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I made my RF-4C out of a RF-4B. All the parts are there. In fact I think your still good with Hasegawas RF-4E. Just use some parts marked "Not for use".

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I was wondering if there was a way to build one of the 1/48th kits as an RF-4C, even if it involves some aftermarket conversion.

The Hasegawa kit is so rare I would need a fortune teller and a morgage to get hold of four of them.

You can always start off with their RF-4B and follow the conversion tips from Fox One:

http://www.foxonedecals.com/

or start with an RF-4E and get some Aires F-4B/C/D exhaust cans. The E model is essentially an export model C with the later style exhausts.

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I made this RF-4C from a Monogram F-4C/D kit and the old High Flight conversion (which is intended for the Hasegawa F-4C).

DSC03018.jpg

Naturally, I was nearly finished with it when Hasegawa brought out their RF-4C with these markings. :thumbsup:

I think your best bet is to do as the others have suggested and convert a RF-4B, using the excellent instructions that Ben at Fox One Decals has on his website.

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Make sure you don't use the JASDF RF-4E boxing. It's actually a -kai upgraded machine with extra antennas on the wingtips (and on the tail, but there are alternate tails in the kit).

That was going to be my next question, as they are the cheapest option being so numerous

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Or has anybody any comments on the Italeri RF-4B/C/E kit?

My advice would to give it a wide berth. I built up a Testors RF-4B (which I thinking is the same kit) and I built it to display on a pedestal, gear up, with the canopies painted over in the VMFP-3 Bicentennial markings. That's about all it's good for, it's marginally a "three foot model", in my opinion.

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Well, sort of both but mostly it's really lacking in details. Decals for the vents on the top and bottom of the intakes, burner cans, cockpit and wheelwells lacking detail, speedbrakes are molded closed, inboard pylons are too thin. The canopies fit really bad, the stabilators leave a lot to be desired, etc. If you're a Phantom nut, who wants one just to add to his unbuilt kit collection or want to throw a lot of work and scratchbuilding/aftermarket parts into it, that's one thing (I've seen photos of a 1/32 scale F-4E, the old original issue one, that the late aviation artist Tim McGovern put 5000 hours into, there wasn't much left of the original kit but it was a contest winner) but there are better RF-4 kits available that would take less effort to make a nice Phantom.

I still think a Hasegawa RF-4B, using the simple mods listed at Fox One Decals site, is the way to go.

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I think most Hasegawa Phantom kits come with both short and long exhausts, so there should be an ample source of the short exhaust around if people are willing to separate with them. I know I have some spares.

Jens

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The Hasegawa kit is so rare I would need a fortune teller and a morgage to get hold of four of them.

Keep an eye on eBay. The Hasegawa RF-4C shows up there every couple of weeks (in fact, there are two there right now), and they don't sell for terribly outrageous prices like some other products do (i.e., Cutting Edge). With a little patience, I got mine for around $40 earlier this year.

Edited by thegoodsgt
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ElectroSoldier,

I don't have the 1/48th RF-4 kit, but I went out to take a look at what was available at Mokei Center, near Nish-Ogikubo Station outside of Tokyo.

The USMC VMFP-3, RF-4B with the green tail with the golden fox has all of the pieces that you would need. (It represents one of the last 12 RF-4Bs with the bulged wings and the curved nose)

It has the following RF specific parts:

a) sprue N - fuselage halves with the recon nose.

B) sprue Q - includes camera and ECM pod

c) sprue W - clear part for rounded nose

d) sprue X - clear part for flat nose

e) sprue ? - small antennas

for RF-4C version (both also included in the above VMPF-3 kit)

a) sprue T - instrument panels and burner cans for the Air Force version.

B) sprue C - wings with the bulge for the wider wheels)

Not all of the RF-4 kits have all of the above parts.

The Israeli RF-4E version lacked some sprues but had the refueling probe.

I believe that the RF-4E JASDAF version lacks sprue T, the AF burner cans. (I will check again tomorrow)

The recent special Alabama ANG RF-4C kit strangely lacked sprue W, the part for the rounded nose. I suspect that it would have cost to much to make a limited run of that sprue.

The RF-4C was 3780 yen, the RF-4E (Israeli) was 2780, the RF-4B was 3380 yen. THe Israeli kit was marked down.

The only problem is shipping it to England.

Leonardos offer kits in plastic bags. Sometimes they are very reasonalbly priced, but could be missing sprues. or have the sprues cut up. All lack boxes and sometimes decals. (they buy kits from stores that went belly up and modelers looking to get rid of excess kits) If it OK, I'll keep an eye out, and let you know about it. If you are willing to wait, something will come up. Leonardos is usually cheaper than regular shops and they often have a 30% sale. They just had one that ended this Monday.

An example; Airfix C-130K (with Bloodhound SAM) sprues in original plastic bags) Marked at 14000 yen, but marked down to 7600 yen and bought during 30% sale. (5320 yen) There went most of my spending money for this week.

You might be interested in knowing about the kit.

You don't have to accept my offer, but it is there if you need it.

Best wishes,

Grant

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I was wondering if there was a way to build one of the 1/48th kits as an RF-4C, even if it involves some aftermarket conversion. The Hasegawa kit is so rare I would need a fortune teller and a morgage to get hold of four of them.

Speaking of conversions, this is the conversion set BLACK BOX 48052 intended to be used on the Hasegawa's F-4C/D:

muso.jpg

muso-sotto.jpg

and this is the instruction's sheet:

scatola.jpg

I do not know if the shape of the resin nose is perfect or not, I can only to say that this set have of GOOD a pair of things: the casting quality is OK and is possible to find this set at a honest prices (a miracle for an item by Black Box, probably because this is set is less know and less requested in the market than the average Black Box products).

The BAD: it do not includes the RF-4C's main underwing pylons (Navy Phantom style) so you need to find them around, (TRUE DETAILS F-4 TD48524 Phantom II Pylons ( http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=TD48524 )

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Or has anybody any comments on the Italeri RF-4B/C/E kit?

The best part of the Testors/Italeri kit is the VMFP-3 Bicentennial decals. The rest I would toss away.

Many moons ago (before Black Box, before www.hannants.co.uk, before Hasegawa's RF-4B), I kit-bashed the 1/48 RF-4B Italeri kit with the 1/48 Monogram F-4J to make a late-build RF-4B.

jbibaymonogram48rf-4b.jpg

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IMHO, it isn't really worth it to use the Black Box resin nose to turn a Hasegawa C into an RF-4C model. The Hasegawa kit hands down is the best option (RF-4B or RF-4C as all the bits are in there to do it). For one thing, even though the camera bay on the Hasegawa kit is somewhat basic, it is nice as the cameras are moldeded seperately and placed in the hollow nose, just like they are in real life. The Black Box nose has them molded solidly in there. Aries Resin also makes a more detailed camera bay if you desire it or wish to open it.

The RF-4E kits are also not as ideal either since a large portion of the RF-4C fleet had the flat bottom camera noses as opposed to the rounded nose featured on the vast majority of the RF-4E fleet. Only West Germany got some early RF-4Es that featured the flat bottom nose. So if you get an RF-4E kit (unless it is a West German jet with a flat nose), the only clear sprue provided will be for the late camera nose. The RF-4B kit has both the flat and rounded nose camera bays on the clear parts trees, as does the RF-4C kit. Now if you knew the RF-4C you wanted to build had a rounded nose, then an RF-4E with Aries resin B/C/D/N short exhausts would work just fine.

Now one thing that can work to spruce up a Hasegawa RF-4C kit is to find the Black Box cockpit as it does look nice. It is kind of hard to find though. But, an alternative is to get the True Details F-4C resin pit (ex-KMC offering) and use the pit and side walls in combination with the Hasegawa RF-4 instrument panels to end up with a nice looking recce Phantom model for not too much money or hassle. Reason being is that KMC essentially tweaked out a Hasegawa pit (probably the F-4E pit) to make their F-4C pit, so it is practically a drop fit in the RF-4 kit. And it costs under $10.00 as well.

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The RF-4E kits are also not as ideal either since a large portion of the RF-4C fleet had the flat bottom camera noses as opposed to the rounded nose featured on the vast majority of the RF-4E fleet. Only West Germany got some early RF-4Es that featured the flat bottom nose. So if you get an RF-4E kit (unless it is a West German jet with a flat nose), the only clear sprue provided will be for the late camera nose. The RF-4B kit has both the flat and rounded nose camera bays on the clear parts trees, as does the RF-4C kit. Now if you knew the RF-4C you wanted to build had a rounded nose, then an RF-4E with Aries resin B/C/D/N short exhausts would work just fine.

The RF-4E 'IDF' also has both types of cameranoses.

Koen

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The 1/48 RF-4Es have sprue U, which has instrument panels.

1/48 RF-4Bs and Cs have sprue T, which has the instrument panels and burner cans. I haven't looked at them closely to determine the difference.

I inspected the earlier Hasegawa 1/48 VMFP-3 RF-4B with the rainbow tail and it also has the bulged wings. If you want to do an earlier RF-4B, you will have to scrounge the wings from the F-4B or F-4B/N kit. So you can use this kit to make an RF-4C. Yellow Submarine in Akihabara has it for 3100 yen.

Best wishes,

Grant

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The air force wheels should be in the Hasegawa parts sprues as the bulged wings are common the the Air Force types. I believe they are on the wing sprue itself.

As for the RF-4E cockpit panel sprue, the rear insturment panel is a little different in terms of its layout. But at a glance, both look about the same and one would be hard pressed to say which was a C cockpit and which was an E pit.

Edited by Jay Chladek
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