1/32 F-4E Chico the Gunfighter

[Marcel111]

Jari, thanks for posting those pics, really very informative!

Karl, those are the Tamiya kit TERs, but spiced up as described.

John, not sure if I will go back and tone down the Sparrows. Some of the pics that Jari posted showed relatively clean Sparrows with unfaded black bands and mine do look slightly worn already. I went to town fading the ECM pod, still need to take pics of that.

I have now completed the Mk.7/TER assemblies, hopefully I get to take some good pics tomorrow.

I wonder if the F-4E experts out there can help me out a little with the cockpit: Where the prominent instruments above the front instrument coaming either side of the gunsight that can be seen in Jake's book and also the Lock-On book relevant for an F-4E in 1972? I am referring to the Range Indicator and Azimuth/Azimuth Elevation Indicators.

Thanks for all the interest in this build!

Marcel

[chuck540z3]

This reminds of a tip: Be VERY careful cutting the canopies off the clear sprue if they haven't fallen off already in the box! They leave a mark almost every time on the port side at the base of the windscreen and front canopy.

Edited December 7, 2013 by chuck540z3

[jmel]

I wonder if the F-4E experts out there can help me out a little with the cockpit: Where the prominent instruments above the front instrument coaming either side of the gunsight that can be seen in Jake's book and also the Lock-On book relevant for an F-4E in 1972? I am referring to the Range Indicator and Azimuth/Azimuth Elevation Indicators.

Marcel, I wish I could be more certain, but I'm fairly sure those two instruments were present late in the war on all F-4Es. Until someone that worked on them or flew them during that timeframe says otherwise, I'd add them.

Jake

[Marcel111]

This reminds of a tip: Be VERY careful cutting the canopies off the clear sprue if they haven't fallen off already in the box! They leave a mark almost every time on the port side at the base of the windscreen and front canopy.

Thanks Chuck! However, the windscreen was already broken off...

Marcel, I wish I could be more certain, but I'm fairly sure those two instruments were present late in the war on all F-4Es. Until someone that worked on them or flew them during that timeframe says otherwise, I'd add them.

Jake

Thanks Jake... that's what I'll run with then.

Here are the complete, TER mounted CBU's. Note the little Scale Hardware bolts and washers.

And here is the ECM pod. The decals are from the spares box. These pods seemed pretty worn at times, so I oversprayed the black lettering with white so as to achieve a faded look.

The pod still needs a final coat of satin, right now it still looks too glossy.

:cheers:/>/>

Marcel

Edited December 7, 2013 by Marcel111

[sharkey]

You are destroying this build. (pun)

[Harold]

Harold, very best wishes for your wife and daughter.

Marcel, superb detailing, the results speak for themselves. Do you think the stencils should be ‘worn’ a little to tie in with the subject? Only asking! :)/>/>

Regards

John

Thank you. My wife had a clean bill of health yesterday. Relieved for sure.

[HomagerMan]

Outstanding build Marcel, great tip for the vents.

James

[DaneBramage]

Gorgeous.

[Marcel111]

Thank you. My wife had a clean bill of health yesterday. Relieved for sure.

Harold, that's great news, I am very relieved and pleased to hear that.

Thanks for all of the continued support on this build!

I have started the cockpit. I am using the Avionix set. When I first opened the set I was pretty overwhelmed by all the tiny little bits falling out of the package but as they say, how do you eat an elephant... one bite at a time.

The fit of the set isn't all that great and also, to my eye at least, what is sold as an F-4E cockpit is more like an F-4D cockpit. The pilot and WSO main instrument panels are certainly "D" versions, that's judging by Jake's book. Maybe early E's had D cockpits and that is what the Avionix set is going for?

Anyhow, here is the start to the cockpit. I used the kit front instrument panel since the Avionix panel is the same and plastic is easier to work with than resin. I drilled out the instrument because I have the Eduard color cockpit set which includes photo-film instruments, these will be placed behind the drilled holes. The film was sized to the Tamiya kit, so this is a very simple to execute enhancement.

The kit front instrument fairing is incorrectly shaped, I think it has the Navy shape which is incorrect for the "E". Here is my attempt at a correction:

Note that the instrument coaming has been thinned substantially.

Thanks for looking,

:cheers:/>/>

Marcel

Edited December 8, 2013 by Marcel111

[JesniF-16]

Marcel, the payload is phriggin' phantastic sir :worship:/> Great tip on drilling out the IP and backing it up with the Eduard dials, I think it will really add a lot of depth :thumbsup:/>

/Jesse

[Harold]

To be a bit off-topic now, Harold: have my fingers crossed for good result for your daughter and wife! Health first, Resin is patinet and can wait.

Everything turned out well for my wife.

MY daughter should be almost 100% by January. She is in remission right now..so far so good.

[rom]

hello!

Insane modelling!

bye

Romain

[Marcel111]

hello!

Insane modelling!

bye

Romain

Thanks Romain!

I have been somewhat distracted by a second Phantom build. It will be another Vietnam CAS Phantom, a VMFA-212 aircraft, “5” to be specific. Most decal sheets seem to cover VMFA-212 “14”, which was lost with both crew in Vietnam in ’72.

The loadout will be 6x LAU-10’s for a total of 24 Zuni rockets, plus a centerline MER with 6x Snakeyes. The six LAU-10 loadout may sound slightly over the top but was often carried by Marine Phantoms in Vietnam. The Marine Aviation in Vietnam DVD shows Phantoms taxiing with the loadout I will be doing. There is also a great pic in Danny Coreman’s Uncovering the Navy Phantom book showing a VF-33 Phantom loaded with six LAU-10’s.

By the way, here are some period representations and pics showing what VMFA-212 Phantoms looked like:

http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/59/pics/3_208.jpg

“5” (these are somewhat after the Vietnam deployment):

The six LAU-10’s are from Fischer, however, the actual rockets presented a challenge. I want to model the Zunis with a very pointy fuze/warehead section, as is appropriate for the period I will be modeling, plus this Zuni type also looks particularly aggressive. The rockets supplied with the Fischer set are of a different type. Also, since the rockets pods will be the center of interest of the completed model, the rockets need to be pretty perfect looking, and the look must be consistent across all 24 rockets.

A huge coincidence is that 5 inches equals almost exactly 4mm in 1/32 scale ((25.4 x 5)/32 = 3.97mm). This is really nice since I can use a standard 4mm rod or tube to create the basic Zuni.

Knowing this, here is how I proceeded: I took an internet pic, pasted it into Powerpoint and then measured the conical angle of the rockets as shown below. I had to compensate for the fact that the pic is somewhat oblique, so the measurements are a best guess.

Notice how the tip is more acute than the section immediately behind the tip. This in turn led me to source a OD = 4mm, ID = 2.5mm brass tube, together with a 2.5mm brass rod, with the intend of forming the rod to the more acute-angled tip, and the tube with the less acute angled tip. And for a long time that is where I was stuck.

Fortunately, the company I joined in May is quite uncomplicated and my friends in the prototyping shop eventually produced what you see below on a little lathe, to my specs and with the tubes and rod I supplied.

Here are the little gem-filled bags:

The construction (all just dry-fitting):

And here are all 24 Zunis--again, all just dry-fit right now:

And with that it is back to Chico, full-time. We are off to the FL Keys for two weeks so no actual modelling for a while.

Hope you guys enjoy a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

:cheers:/>

Marcel

Edited December 19, 2013 by Marcel111

[jmel]

The fit of the set isn't all that great and also, to my eye at least, what is sold as an F-4E cockpit is more like an F-4D cockpit. The pilot and WSO main instrument panels are certainly "D" versions, that's judging by Jake's book. Maybe early E's had D cockpits and that is what the Avionix set is going for?

I don't have very many good things to say about the Black Box/Avionix cockpit sets. They are incorrect in many ways. The biggest inaccuracy is the one you point out here. The instrument panel is incorrect for an F-4E. The seats are also incorrect. They supply Navy-style seats in all of their cockpit sets rather than correct USAF-style seats.

Boy, those Zuni pods look amazing!!!

Jake

[chuck540z3]

Fortunately, the company I joined in May is quite uncomplicated and my friends in the prototyping shop eventually produced what you see below on a little lathe, to my specs and with the tubes and rod I supplied.

Marcel

Must be NICE! Wow! They look terrific.

As Jake has suggested, the Avionix seats are Navy versions, so you might want to look at the Quickboost Air Force versions that I used. The only drawback is that they are a little snug in the Avionix pit.

Have fun in Florida and Merry Xmas!

[A-10 LOADER]

Man oh man those zuni pods look awesome, they are gonna look amazing once finished out. Enjoy your trip, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as well.

Steve

[JMan]

Marcel, any chance you gonna make those available to all of us lowly model builders????? LOL, fantastic looking Zuni's!

[Harold]

Marcel, any chance you gonna make those available to all of us lowly model builders????? LOL, fantastic looking Zuni's!

Ditto...

[Marcel111]

thx guys!

Chuck, Jake, my master seat plan is to use the AMS seats on my F-4J. Since I will be using the Aires cockpit set with the J and the Aires seats are apparantly Air Force, I intend using those Aires seats for Chico. That is unless advised otherwise by guys in the know.

Jeremy, Harold, I do have a spare Zuni. If I manage to not lose a Zuni during the painting and assembly process, I can get this to Harold for reproduction... but that will be a ways away.

Regards from the Keys! Its great to be back in the US (other than for work) and with my wife's family... not to mention being on the beach in the heat in the middle of winter.

Marcel

[Harold]

thx guys!

Chuck, Jake, my master seat plan is to use the AMS seats on my F-4J. Since I will be using the Aires cockpit set with the J and the Aires seats are apparantly Air Force, I intend using those Aires seats for Chico. That is unless advised otherwise by guys in the know.

Jeremy, Harold, I do have a spare Zuni. If I manage to not lose a Zuni during the painting and assembly process, I can get this to Harold for reproduction... but that will be a ways away.

Regards from the Keys! Its great to be back in the US (other than for work) and with my wife's family... not to mention being on the beach in the heat in the middle of winter.

:cheers:/>

Marcel

Soak up as much of the sun as you can...Send me whatever you want, when you get back to the grind.

Have a great Christmas.

Harold

[karl h]

uh, oh, i would like the zuni warheads too, my marine intruder also will get six zuni pods......

[Check Six]

Awesome build for a beautiful a/c!

Being a Phantom phan I will definitely be following this build .

Inspiring work you've done so far, Marcel!

[JesniF-16]

Marcel, great to see someone is putting out great quality AM loadouts..... I gotta give you credit for doing extensive research to make this Chico build happen, hats off to you! Any chance that you could create a 32nd SUU-20 within the next 6 months?

/Jesse

Edited December 24, 2013 by JesniF-16

[Brian 1]

marcel, great build. I mastered the zunis for fisher, but I cant for the life of me remember which paticular type warhead we used as a reference. Keep up the good work!!

[Lucio P.]

your zunis are incredible !!