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This will be my entry for this Group Build. 37+01 was the first F-4F the German Air Force received and one of the last ones to be decommissioned 40 years later.

It is going to be OOB with the kit's decals, which are printed by Wingman Models. I will paint it with blue metallic nail polish and RevellColor Gold, to which the decals are matched.

However, I will not paint the radome golden. Instead, it will be radome color, as it was still flying active air defense missions in this paint scheme, and the golden paint would have compromised radar performance.

 

3701_01.jpg

Edited by Lancer512
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The kit contents: three blue sprues and one clear sprue. This reminds me of my very firt model, which was also blue. The decal sheet looks very nice and was designed by Wingman Models. It apears that it was printed by Cartograph (notice the small c suffix to the partnumer on the lower left corner), so there shouldn't be any issues.

 

3701_02.jpg

 

3701_03.jpg

 

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Thank you very much!

 

Actually, the nose was not grey, but looks more like radome tan.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Germany-Air-Force/McDonnell-Douglas-F-4F-Phantom-II/2311517/L

 

BTW: the image on the boxart is photoshopped, as it had the same radome as in the picture below when that series of pictures was taken. I guess it only flew wth the golden nose for the very last couple flights.

Edited by Lancer512
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I started with the build today.

This issue of the F-4F clearly shows it's age. There is quite a large amount of flash on the major parts. The tooling is almost at the end of it's lifetime.

 

I've assembled the seats and the fuel tanks. The aft fuselage was also joined. The cockpit section is just dryfitted to see how it fits. I've seen better kits, but it goes together without any surgery.

 

3701_04.jpg

 

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The ones on the top of the fuselage at the seam line are pretty soft. While at the same time, the panel lines and fasteners on the sides of the fuselage halves are crisp and sharp. I guess it's time for a new tool. Worn out tooling was the reason Revell made a new Eurofighter Typhoon last year. Not sure why they reissued that 1/72 Monogram F-4J, instead.

 

I am currently on a business trip, but I will check it against the original RoG RF-4E sprues and an earlier F-4F when I'm back home.

Edited by Lancer512
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Just checked the sprues of the first release, which was the RF-4E, issued in 1997. It has the same soft detail on the top of the fuselage, and even the early issue has flash on a few parts.

 

However, I noticed that I'll have to change the panel lines on the tail and have to get rid of the photoflash cartridge doors on both sides of the fuselage. This kit is a RF-4E with some added parts to make it look like a F-4F.

 

Edited by Lancer512
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I didn't know that. 

It is nevertheless, a good, low-cost alternative to the harder to find Hasegawa kits. The rescribing isn't extensive. I just wish Revell would include decals for service-planes in their special markings boxes. I have a few tornados and falcons that I'd like to build as actual combat aircraft :D 

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Their 1/72 red Richthofen F-4F kit contains decals for a grey line jet, and both RF-4E kits also contain an options for the lizzard scheme.

But all later kits have just the special marking option.

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I've added 2mm of styrene to the bottom of the seats. Now they reach over the cockpit rim. I may have to adjust the height a little. I will put to pilots from Revell's NATO Pilots Set on them later.

 

3701_05.jpg

Edited by Lancer512
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The six panel lines for the RF-4E have been filled with Mr. Surfacer on each side of the fuselage. Now I have to scribe in a few missing lines to make it a F-4F.

 

3701_06.jpg

Edited by Lancer512
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After the cockpit was painted, I was able to put everything together. As usually, the seats will be installed after everything has been painted.

Despite my first doubts, this kit falls together really nice. So far, sanding was required at a minimum, as besides the top joint only glue residue has been sanded off. Of course, the filled panel lines have been sanded, but this does not reflect the quality of the fit.

 

3701_07.jpg

 

3701_08.jpg

 

 

In the next image, the joint of the forward fuselage with the aft fuselage is visible. The joint consisting of three surfaces is nothing more than a panel line. Sorry for the fingerprints.

 

3701_09.jpg

 

Edited by Lancer512
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You´re setting the standards pretty high with your build! I´d better wait some weeks until I start with my planned F-4F. ;)

 

 

HAJO

Edited by Hajo L.
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Thank you, Hajo. I look forward to seeing your build.

 

Do you have any idea what to do with the clear parts? Mine are blurred completely. It's like trying to read a newspaper thru an ice cube.

For the record: the aft seat has been raised 1mm, and the forward seat by 2mm.

 

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I am really impressed by fit and detail of this kit, but due the amount of flash on the RF-4E sprues (which was already present on the first release), and the completely useless canopy in this particular kit, I will give the Revell F-4F only  9 points.

 

I wasn't really paying attention to that joint. During dryfitting, there was a gap aft of the cockpit section of about 0.5mm (.020"), which shouldn't have been a deal for me. However, at some point while glueing it must have slipped into a recess, and it came out like this. The seam on the top looks the same.

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