Grenadier37 Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I've started building the AMT/ESCI F-4G kit. I'll be using some aftermarket decals, resin seats and wheels. The first thing I noticed about the kit is it's a hard wing Phantom, so I'll change that. And the G specifc sprue looks like completely different plastic (I smell trouble). So why build the AMT kit when the Hasegawa kit is so much better you ask? Because no matter how many times it went on evil-bay no one was foolishe enough to buy it, so I'm stuck with it. Photo to follow shortly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bdt13 Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Scale? If it's 1/72 i built the AMT/ETRL boxing of the F-4S, and it wasn't bad at all. A few missing bits, though (wing fence, underside DECM bumps). Hoping your kit is a good one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Oh wow, boxing a non slatted winged F-4 as an F-4G, that's nice.... Good luck with it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grenadier37 Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) Scale? If it's 1/72 i built the AMT/ETRL boxing of the F-4S, and it wasn't bad at all. A few missing bits, though (wing fence, underside DECM bumps). Hoping your kit is a good one. I've built the 1/72 ESCI Phantoms as well, I think they're nice kits. But unfortunetly, this is the 1/48 ESCI kit. It's decent if you're doing a hard wing F-4E, and don't want to spend the money on the Hasegawa kit. I started cutting the wings apart and spent some time deciding just how far I'll take this build. Something tells me in the end, I'll wish I'd just built the Hasegawa F-4G. Edited December 13, 2011 by Grenadier37 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SoarinSukhoi Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 You know you want to pick up one of those very nice and easy to build Hasegawa 1/48 F-4Gs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grenadier37 Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 You know you want to pick up one of those very nice and easy to build Hasegawa 1/48 F-4Gs. I need another Hase F-4G like I need another hole in my head... Here's some progress pics. The easiest part about turning it into a soft wing phantom is re-scribing the panel lines (image #2). The ESCI kit has no sidewall detail so I glued some appropriate looking shapes to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sebastijan Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Good start! I love challenge in modelbuilding... some like to build legos (read Tamiya and Hasegawa kits ) and some like to do real modelling :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Deacon Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Great start. Will be watching with interest. Deacon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grenadier37 Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share Posted January 2, 2012 (edited) More pics of my progress. I didn't want to go overboard, so all I've done is add some detail to the cockpit, add antennas where needed and remove the control surfaces. It's primered and will be ready for paint soon. Edited January 2, 2012 by Grenadier37 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott R Wilson Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 (edited) More pics of my progress. I didn't want to go overboard, so all I've done is add some detail to the cockpit, add antennas where needed and remove the control surfaces. It's primered and will be ready for paint soon. Talk about making a silk purse out of a sow's ear! That's some amazing work. As long as you're correcting things, you might want to consider fixing the air conditioning intakes on the sides of the nose. The F-4E/F/G had very differently shaped intakes, faired in at the rear. It shouldn't be too difficult for someone with your skills to fair them in. Also the model needs the wingtip RHAW antennas added, that might be a bit more difficult. F-4E, same as the F-4G: F-4C, same as all other short-nosed versions: F-4G wing tip: Edited January 2, 2012 by Scott R Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mig23 Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Impressive kit wrangling there Grenadier37 ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grenadier37 Posted January 3, 2012 Author Share Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) Thanks guys. After some deliberation and decided to draw the line at any more updates/corrections to this kit. The Hasegawa kit is so much better and the only reason I'm building this one is I couldn't unload it on Evil-bay. As it is, I've done way too much, which will translate to major or minor mistakes on my part as I get bored and just try to "finish the damn thing", as is my mantra... I've got two Fw-190s, an Me-262, a AH-1W, a Jagdpanzer IV, a M60A1, and an XB-70 on my workbench, all of which are begging to be finished. Speaking of finishing, paint was applied... Edited January 3, 2012 by Grenadier37 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grenadier37 Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 So...I predicted I'd quickly get imapatient. I did, and forged ahead placing walkway decals on the Phantom before getting a really good look at some reference photos. So they're the wrong color. I swear they looked a lot darker on the sheet. The others on the sheet looked almost black. Once they dried it was obvious how wrong they are. Oh well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grenadier37 Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) More progress. When I peeled off the canopy masking, the mid-section canopy came with it. I've also painted and hung the drop tanks and Shrikes. The decals are from an old MicroScale sheet and some of the smaller stencils silvered. I tried to fix it, without success. I've also knocked the tip off the pitot tube something like 27 1/2 times. The carpet moster finally decided to eat it and I decided to stop "fixing" it. Edited January 10, 2012 by Grenadier37 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bdt13 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Excellent work so far! Waiting with anticipation for the finished product. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grenadier37 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) Here she is, in all her glory... Edited January 12, 2012 by Grenadier37 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Excellent build! I love all the detail you added to it. Only one small nitpick; by the time they were in the grey scheme, they used the AN/ALQ-130 mostly. Still a lovely model. Will you post it in the gallery too? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Deacon Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 OMG Superb build sir and well done on keeping the mo-jo going to complete it. Deacon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sebastijan Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 phantastic looking phantom! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott R Wilson Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) Only one small nitpick; by the time they were in the grey scheme, they used the AN/ALQ-130 mostly. You of course meant the ALQ-131. I agree, he definitely took a piece of garbage model kit and made it look pretty darned good. Scott W. Edited January 12, 2012 by Scott R Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 You of course meant the ALQ-131. Err...oops, yes. :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grenadier37 Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the kudos. I'll take some photos in my ultra-high tech photobooth and post them in the finished thread asap. As for the ECM pod, it's out of the kit. So as soon as AMT corrects the kit, I'll be sure to buy another and...wait, what am I saying? LIke I want to build this pile again! Somewhere, maybe Iowa, there is a plastic cow, eating plastic grass, crapping AMT kits. Edited January 13, 2012 by Grenadier37 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan buysse Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hi, What a great result with a not so great kit! Pity about the walkways, a good warning for when I ever reach the point to put walkways on a Phantom. Cheers, Stefan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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