My two F-4Es

[Phantom Phixer]

Part 1: Solving a major problem

Right. I've signed in for this group build (my first one) without knowing what kind of a Phantom I would be building. A week ago I did an inventory check to see what I had in my stash as I didn't want to buy a new kit.

The excavations revealed I had an old Monogram F-4J kit with rich detail but no recessed details at all. Everything had to be sanded down and scribed from scratch... thanks but no, thanks! (I'll keep the decals though...).

Next, I found the old Matchbox F-4M/K kit. That made me think a bit but I decided against.

Then I brought back to the surface an ancient Hasegawa kit with raised panel lines and almost no detail at all. However, I remembered the reason I bought that in the first place: it's colour scheme & decals. With this one you could build the "5000th Phantom" s/n 77-0290 in it's special colours. Too bad the decals are almost useless due to old age. The key word is "almost". I can make masks out of them and only use the little flags on the side. Or at least I can die trying... But I can't use THAT plastic!

So it was time for some real kits to come into play. I found my two ESCI F-4Es. So there you have it. I'll be building an ESCI 1/72 F-4E in the "5000th Phantom" colours with almost no decals.

But what about my second Phantom? At first I wanted to build a HAF one in SEA camo. But then I saw that there were too many of them in this group build already. I wanted something equally out-of-the-ordinary for my second kit. So looking around in my spare decals box I found a set of Aussie decals rats in rings and everything! And the RAAF had them in SEA camo too! So I think it's final: my second model will be an ESCI 1/72 F-4E (early) in RAAF colours.

What do you guys think?

[Heater]

Your choices are excellent !!!!!. The 5000th Rhino is not a model you see everyday :D As for the Aussie Phantoms instead of the HAF ones. Good choice, rare built, but they were too.....ummmm....errrrrrrrr.......clean for my tastes :D There were HAF SEA Rhinos with so much weathering that you could hardly tell what camo they were wearing, while the Aussies kept their phantoms in top shape, from the pictures that i've seen. Personally i'd go for the HAF Phantom with all the weathering i can put on it, but at the end, is what built pleases you the most that matters. Go ahead and start building.....i'm waiting for that 5000th anniversary Rhino (currently serving with the Turkish Air Force...just a piece of useless info :lol: ) you are talking about!!!

[kozlok]

If you're going to use the old decals, get some of the Microscale Liquid Decal Film (it's a liquid in a plastic bottle). I had some very old decals (about 20 years old), that shattered and crumbled as soon as they were put in water. I put some of the MS Liquid Decal film on them, and they held together and went on perfectly. If you use some, your old decals have a very high chance of working. What've you got to lose? The liquid is only a couple of bucks mail order, many good hobby shops carry it. PM Me if you need details.

[Phantom Phixer]

Thanks for the tip kozlok <_<

Looks like I'll have to go shopping... :(

Edited June 5, 2005 by Phantom Phixer

[Andre]

If you're interested, I have a couple of the newer release of Hasegawa's new 1/72nd tool F-4E with the 5000th Phantom markings.

I could be persuaded to trade for one of the new kit decal sheets.

Cheers,

Andre