Jump to content

1/48 Hasegawa F-4E - Finished!


Recommended Posts

Hi

My name is ALF, and I have become a GB junkie. There is something very addictive about these GBs, especially when nice people gather and post comments about each others' builds.

My last two builds were in the Missile with a man in it (Starfighter) GB. I was planning to build a T-33 next (1/32 scale), but the Trainer GB is ending too soon. So the T-bird will wait until the On Canadian Wings GB.

In withdrawal, and looking for a build that would be a little more relaxing for me, I went through my kit stash over and over. Finally, I settled on this F-4, and realized that the timing of this GB was perfect for it.

P1080835.jpg

I have only built a couple F-4s lately (since I got back into the hobby 15 years ago); I built several many years ago. My other Phantoms have been a big Tamiya 1/32 F-4D, and a 1/72 Showtime 100. This kit was obtained from a "Phantom" source (pun intended) - the F-4E is my favourite version of the Phantom. I still remember how impressed I was the first time I saw one up close and personal: in 1974 or so, in Germany, at a Canadian fighter base. The huge F-4 was visiting overnight, and my father (a CF-104 pilot at the time) took me to see it. There is definitely lots to like about these impressive jets, and I intend to build several.

This is not my nation, but in a way I wish Canada had bought F-4s instead of F-5s and Voodoos. The Phantom was one of the first real multi-role fighters, and with its high speed, long range, and heavy armament, it would have been a great fit for our air force.

ALF

Edited by ALF18
Link to post
Share on other sites

I was going to build this entirely OOB, but there were two resin seats included by my benefactor. I built up both types of seat, and of course the resin wins hands-down. Also, this kit didn't have the one-piece canopy included, but never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided to use the resin seats and have the canopies open. I have another F-4 kit, a Gulf-War era Wild Weasel, which I will build with the one-piece canopy closed and the kit seats.

P1080836.jpg

P1080840.jpg

I will have lots of time to finish the seats, as they will go in last. One thing about the resin seats is that they are missing the upper ejection handles. I will scratch-build them using some wire, shaped to match the kit parts.

P1080841.jpg

P1080839.jpg

I did the instrument panels and cockpit tub, using Tamiya Acrylics (flat black and XF-19 grey).

P1080838.jpg

P1080837.jpg

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites

This kit is beautifully engineered, and a joy to put together. The illustrations are well done - how the cockpit tub fits in is well shown in the side view.

P1080842.jpg

P1080843.jpg

So I gleefully closed up the fuselage, thinking this was going really well.

P1080844.jpg

P1080845.jpg

Speaking of "Well" - I had noticed the box-shaped part that looked like a nose gear well. Rushing to put this together, I sort of overlooked the fact that I should have installed it under the cockpit tub before sealing up the fuselage... :)

P1080853.jpg

Wonderful. I wasn't going to split the fuselage apart. Debating what to do, I realized that the top of the wheel well was necessary (for the nose gear locating pins), and that the sides would be helpful to hold the doors in place. I then proceded to chop up the wheel well, and glued bits inside.

P1080854.jpg

P1080855.jpg

P1080856.jpg

So I have recovered from my usual disaster (self-inflicted, of course), and you have also learned why I don't allow anyone to look under my kits.

Getting late - time for bed. More soon.

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Dan,

Always an adventure watching your builds and your not the only one that forgets to add things in the correct order, the rest of us just don't admit it.

The big Phantom has always been an aircraft that looked like it meant business. I'm building an Alconbury RF-4C at the moment and will follow your build with interest.

Pete

Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi Dan,

Always an adventure watching your builds and your not the only one that forgets to add things in the correct order, the rest of us just don't admit it.

The big Phantom has always been an aircraft that looked like it meant business. I'm building an Alconbury RF-4C at the moment and will follow your build with interest.

Pete

Thanks Pete

There's one thing I don't pretend to be - that's a master/expert modeler. Some of the guys here are true artisans, and spend lots of time getting everything just right. I like to learn from others, and am never afraid of admitting mistakes.

Forgive my vague knowledge of Alconbury - is it an RAF RF-4C, or USAF? I've never been there. One of my friends ejected from a CF-18 on take-off from Alconbury in the 80s or early 90s (a slight problem that led to a big problem). The aircraft was rebuilt in Germany, and years later was flown out and back to Canada, having been the recipient of a donor nose section from another aircraft.

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites

Dan,

I try not to take things too seriously myself, first rule is that I have to be enjoying it or else what's the point.

Alconbury was the home of the USAFE 10th TRW for many years. I remember watching the news report on the CF-18 crash and seem to recall reading that it crashed again in later years.

Pete

Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi

My name is ALF, and I have become a GB junkie.

(chorus) Hi Alf!!! :)

Off to the races with another one are we? I've said it before, and I'll say it again - you're a machine!!! But this is a good thing. Since I just haven't been able to get the time for my own plastic habit this year, I've decided to live vicariously through you. So keep it up buddy!!

Speaking of the big ol F-4. Did you ever get to go for a flight in one? I remember Rambo telling me about the flight he snagged in a German F-4 at a Flag several years back now. I asked what the experience was like. He then took his ball cap off, placed it directly in front of his face (covering his face), and said, "about like this!!" LOL

Looking forward to seeing this one go together. And I just may see the light at the end of my tunnel too. I might get to finish a model or two in the late Fall, early Winter.

Tilt

Link to post
Share on other sites

ALF,

Nice subject buddy. I've never built a Hasegawa Phantom but I have a 1/48 Royal Navy FGR Mk. 2 somewhere in my pile of plastic. I did build the 1/32 Revellogram version of your subject years ago. There were a few tough spots but I think it turned out pretty good. It's nice to hear that the Hasegawa kit goes together easily - as if there were any doubts. And might I say welcome to the club of people who glue things together without making sure everything is in place before gluing the fuselage halves together. I think it's a pretty substantial list. I've done it a number of times; once, a couple if times with the same model. :D

The Guinness haze is wearing off. Toured the Guinness brewery and learned how to pour a perfect pint. I even got to sample my efforts. Some of the best work I've ever done, if I do say so myself. Burp...

Look forward to your progress on your Double Ugly pal. I had the pleasure of seeing a German Phantom fly at an airshow here years ago when CFB Ottawa South was still being occasionally used by the Air Force. Man was that thing noisy but what a sight.

Good luck buddy and measure twice, cut once! :lol:

Mike

Link to post
Share on other sites
Good recovery Alf, mind you..... You could always build it "in flight". Phantoms look best that way!!

Phantom

That possibility crossed my mind, but I think I'll reserve that for a later F-4 build. Yes, you heard correctly - I plan to build more of these beasts! And it's all your fault!!! I have caught the Phantom disease, and I know my father would roll over in his grave if he wasn't a pile of ashes at the bottom of the Strait of Georgia - he loved to 'hate' the Phantom.

I like everything about this kit - reasonable size, plethora of armament and colour schemes - looks like I might be forced to try to emulate you... although I could never catch up to your 175+ builds!

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites
Dan,

I try not to take things too seriously myself, first rule is that I have to be enjoying it or else what's the point.

Alconbury was the home of the USAFE 10th TRW for many years. I remember watching the news report on the CF-18 crash and seem to recall reading that it crashed again in later years.

Pete

Pete

Thanks for the info. Can't say I know exactly what happened to that particular Hornet. We haven't lost many, but it might be one of them.

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites
(chorus) Hi Alf!!! :)

Off to the races with another one are we? I've said it before, and I'll say it again - you're a machine!!! But this is a good thing. Since I just haven't been able to get the time for my own plastic habit this year, I've decided to live vicariously through you. So keep it up buddy!!

Speaking of the big ol F-4. Did you ever get to go for a flight in one? I remember Rambo telling me about the flight he snagged in a German F-4 at a Flag several years back now. I asked what the experience was like. He then took his ball cap off, placed it directly in front of his face (covering his face), and said, "about like this!!" LOL

Looking forward to seeing this one go together. And I just may see the light at the end of my tunnel too. I might get to finish a model or two in the late Fall, early Winter.

Tilt

Tilt

Glad you're joining in on the fun. As I type, I'm savouring a McFlurry... feel free to imagine the taste of melted ice milk and Rolo! Living vicariously is the sign of a good imagination. Hopefully you'll find time to glue some plastic together soon. I have to - it keeps me sane.

Sadly, I never got an F-4 ride. I've sat in a few, and I know exactly what Rambo meant, especially the back seat. There was a whole generation of fighters that had limited visibility. The 104, F-5, Voodoo, MiG 21, MiG 23 (yup, sat in them as well) were all aircraft you clearly sat "in". The CF-18, F-16, F-15, etc are aircraft that I feel like I'm sitting "on", with the low sills and huge canopies. I had a Voodoo ride, which I suspect is similar to the F-4 in many ways. The feeling of inertia and raw power was palpative; at -35C the afterburners kicked in like hammers and peeled back flesh in the lower regions...

These great old smoking machines were fun to watch.

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites
ALF,

Nice subject buddy. I've never built a Hasegawa Phantom but I have a 1/48 Royal Navy FGR Mk. 2 somewhere in my pile of plastic. I did build the 1/32 Revellogram version of your subject years ago. There were a few tough spots but I think it turned out pretty good. It's nice to hear that the Hasegawa kit goes together easily - as if there were any doubts. And might I say welcome to the club of people who glue things together without making sure everything is in place before gluing the fuselage halves together. I think it's a pretty substantial list. I've done it a number of times; once, a couple if times with the same model. :)

The Guinness haze is wearing off. Toured the Guinness brewery and learned how to pour a perfect pint. I even got to sample my efforts. Some of the best work I've ever done, if I do say so myself. Burp...

Look forward to your progress on your Double Ugly pal. I had the pleasure of seeing a German Phantom fly at an airshow here years ago when CFB Ottawa South was still being occasionally used by the Air Force. Man was that thing noisy but what a sight.

Good luck buddy and measure twice, cut once! :yahoo:

Mike

Mike

Nice to see you here as well, my friend. By the 10th time I build a kit, I get it mostly right... Hopefully I'll get to your neck of the woods sometime, so you can demonstrate that Guinness pouring technique to me. One of those would go down nicely right about now.

And now, back to family time tonight. The kids want to watch How I Met Your Mother with me on the PVR. Barney may be 'awesome', but he probably can't build a model - those chicks don't know what they're missing!

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites
Not quite there yet. 127........with 128 and 129 on the build table.

Wow now that beats my 13 builds ive made over my time.... although 14 and 15 are on the bench i still have ALLOT to learn

Good progress there Alf keep it up

Cheers

Neo

Oh i almost forgot ... My name is Neo and im also a group build Junkie 9 of my 13 builds are from GB and i dont plan to stop :pray:

Edited by Neo
Link to post
Share on other sites
Wow now that beats my 13 builds ive made over my time.... although 14 and 15 are on the bench i still have ALLOT to learn

Good progress there Alf keep it up

Cheers

Neo

Oh i almost forgot ... My name is Neo and im also a group build Junkie 9 of my 13 builds are from GB and i dont plan to stop :)

Neo

Did you catch the nuance that the 127 builds "Phantom" refers to is not his overall total, but just F-4s?!!! Humbling... :)

Welcome to the GB addiction support group. Unfortunately, I can't help you with that - the reason these are so addictive is the fun of interacting with an assortment of talented and nice individuals - so I am proud to be a Junkie.

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites
Neo

Did you catch the nuance that the 127 builds "Phantom" refers to is not his overall total, but just F-4s?!!! Humbling... :thumbsup:

ALF

OMG make that 1 for me then !!

when are the next progress pic due Alf?

Cheers

Neo

Link to post
Share on other sites
when are the next progress pic due Alf?

Cheers

Neo

How about now, Neo?

I am well into the painting stage for the main colours. I did some masking after I had sprayed the whole aircraft with the gray Tamiya primer. While waiting for the primer to dry enough for that, I bent some wire and made one of the ejection handles for the resin seats.

Here's what it looks like, after dipping in yellow paint, next to the kit part, which is painted an orangey colour:

P1080860.jpg

Masking done, I sprayed some FS 36118 (ModelMaster Acryl).

P1080863.jpg

I then worked on the horizontal stabs. I had painted some gunmetal by hand on the small lateral strips, then masked and sprayed the 36118. I then used some kitchen foil left over from my previous project (the CF-104D).

P1080861.jpg

Bottom side colour was the Tamiya gray primer.

P1080862.jpg

P1080866.jpg

P1080868.jpg

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites

Of course, the FS 36118 ran under the tape, and there was some overspray. Sigh. Given that the Tamiya primer was a spray bomb, I was too lazy to decant it, so I remasked and sprayed some primer again.

P1080864.jpg

Tape off, here's what it's starting to look like.

P1080869.jpg

Time to hand-paint the wheel wells, and glue the gear struts in place.

P1080878.jpg

Now a break. Expecting a call from Western family members - my niece is getting married in Alberta, and we're the only ones not going (blew the budget on our European trip).

More progress tomorrow (maybe)...

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites

The metal foil is going on quickly. I'm glad to get another chance to practice on a subject that I don't mind so much if it is imperfect (this one) before I go to town on my big T-33 in the Canadian Wings GB.

P1080910.jpg

I foiled the whole exhaust area, then painted with black and gunmetal (drybrushing mostly). Those J-79s smoked a lot, and the underside of these beasts really got dirty. Also did some drybrushing of gunmetal on the nozzles.

P1080914.jpg

Scratch building of the ejection handles (upper) done, and painted with yellow. Did the black stripes with a felt marker. I know the colour is a bit off, but this is one of those areas that just doesn't matter that much to me. The casual observers who will look at this model won't know or care...

P1080913.jpg

Future is applied. Decalling will come next, followed by the canopies and attachment of the undercarriage parts.

P1080915.jpg

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites

Good progress alf

Can i suggest you burnish you foil more with a damp(not too wet! I normally put a little water on my work bench and slightly dap the q-tip ) Q-Tip (Real Q-Tips not the cheap imitations)i will shoot out the wrinkles and make the finish look more real especially near the relief

Keep it up

Cheers

Neo

Link to post
Share on other sites
Good progress alf

Can i suggest you burnish you foil more with a damp(not too wet! I normally put a little water on my work bench and slightly dap the q-tip ) Q-Tip (Real Q-Tips not the cheap imitations)i will shoot out the wrinkles and make the finish look more real especially near the relief

Keep it up

Cheers

Neo

Neo

I'll give that a shot. Thanks for the tip.

ALF

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...