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1/24th Scale RAF Phantom (FGR.2)


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A little progress to update you on with the big Phantom...

I've continued to work on getting the nose section correct in profile, and I think I'm just about there:

22217523996_dd7c5e565d_c.jpgS1030127 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

Apologies once again for the vile colour she's in - Halfords' filler-primer is certainly not the most pleasing on the eye...

I have now removed the forward undercarriage bay ready for the bay itself to be built and detailed:

22217521156_1768e9ebbd_c.jpgS1030131 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

And have also started work on the upper part of the cockpit structure. It's important to get this area done first, as I needed to work out the position of the canopy etc., as well as where the cockpit tub below needs to be positioned when it comes to making that:

22243590635_0553b64d3f_c.jpgS1030132 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

With a test-fit of the canopy it's starting to actually resemble a Phantom!

22055544060_0572d90a6c_c.jpgS1030134 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

The nose shape is certainly getting there now, but I still need to do some fettling with the extreme nose, but that'll be done in due course:

22055859738_64017dec8c_c.jpgS1030137 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

Onwards and upwards, as the old saying goes...

Tom

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A little progress to update you on with the big Phantom...

I've continued to work on getting the nose section correct in profile, and I think I'm just about there:

Tom

Tom, there's something not quite right about the pinched-in nose at its max just under the forward edge of the windscreen.

The forward fuselage should be a constant section with the underside flaring out to match the radome diameter.

At present it has a tornado-type aspect, which actual Phantoms don't have.

Here's a photo (it's an F-4J but the nose is identical to a Spey Phantom). You should be able to flip the image horizontally

in MS Paint or your favourite graphic program to orient it as per your photos above and see what I mean.

1396.jpg

Edited by chek
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Tommy,

You're certainly making outstanding progress. Excellent start to both the cockpit and front wheel well framing. At 1st I didn't understand, nor see what Chek was pointing out. But after really looking at those pictures, you can see where your nose section tapers in towards the new grafted on nose, while the display Phantom is level and smooth right to the tip of the nose cone. Is that something that you can address?

Joel

Edited by Joel_W
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Check and Joel,

It's certainly something I'll look at; there are lots of bulkheads etc to be made and installed which will influence the shape, as currently it's just a hollow shell.

I'm on on holiday for a week from tomorrow so will return with fresh eyes and all that...

Tom

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Absolutely brilliant work! Watching this one very closely as all your work. If I can't build mine, I can certainly build vicariously through your build thread!

Cheers from actually not too far away from you.

Mark

Cheers, Mark - and where are you?

After spending a week away from the bench in beautiful North Norfolk I've returned with fresh eyes and am raring to continue with the Phantom.

It also helped seeing one in the flesh (or at least the nose of one) at the fantastic museum at Horsham St. Faith (a former RAF and USAAF base, but now Norwich Airport) and taking a few reference shots.

It also helped to solve the nose shape issue that had been bothering me - in the picture below you can see that the grafting of the new nose solved the issue with the radome droop, but it left it looking a little 'pinched' and it was certainly something that had been bugging me and it didn't quite look 'right':

22506977461_e54d13947d_c.jpgS1030137 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

These reference shots show that there is definitely a change in the contour of the nose, and there is also a slight pinch where the intake duct sits, but on my effort it was too pronounced:

22496049385_e3f6b20a45_c.jpgIMG_3724 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

22308368648_30384ecb68_c.jpgIMG_3727 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

21874869863_0d077f8319_c.jpgIMG_3717 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

22482644012_eeb4904136_c.jpgIMG_3729 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

So, it was once again out with the car body filler to build up the indentation. I've also opted to slice off the radome for the time being as I feel this still needs some tweaking and re-shaping:

22469780106_7015f82435_c.jpgS1030147 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

I added some plastic card to the side of the fuselage with was placed at the correct position and depth, and then simply sanded the filler until the plastic card inserts showed through - this told me I was at the correct depth and profile.

It now, at least to me eye, looks a lot better:

21874592033_2a80c30281_c.jpgS1030149 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

22506867421_043c883cd3_c.jpgS1030138 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

22495786045_a6d16bc07e_c.jpgS1030145 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

It's still not perfect, but a lot better than it was. I'll no doubt do a little more in due course, but I'll work on and reattach the nose cone first, as well as add the intakes on either side which will give it more of the 'Phantom look'...

Until next time,

Tom

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Tommy,

Your body work is truly outstanding. Just out of curiosity, is at a private cockpit collection?

Joel

Joel,

The cockpits are part of the museum's collection. They've a few there and it was great to see them up so close. I took a lot of pictures of the F-4 cockpit for references, as well as the intake area etc for when the time comes. We have a few Spey versions preserved over here thankfully, so visiting the real thing won't be too problematic for taking measurements etc.

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Was the base RAF Sculthorpe perhaps? That's the base I was born on :)/>

No, Horsham St Faith.

Scunthorpe isn't far away though, and although closed it's complete and still used occasionally for military exercises etc. They say you can't travel for more than 5 miles in Norfolk and Suffolk without coming across an airfield. For an aviation enthusiast it's heaven!

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Afternoon all,

With the shape of the nose coming on nicely, I thought it was time to have a think about the interior.

The kit supplies a basic cockpit floor and side consoles, but I had a quick look at the parts and thought it would be far better to build my own. The kit part did provide a useful template for making the basic floor the correct shape however, but that's about it.

With the floor cut out of think plastic card, I then used my trusty profile gauge to make the rear bulkheads, side consoles and the basic shape for the instrument panels.

21922951764_b45520a365_c.jpgS1030167 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

The cockpit floor also forms the roof of the nose landing gear bay, so whilst I was at it I boxed that in, too.

21924487853_74faa2df60_c.jpgS1030162 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

It now sits nice and snugly in the nose section:

21922930904_3d40e99a2c_c.jpgS1030164 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

As you can see this is just the basic outline of the cockpit structure, but you've got to start somewhere...

22357739990_525f39c0a7_c.jpgS1030160 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

22545682695_6de4a3cff6_c.jpgS1030158 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

22519719266_eb3dcbaa05_c.jpgS1030155 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

There are some unsightly gaps where the kit follows the contours of the splitter-plate mouldings, but these will be addressed with some cockpit sidewalls in due course:

22532156102_2e31037151_c.jpgS1030152 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

So now the real fun will start - fitting it out with a mass of internal detail...

Until next time,

Tom

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  • 2 weeks later...

The nose is looking much better with the pinch built up now Tom.

One other Phantom Phoible to watch out for is that the nose section at the radome is not circular, but is flattened off forward of the windscreen/windshield as an aid for the pilot's visibility. The illustration below is, again, not a Spey Toom, but all short noses are the same;

F-4+Radome+Kaston.jpg

Edited by chek
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  • 2 weeks later...

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