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1/32 F-4E Chico the Gunfighter


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So, things really are very close to the finish line.

:cheers:/>/>

Marcel

I'm really hoping it isn't too late for you to correct the main landing gear wheels. The inboard hubs were never painted as they could get red hot on landings especially if there was a problem with the drag chute, and the paint would've burned off. The outboard hubs were painted but often very dirty from accumulated dirt, brake dust and grease. Here are some photos I took over the years to illustrate this:

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Here's a couple of the outboard side:

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Edited by Scott R Wilson
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As an additional detail modelers might be interested I thought I'd mention you really don't need to worry too much about adding tire tread to those kits whose wheels don't have much or any. We generally left tires on the jet until the tread was really worn. When the forecast was for less chance of rain we actually kept tires on the plane well after the tread was completely gone, changing them only after some cords started to show or the tire got a cut that was deep beyond specified limits. Here are two tires showing varying degrees of wear:

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For your added pleasure and inspiration, here's an official USAF photo I scanned off the cover of a Japanese magazine long ago that shows a pretty dirty airplane. Note that this was taken before the 1980s when smokeless engines were adopted, so you see the exhaust soot on the blast panels behind the nozzles and also some soot staining on the stabilators. I'd love to find a better rendition of this photo some day.

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Watching some pics of refueling phantoms I saw a couple with chipping marks where the probe went in, wouldn't Chico had the same marks? I like how you treated the ventral tank, looks better IMHO!

regards

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  • 2 weeks later...

Big thx for all the support!

Scott, thx for keeping me on the straight and narrow. I repainted the inside of the main wheels, that took all of 5 minutes using gunmetal, sort of dry-brushed on. The outside wheels remain quite white although I have tried to weather them a little. I did also add the scratching ahead of the refueling receptacle and corrected that embarrassing screw up on the gun door.

The model is pretty much complete now, save for some very minor final additions.

I finished the seats together with Navy versions for an upcoming J I will build (apologies for the poor photo quality):

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I took some better pics of the Navy seats. The NO STEP decals were custom printed, these markings seem to be very prevalent on the Navy seats.

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And here are the AF variants safely placed in Chico:

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On this pic, notice the scratches ahead of the refueling receptacle and the beacon antenna behind the rear cockpit:

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More pics coming very soon.

:cheers:/>

Marcel

Edited by Marcel111
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Looking GREAT Marcel!! I love it- including the revised intake lips that are worn metal rather than left that way on purpose. Your seats are also killer and I love the ejection hoops, which are very hard to do cleanly.

I do have a small suggestion, however, which is an easy fix or I'd shut up. That little circular clear navigation light behind the bigger circular antenna and cockpit has a subtle trim piece on the outside edge that should be painted. If you look carefully at it, it also has tiny rivet detail on it. If it's glued in already, make a small circular mask for the middle of it and paint it and the panel around it, which will shrink the light to about 50% of its current size. That panel looks pretty clean, so the paint revision should not look obvious. Just a suggestion. That light is left that way about 90% of the time, so you're not alone.

Edited by chuck540z3
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Looking GREAT Marcel!! I love it- including the revised intake lips that are worn metal rather than left that way on purpose. Your seats are also killer and I love the ejection hoops, which are very hard to do cleanly.

I do have a small suggestion, however, which is an easy fix or I'd shut up. That little circular clear navigation light behind the bigger circular antenna and cockpit has a subtle trim piece on the outside edge that should be painted. If you look carefully at it, it also has tiny rivet detail on it. If it's glued in already, make a small circular mask for the middle of it and paint it and the panel around it, which will shrink the light to about 50% of its current size. That panel looks pretty clean, so the paint revision should not look obvious. Just a suggestion. That light is left that way about 90% of the time, so you're not alone.

Thx Chuck! Not sure I'll touch the navigation light, don't think I would ever have noticed that and I'm just kinda scared of screwing things up at this stage. That said, I have noticed a bloop now that the model is standing at near eye level in my display cabinet, which is that there is some green poking through on the leading edge of the port wing where it shouldn't be, not sure how I could have missed that before. So that will be fixed tomorrow.

Here are some almost-complete pics in the mean time. Only thing I am still doing now is fixing that green leading edge thing.

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The little window in front of the arrestor hook dashpot charge gauge has since been added, together with some detail.

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I'll take many more pics after that final fix tomorrow.

After that, I may have to break my commitment to doing the VMFA-212 F-4J, I feel I need a break from Phantoms. I will however complete the F-4J weapons, I have invested a bunch in those Zunis so keen to see how those work out.

My next project will however be the big Trumpeter EA-18G, in VAQ-132 guise (the one with the brown camo tail): Pic

Still waiting for the kit in the mail but am really excited about the project.

:cheers:/>/>

Marcel

Edited by Marcel111
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Thx Clif, thx Kike!

This build is now done! I will be posting a large number of pics, apologize if this gets boring but after 1.5 years I feel I need to show off a little. First off, some overall pics:

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...

Edited by Marcel111
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FANTASTIC! And to think you put this baby away with the risk it would never be finished. It just goes to show, the very best modeling is making saves and solving big problems. You did it Buddy and thanks for sharing all your progress. As expected, those guns are very, very special. Bravo! :thumbsup:

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Great job, Marcel. I commend you for carrying on instead of reacting on impulse and tossing Chico into the trash can. Your perseverance has paid off in spades.

Well done!

Mike

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