1/32 F-4E Chico the Gunfighter

[Marcel111]

Thanks for the support, guys!

Ditto! I promised myself that I wouldn't post on ARC before I came back from vacation, but your super clean scratch work is up there with Guy and John- which is saying a lot! Very cool scratch work Buddy!

Chuck, comments like that may result in my head becoming far too inflated for my own good :rolleyes:/>/>

Here is how these look as everything is glued back together. Centering the gun assembly was not trivial, but it is looking pretty good now.

Not really visible here, but if you look close with light shining on the vents, the cannon assembly is visible behind the vents.

And now for something really, really cool. I designed a custom decal sheet for these pods. It seems every pod is different, some have white stencils, some black. I tried to make the stencils as accurate as possible, fortunately I do have some close-up pics where I could read the lettering. Sometimes numbers are applied white, sometimes red and I even have a pic of red on yellow numbers.

After writing what I wanted in word in the applicable font size, I sent the document off to Mav Decals (http://www.mavdecals.co.za). Zane "militarized" some of the lettering for me and then printed the sheet. It all cost me around $15 including shipping, and that's including the additional items you see on the sheet. Zane is always very friendly and responsive.

Here is the custom sheet, the "USS CORAL SEA" and crew names are for a VF-111 F-4B I want to do down the line (the CAM sheet omitted these). As you can see, I have not yet made up my mind with what color stencilling and numbering to go with.

The above is actually not the final edit, I still mixed up the numbers a bit, left and righ pods should of course have different numbers.

:cheers:/>/>

Marcel

Edited October 28, 2013 by Marcel111

[Marcel111]

Woohoo, just got a bunch of resin Mk.7's back from Harold!

Notice how Harold fixed the above-discussed taper at the back of the unit, you can see my original master alongside the resin version. The windows are now sanded almost flush. Harold has also included suspension lugs in case any of you would like to show these on a trolly. These should be available from AMS some time in the future.

Looking forward to assembling these, but first it's time to complete the SUU-23's.

:cheers:/>/>

Marcel

[Harold]

Dang, someone does really nice work...Marcel.

Edited November 1, 2013 by Harold

[tony.t]

After successfully drilling a centered hole all the way through from the back, I then decided I just couldn't live with the large vents being closed. The solution to that was to cut off the tips of the pods and sand the respective area from the inside. Here's a rough cut of how that looks:

Note that I also ended up rebuilding those smaller vents somewhat further back. I invented a little trick to help with this: By stacking up standard channel sections of the appropriate size, I can create a consistent vent. Also, if you ever try this, stack up substantial lengths on top of one another and then just slice off a grill section with a sharp blade.

I also detailed the ejector port:

And here is an overview:

And here is an overview of how everything assembles together:

:cheers:/>

Marcel

Really useful tip for the vents - will be using that for my A-7B conversion

Tony T

[Vandy 1 vx4]

Harold and Marcel Thanks for your hard work on the Rockeye's :jaw-dropping:/> I can use few of those for a A-7E / A-4M and F-4S build's

Will Sprue Bros carry them?

Cheers

Danny

Edited November 2, 2013 by Vandy 1 vx4

[Harold]

Harold and Marcel Thanks for your hard work on the Rockeye's :jaw-dropping:/>/> I can use few of those for a A-7E / A-4M and F-4S build's

Will Sprue Bros carry them?

Cheers :cheers:/>

Danny

Sprue will have some in the next re-stock. Probably the end of next week.

Cheers,

Harold

[Marcel111]

Here are the completed SUU-23/A's.

First off, here is the somewhat unusual head-on pic of Chico I found on the web a while back. Note the red-tipped starboard SUU-23 (also note the port-side ECM pod, usually this was loaded starboard).

Internet photo:

Note how the pods are colored differently, the one being more olive-drab, the other being relatively more green. The more greenish one features white stencils, the olive drab one black stencils. The olive drab pod also has a black end fairing.

I did this based on two pics I found of what look to be in Vietnam service SUU-23's. The red number on yellow background is also based on a photo.

Next up: Completing the Mk.7's.

:cheers:/>/>/>/>/>/>

Marcel

Edited November 3, 2013 by Marcel111

[Hajo L.]

Great work!

Do you have some more references concerning the positions of the forward mounted ECM-pods? I just build a F-4D and I´m planning a F-4E next (both 1:72 scale) and could use any information concerning their positions.

HAJO

[Marcel111]

Great work!

Do you have some more references concerning the positions of the forward mounted ECM-pods? I just build a F-4D and I´m planning a F-4E next (both 1:72 scale) and could use any information concerning their positions.

HAJO

Thanks Hajo!

Just do some web searching and you'll find plenty of pics. In general, here is what I have found:

==> Vietnam-era USAF Phantoms carrying the earlier ECM pods (e.g. ALQ 101 or 97) tended to carry them in the right forward Sparrow bay. However, as you can see from the above Chico pic, that was not always the case. In fact, most Chico pics show the ECM pod in the right bay, but the above shows Chico with the pod in the left bay. So you have some flexibility.

==> Post-Vietnam era USAF Phantoms carried the later model pods (e.g. ALQ 119 or 131) in the left forward Sparrow bay.

Cheers,

Marcel

[Hajo L.]

Thanks!

Good work here, I can´t wait to see what you are doing to your F-4E!

HAJO

[Harold]

Uh Marcel, you made a horrible mistake! Your gun muzzle should be offset 2 scale inches to the port side. The horror! I think you should stop everything and fix that....LOLOL

Just joking!

Those are some of the best work I have ever seen, even coming from you. You are scary...

[Tomcatfreak]

Wow, awesome work!!!!

[Scott R Wilson]

Thanks Hajo!

Just do some web searching and you'll find plenty of pics. In general, here is what I have found:

==> Vietnam-era USAF Phantoms carrying the earlier ECM pods (e.g. ALQ 101 or 97) tended to carry them in the right forward Sparrow bay. However, as you can see from the above Chico pic, that was not always the case. In fact, most Chico pics show the ECM pod in the right bay, but the above shows Chico with the pod in the left bay. So you have some flexibility.

==> Post-Vietnam era USAF Phantoms carried the later model pods (e.g. ALQ 119 or 131) in the left forward Sparrow bay.

Cheers,

Marcel

Shorter pods like ALQ-87 could be carried in either forward missile well on F-4Cs, Ds and Es. Longer pods (ALQ-101, ALQ-119, etc.) could still be carried in either missile well on short-nose Phantoms but only the left forward missile well on F-4Es, F-4Fs and F-4Gs because the longer pods would hit the bulge on the aft nose gear door if they were mounted in the right missile well on these versions. Short-nosed Phantoms had a flat door so that wasn't an issue with them. The pods were mounted on a Missile Well Adapter that was installed in place of the missile launcher. The Missile Well Adapter was held in place with four bolts. The first time I saw one being installed I was amazed those bolts were strong enough to hold the adapter (which weighed something like 80 pounds all by itself) and pod, especially while the jet was pulling Gs.

This build is already amazing, I'm looking forward to the rest of it.

Scott W.

[Finn]

Nice looking gun pods Marcel, i don't know if you have seen these:

http://366th-tfw.net/bruce-hill_photos2.htm

scroll down about 1/3 of the way to see a photo of pod #687, i don't know what time frame those pics were taken, perhaps it was redone before or after Chico.

Jari

[11bee]

Those gun pods are of higher quality than any other full F-4 model I've seen here. Incredible work, my only (minor) suggestion would be to check on the color of the tips. They look like painted aluminum vrs what I assume would be weathered steel.

Where did you get the decals for them?

Edited November 3, 2013 by 11bee

[JohnS]

Awesome scratch building Marcel. :worship:/>

As usual, I'm learning a lot by reading the threads on ARC. I didn't know much about 'Chico' when I started to read your thread, so I did a quick search and found the following link - Ozark Airfield Artworks. There's a nice description of 'Chico", & its mission, for those who are interested.

[sharkey]

Those gun pods look amazing! Very nice work.

[kurnass77]

Wow Marcel,

after Chuck's another definitive article for the perfect Phantom,I'm sure!

BTW,your cluster bombs are the best I ever seen,like the two gunpod!

And great tips on how make the air grill!

Cheers,Gianni

[jmel]

Great work, Marcel! Really inspirational.

Jake

[Marcel111]

Uh Marcel, you made a horrible mistake! Your gun muzzle should be offset 2 scale inches to the port side. The horror! I think you should stop everything and fix that....LOLOL

Just joking!

Those are some of the best work I have ever seen, even coming from you. You are scary...

Thanks Harold… just wouldn’t possible without your help!

Wow, awesome work!!!!

Cheers

Stephan Ortmann

Thanks Stephan!

Shorter pods like ALQ-87 could be carried in either forward missile well on F-4Cs, Ds and Es. Longer pods (ALQ-101, ALQ-119, etc.) could still be carried in either missile well on short-nose Phantoms but only the left forward missile well on F-4Es, F-4Fs and F-4Gs because the longer pods would hit the bulge on the aft nose gear door if they were mounted in the right missile well on these versions. Short-nosed Phantoms had a flat door so that wasn't an issue with them. The pods were mounted on a Missile Well Adapter that was installed in place of the missile launcher. The Missile Well Adapter was held in place with four bolts. The first time I saw one being installed I was amazed those bolts were strong enough to hold the adapter (which weighed something like 80 pounds all by itself) and pod, especially while the jet was pulling Gs.

This build is already amazing, I'm looking forward to the rest of it.

Scott W.

Thanks Scott! And thanks for the ECM clarification, your post solves a little intellectual riddle I have been pondering on for many years.

Nice looking gun pods Marcel, i don't know if you have seen these:

http://366th-tfw.net...ill_photos2.htm

scroll down about 1/3 of the way to see a photo of pod #687, i don't know what time frame those pics were taken, perhaps it was redone before or after Chico.

Well, clearly my “687” pod featured an additional number set applied more forward, since somebody complained that the numbers couldn’t be seen from the outside when the jet was parked in the hangar. Or something like that. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it :rolleyes:/>

On a serious note, what a great series of photos, very informative. The gun pod pic really puts a spanner in the works in terms of common Chico perceptions, namely that Chico was the only jet that had the outside-mounted SUU-23’s and always flew with Mk.7’s when in Chico config… one of those cannot be true.

Those gun pods are of higher quality than any other full F-4 model I've seen here. Incredible work, my only (minor) suggestion would be to check on the color of the tips. They look like painted aluminum vrs what I assume would be weathered steel.

Where did you get the decals for them?

Thanks 11bee… but you must have missed Chuck’s Phantom :)/> Regarding the color of the tips, my pods tips are actually fairly dark, way darker than Aluminium... keep in mind reflective paints are hard to capture with photography. I used Alclad Jet Exhaust, lightened up just a bit with Aluminum. Also, different pics show the tips to have quite different shades, so I think some flexibility is possible here.

I custom designed the decals and had them printed by Mav Decals, see previous post.

Awesome scratch building Marcel. />

As usual, I'm learning a lot by reading the threads on ARC. I didn't know much about 'Chico' when I started to read your thread, so I did a quick search and found the following link - Ozark Airfield Artworks. There's a nice description of 'Chico", & its mission, for those who are interested.

Thanks John, and thanks for posting the link. I get so into a project that I forget others may have no familiarity at all with the subject I am dealing with.

Those gun pods look amazing! Very nice work.

Thanks!

Wow Marcel,

after Chuck's another definitive article for the perfect Phantom,I'm sure!

BTW,your cluster bombs are the best I ever seen,like the two gunpod!

And great tips on how make the air grill!

Cheers,Gianni

Thanks Gianni! Chuck’s build is a great reference for this build, I will likely not show all that many updates once construction of the airframe begins, you’ll have seen it all before…

Great work, Marcel! Really inspirational.

Jake

Thanks Jake! Needless to say, you Phantom book is my principal source of information as I build the actual aircraft.

[Finn]

There was this F-4E that went up on a special flight with 5 gun pods:

http://366th-tfw.net/index73-images/P3344859a.jpg

also according to what's mentions on the link for Chico, it was also flew regular missions so rather than download the gun pods, they left them on and added whatever ordnance on the i/b pylons.

Jari

[JMan]

Wow Marcel those pods are pretty much a build within a build. Can't wait to see those 7's with some paint and decals on em. Thanks for showing!!!

[Marcel111]

Thanks Jman, thanks Jari!

There was this F-4E that went up on a special flight with 5 gun pods:

http://366th-tfw.net...s/P3344859a.jpg

also according to what's mentions on the link for Chico, it was also flew regular missions so rather than download the gun pods, they left them on and added whatever ordnance on the i/b pylons.

Jari

I had no idea! I have a preference for building in-theater subjects though.

Cheers,

Marcel

[JesniF-16]

Jeez, it just keeps getting better & better.... and those SUU-23's look the "real deal" !!!!!! The best part is that when you finish up the airframe, the ordnance will be ready to hang :thumbsup:/>

/Jesse

[Marcel111]

Jeez, it just keeps getting better & better.... and those SUU-23's look the "real deal" !!!!!! The best part is that when you finish up the airframe, the ordnance will be ready to hang :thumbsup:/>/>

/Jesse

Thanks Jesse! Yeah, doing the things under wings first is the way to go, I will be doing that more often. Right now I am still really into building the CBU and gun pods but I am sure I would be rushing those later in in the build.

Cheers,

Marcel