**** DONE: GB-51 1/48 F-4E Phantom II - No Propellers

[Donivanp]

Bottom looks great. Maybe a tad less pressure on the preshading.

I agree, I did try that but didn't seem to help. I have have been chasing it all wrong. Kept clogging on the needle.
Any who, Intakes, there are a couple if ejector marks on the inside of the intakes, not sure they would ever get noticed, but....

I used Mr. Surfacer 500 to fill.

When dry I'll sand and then shoot. The right will be dark tan and the left dark green inside to match the exterior. Then mount the probes and get the splinters on and paint can begin.

Camo colors for SEA.

general colors.

 

[Crimea_River]

I'll probably mask up when using the AK's as well. Verrrrrry stinky.

 

[Donivanp]

I'll probably mask up when using the AK's as well. Verrrrrry stinky.

Yes they are indeed.

 

[rochie]

looking good.


the intakes that is

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work so far!

 

[Donivanp]

Shot the first little bit , Rt intake dark tan Lft dark green, leftover on the da plane.

 

[Wayne Little]

Lookin' good man, always good to get to the paint stage....

 

[Donivanp]

Worked the monster intakes for those J79's and got the wing ends on.

Starting to look like a Phantom!!!!

 

[Donivanp]

I gotta say I'm liking these AK lacquers. No thinning straight out of the bottle working great in my H&S Evolution.
Whoo who put the lights out It's getting a bit cloudy in hereeeeeeeeeee, gotta love lacquersss...................................

 

[Crimea_River]

Looks good Don.

 

[Donivanp]

 

[Donivanp]

Mail call today!

I think I've settled on 67-0309 "El Toro Bravo

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[rochie]

really nice

 

[Wayne Little]

Agreed looking the part now.

 

[Donivanp]

It's the little things. Finished getting the wings together, slats, flaps, and ailerons. Cleaning up the paint. Still have some to work on that. Masked of the back to the metallic paints. getting gear ready and gear doors and pylons and etc..... It sound like fiddly bits but I think that is still to come.

Firstly Zouki-Maura did not supply a centerline pylon in the kit. The only option they gave was the centerline fuel tank. This presents an issue as the configuration I want is a centerline MER. TERs on the inboards and takes on the out board. I went through my available kits and I pulled centerline pylons from each, Monogram, Academy, and Hasegawa.

I checked with a couple buddies that crewed F-4's and was told to use the Hasegawa. So I'll have to do some modification to it a bit in order to fit.

I also noted that the kit does include a single ECM pod attachment for the missile bay. Nice! But the kit includes ECM pods that are post Vietnam, how odd is that?

Inboards are almost done. Have to paint the upper leading edge the camo color and get the sway braces put on.

Gloss black primer (Vallejo) for the metallic section.

MERs (Multiple Ejector Rack Up to 6 weapons), TERs (Triple Ejector Rack up to three weapons) and pylons. I'll only be using one TER and I wont be using the outboard pylons as the fuel takes will be in that place,

Shot a primer on the wing tanks.

And an updated beauty shot. I redid the left side camo as in the photos of 67-0309 the double hook of the dark green that is normally in the Phantoms SEA scheme was not prominent.

Still a little clean up but you get that.

 

[fubar57]

Good stuff Don

 

[Gnomey]

Nicely done so far!

 

[Crimea_River]

Great work. Your enthusiasm for this build shows.

 

[Donivanp]

Thanks guys I am indeed enjoying this build Andy, probably can't tell I have a love affair with Phantoms. I try to keep it to myself. B-52's and F-4's with some 105 and 111 thrown in for good mix.

Anyway, getting on with the mix.

In todays episode we will discuss

Nose gear assembly!

Love my mad works PE saws

Little clean up and off we go.

Wing tanks. Shot the dark green and the camo grey. will need a little clean up but well on the way. Great fit together just a little seam sanding and good to go!

Main wheels I shot in the AK Insignia white and before I clear coated (I wasn't thinking), I used Tamiya black wash. Ironically it cleaned up nicely with enamel thinner giving me what I was looking for.

still have to do the nose wheels, I used Tamiya rubber black for the tires.

Don't you just hate it when you do all the cleanup work on something (nose wheels) and then you see the photo and your like I thought I fixed them, they look terrible!

Next comes the nose bear door. after cutting the struts I had to attach them to the holder. The landing and taxi light will go on next then the outer shell. got some cleanup work to the struts, I cut then long so I would screw then up I attached them to their hold so I would have some support cleaning them up.

Gotta love that Tamiya vinyl tape run it around that tight curve and then back tape behind it, masked off the raydome to paint it.

And that about brings us up to date