1/144 Academy F-4E

[john53]

Here is my 3rd entry into the Vietnam GB. Academy's 1/144

F-4E. The decals are for Elmendorf in Alaska so I have to find

suitable decals somewhere. So far I have the cockpit painted and

some nose weight in as a precaution. Not sure about the weapons,

the only thing in the kit is 2 wing tanks and 2 wing pylons with

Sparrow missiles. I am not sure as if I have ever seen that load

in any F-4E Vietnam pictures.---John

Edited October 7, 2015 by john53

[Kingoalie]

Monokio Decals have some Vietnam markings. I also think PrintScale do some 144th F-4E decals.

[john53]

Thanks, will check them out. I am looking for

one from Korat with tail code JV.---John

[john53]

Fuselage halves together and seats painted and installed.---John

[ikar]

Or you can use the "JJ" tail code, mostly the same aircraft.

[john53]

Thanks, the only reason I wanted JV is because those are my initials,

always wanted my OWN F-4 Phantom. LOL My Academy model doesn't have

the 3 mechanisms under the wings for the slats, guessing the early Es

in Vietnam didn't have slats?---John

Edited October 8, 2015 by john53

[ikar]

If you look at the shots I posted, the F-4s had the longer gun but still didn't have the newer wings. I don't remember seeing the slatted wings, but I would have to look at my old photos. I do remember seeing a couple with T.I.S.E.O. on the left wing but replacement aircraft might have been upgraded. I'm just not sure how that would work. Fixing flying machines, or any machines for that matter, was not my AFSC.

[john53]

Thanks, I only have seen one picture of an F-4E with slats in Vietnam. It was

1973 and I am thinking it was one of the last combat missions maybe, not 100%

sure. I painted the intakes interior white and added them and the wings to the

fuselage. I puttied the bottom of the intakes and the bottom of the nose. Slowly

running out of putty I still have to putty the nose gear well.---John

[ikar]

Maybe one of the last official combat missions, but...

In 1974 I would watch A-7s take off with their racks on, but empty. Sometimes one would come back with a hung bomb that he would try to drop in the off base dump. If it went off, you could hear it clearly on the base. For that reason, they had to notify us when they did it.

On my next assignment I met someone in our club and as we talked, he told me they used to get our fighters in and load them with live weapons and send them back out.

[john53]

I have the cockpit deck painted and canopy on. I had to fix intakes, one kept

falling off so I ran super glue down the fuselage to intake seam after I glued it.

The super glue gave it some extra hold and acts as a seam filler, sanded the seams

and on to the pylons.---John

[john53]

I added the weapons pylons then painted the underside light gray. I then built

the drop tanks, sanded and painted them light gray bottoms and dark green uppers.

I also painted the wheel wells white.---John