RoKAF F-4E Phantom II

[RookieLSP]

Howdy folks!

Full disclosure: This build will be posted simultaneously on LSP, where it's also entered in a GB. Please pardon the occasional copied/pasted update if you surf both sites!

To start with, a kit had to be pulled from the pile:

Then some rummaging through drawers to gather the other essentials:

Ah. Those should at least get me started...

A quick shot of the breakdown of the cockpit set:

I only decided on markings recently since I have more than one of these kits + many decal sheets in the stash.

[RookieLSP]

I started with the intakes, so lets take a peek:

These are the Dmold intakes. From everything I've read these are from the same masters as the CE intakes. I'd have to say they are darn close if they aren't! Cast in white resin also so you needn't sweat trying to get a good coat of paint all the way inside of them. The casting is very *very* good with refined, crisp surface details. They mate up with the kit splitter plates with ease.

It is also very easy to prepare the kit fuselage to receive the resin.

Before:

After:

[RookieLSP]

I did paint the interior of the intakes with Mr Surfacer white primer just to add a bit of gloss to the finish, if only at the front end.

That yellowish glow at the bottom is from light bleeding through the unpainted end. Won't be an issues once they're installed in the kit.

A quick test fit reveals that, true to the CE version, there will be a small gap to fill. I'm not sure if this is how they're molded or shrinkage, but I had the same situation the last time I built a Phantom with the CE intakes. This gap seems a bit smaller IIRC. A bit of styrene strip will see that fixed.

Next up: Work on the cockpit begins!

[Sentry30]

Can't have enough Phantoms!!

Especially because of all the aftermarket, this one looks very promissing!! I'm for shure gonna keep an eye on this one!!

Daniël

[agelos2005]

cannot wait to see more of this build!!!!

[Sentry30]

Any updates here? I'd love to see some progress on this one!!

Daniël

[RookieLSP]

Any updates here? I'd love to see some progress on this one!!

Daniël

I guess I am overdue for an update, aren't I? I should have something to show soon, I've been distracted by an armor project....

[jimz66]

Any updates here? I'd love to see some progress on this one!!

Daniël

AMEN!

[RookieLSP]

I finally spent a few hours on it today. Here's what I got done.

Intakes are installed now. There is some filling and sanding to do but they went in extremely well. Better than the CE set did.

I then started on the cockpit. The resin had been washed a long time ago so all I had to do was start cutting all the pour stubs away and decide which was going to get installed pre-or-post paint.

I gave the side consoles a base coat of black:

Then did some basic masking. I know there'll be lots to touch-up but I wanted a base that was airbrushed on.

Then the interior grey color was applied and the masks removed:

The way this kit goes together there isn't much else that can be done until the pit is finished and installed, so it'll be a little while with the occasional "Here's where the pit is now" updates along the way.

Thanks for looking!

Edited August 12, 2010 by RookieLSP

[Aggressor Supporter]

You have way too many 1/32 models there. :lol: Good work so far and hope you are still working on it.