!

Scott

ilovef-4 wrote:

No problem Air, it was a suggestion for you. I have both missiles drilled out, working on the seekers on 8 Aim-9 missiles. Thanks again for the run through. I'm at a hold right now on finishing the seekers bc I have no 4 grit file to buff and polish the heads. The Air Force uses the brown and yellow strips for lives and blue for dummies. I will see if i can get you some info on the Aim-7 Sorrow missiles. Give me a few days and hopefully I will have info for both of us for your 7s. How are you painting the len on the tail, under the probe? I'm trying some clear spure to replace the molded len. On the 4 grit file, where can I find them at, or have mailed to me in Japan?  Charlie

Charlie,

My missiles are finished and I'll be posting progress pictures soon. The 4 grit finger nail polishing sticks you can get at any place that sells cosmetics. The formation light under the pitot probes on the F-4J's tail is red, for an Air Force Phantom it may be different. 

ilovef-4 wrote:

Hey Air, I just through of something to give your F4J a more real like appearnce. Are you making your M-9s and M-7 live( brown strip or blue), the reason I'm asking is you can drill the backs out to sim having live missiles onboard your aircraft. Charlie

Charlie,

I've never tried it, I usually just paint the backs black. It can be done if you have a drill bit small enough for it and a dremel tool. I wouldn't recommend using a big heavy drill for it. I know there are modelers that do drill out the backs to sim the rocket motor nacell. For my sparrows I used black and yellow stripes, I dont think at the time they used the brown or blue stripes. I know that only the yellow stripe indicates it's a live missile but I could be wrong. I haven't been able to find much info on the AIM-7E missiles the F-4J's used at the time.

The best guy here to ask is Berny. He is the Almighty Guru of Phantom information and a former Air Force mechanic who worked on F-4's and many other planes. He will give you the best info you can get, so seek him out.

Sorry, I cant be of more help on this.