McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II (Hasegawa)

The venerable Hasegawa F-4J/S kit in 1:72 scale.

Plastic!

More plastic!

Nice stickers!

Extra goodies - the old Verlinden Super Detail set.

Some flat tyres from True Details.

For some reason, Eduard thinks the F-4 cockpit is painted light blue-grey. Not!

Some Gunze H317 Dark Gull Gray fixes the problem.

Forward fuselage interior also painted with Gunze H317.

Front instrument panel - I used the printed clear film for the instrument faces, painted white on the back side.

USN and USMC Spooks did not have a console in the rear, starboard side, due to the refueling probe which is located here.

Cockpit sill from Verlinden. This will go on at the end of the build, not now!

Test fitting the Verlinden resin seats.

I wish I had some seamless intakes, but I don't. A weak spot of the Hasegawa kits.

A little flat black paint for an illusion...although I might just add FOD covers.

Off comes the radome...and on with the outer intake sections.

The Verlinden PE for the radar assembly matches the fuselage contour extremely well!

To avoid seeing inside around the radar, I added a plug from sheet styrene.

The doors for the photoflash bay (used on RF-4 only) leave a nice little gap. Same on both sides.

Some spot putty, smoothed with Mr. Color Thinner and the gap is gone. And no harm from sanding!

USN and USMC Spooks don't have the reinforcement plate (top) so I removed and re-scribed (bottom).

Finally some paint! Testors RLM21 Semi-Gloss White on the bottom; Gunze H315 Light Gull Gray on top.

Alclad Dark Aluminum and Magnesium for the jet exhaust area.

The inside of the splitter ramps were painted in the base camouflage since they are partially visible.

Lots of masking for a thin strip of blue paint around the intake leading edge!

Canopy sill and instrument coaming painted flat black, but there are some PE details to be added here.

The RHAW antennae for the top side of the intakes - crazy place for a sinkhole!

The main stickers are on!! Only the splitters and the rear canopy fairing are painted blue.

The Spook himself hitching a ride on the stars and bars.

Some touch-up still to come...

Verlinden photoetch for the inside of the exhausts. Will it fit?

Fits like a glove!

Borrowing some stencils from an old Microscale sheet.

More details added.

RHAW antennae on the intakes, along with the tyres and some of the gear doors.

Resin and photoetch plus some detail painting gives a good start for the radar.

Exhausts get a black wash and are added to the empennage.

Light wash in the gear bays.

I used a square-tip red permanent marker for the edges of the gear doors.

Alclad Aluminum and Magnesium, along with Testors RLM21 for the horizontal tailplanes.

I think this is an example of insanity. Especially in 1:72 scale!

There is no frame along the bottom of the windscreen, but you should paint the bottom edge black.

See the difference?

Litres of decal solvent made the blue decal conform - but we have a problem.

There are two additional stars on top of the radome. Luckily, Hasegawa give you extras.

Front and back ends of fuel tank had to be painted, the rest is decal.

I made an inauthentic hinge from scrap photoetch.

Radar dish, seats, windscreen and canopy actuators installed.

And the rest got added, too! Enjoy the photos - not my best work, but it will look OK on the shelf.

A couple of colourful Phantoms!

Comments

19 10 May 2015, 01:41

Bill Gilman
I signed up for a Group Build on Britmodeller quite some time ago, and now it's time to get started! It's an F-4 Phantom II single type build, meaning that's what everyone will be modelling. I chose the 1:72 Hasegawa F-4S kit, with the anniversary/retirement markings for VMFA-321 Hell's Angels. This colourful scheme was in active service for a very short time before the aircraft was retired and began its duty as a gate guard. Weathering will therefore be kept to a minimum, and that's OK - I like clean, freshly painted aircraft. Cheers, Bill

10 May 2015, 01:57

Kerry COX
Really looking forward to your usual spectacular build here Bill.

No doubt, all of us will say something here, just watch the list GROW mate. 🙂

10 May 2015, 03:35

Bill Gilman
Almost two months later, but I have made some progress! You can check out the latest photos to see what I've done. I retired from work on June 5, and now that some family things (like vacation!) are out of the way, I can go to full-time modelling mode! Well, maybe not full-time, as Memsahib still has that "honey-do" list. But I should be able to spend more time with this wonderful hobby. Whether that will make any dent in the size of my stash is debatable. 🙂

1 July 2015, 15:55

Philip De Keyser
Looks great Bill, I will follow this one, nice progress 👍

1 July 2015, 19:10

Kerry COX
Most delicate in every way Bill, and easily watchable here. 🙂
Looking your usual stunning attention to detail. 👍 🙂

1 July 2015, 20:33

Clifford Keesler
Looking very nice Bill!

1 July 2015, 23:43

Bill Gilman
Hi mates, it's been a while since I've had an update here. Thanks to Bernhard for reminding me! I hope you enjoy the latest photos - the model is starting to get a personality! Cheers, Bill

20 July 2015, 01:44

Kerry COX
Bill, Every time I look at the fine work you do, It is all the more special as it is a size that I would have the utmost difficulty in doing, and I always wonder, "How did he do THAT.?"
A stunning display of some amazing skills. 🙂
Just perfect. 👍 👍 🙂

20 July 2015, 02:30

Marko
Excellent.

20 July 2015, 04:18

Soeren R.
Awesome work!

20 July 2015, 06:13

Steve Wilson
...
Excellent Bill, don't expect anything less!!!😢

20 July 2015, 06:17

Rex
going great Bill. What Blue paint did you use to match the decals? It looks like you found one that is an exact match, I don't see any "touch-up" paint color difference anywhere.

I have that same build in my future, but, with Repli-Scale decals, since I missed getting that Hasegawa release.

20 July 2015, 06:28

Harry Eder
Great result, Bill ! 👍

20 July 2015, 07:28

Holger Kranich
Great build so far Uncle Bill! I love your "step-by-step" style of building and posting! Enjoy your first model in retirement!😄

20 July 2015, 07:45

Glenn
Looking Good!

20 July 2015, 10:11

Pierre-Christian Baudru
Great job so far !

20 July 2015, 11:45

Augie
bill as always a gem in the making

20 July 2015, 17:12

Ekki
Excellent stuff.

20 July 2015, 17:24

Bill Gilman
Thanks everyone, I appreciate the comments! 🙂

Rex, Hasegawa recommend GSI Creos C110 Character Blue as a match for their decals. As far as I can tell, that is a Gundam colour in a rattle can - and I have no source for that. I tried all of the blues in my paint drawer (GSI, Tamiya, Testors, Humbrol) and the closest match was GSI H322 Phtalo Cyanine Blue. It's just a tiny tad too dark, but I think close enough. I can't guarantee that it will work well with the Repli-Scale decals, as their ink could be different from Hasegawa's. Cheers.

20 July 2015, 18:41

Rex
Thanks a bunch, Bill. As you know, all we need is a starting place, and then the search goes from there, haha.

20 July 2015, 19:02

Clifford Keesler
It is looking awesome Bill.

21 July 2015, 00:29

Bill Gilman
A funny story about this aircraft. It's currently at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky in Lexington. Kentucky is part of the "Bible Belt" in the USA, and this may be the reason why many of the markings have been removed. Specifically, anything having to do with the Devil (like the pitchfork on the tail) or any scantily clad ladies (like on the splitter) have been taken off the aircraft. Oddly, the "Spook" himself is still on the sides, and the name "Phantom" still appears on the placard. But it wouldn't surprise me if they were removed too.

21 July 2015, 02:31

Holger Kranich
Bible belt sounds like our Nordrhein Westphalen or Bavaria. A lot of katholic People, we call it "the black states".😢

21 July 2015, 06:19

Rex
Haha, Bill,,,,,,,,they'd have a pretty big problem with displaying *any* of my service's aircraft if they even gave a thought to one of our nicknames, eh? It would be a pretty good idea for -324 to not even bother with one of their Scooters, too. (For any that don't know, Marines are Devil Dogs, pilots are Devil Dogs of the Air, VMA-324 were the Devil Dogs,,,,,,with a large, rather well pronounced multi color squadron emblem on the fuselage at one time, toward their end)

here's a rendition of -324's Devil Dog

scalemates.com/kits/206190-matchbox-pk-29-a-4m-skyhawk

21 July 2015, 07:26

Bill Gilman
Hi Guido, it's an automotive putty called "Nitro-Stan Spot and Glazing Red Putty 9001." It's the putty I use all the time because I like the way it gives a fine feathered edge when you sand it. It does shrink a bit when drying, so you sometimes need more than one application. I'll use Mr. Color thinner if I don't want to remove any adjacent detail through sanding, or when it is difficult to sand (like inside an intake).

21 July 2015, 16:21

Kerry COX
Bill, are there any aircraft that carry the "Rebel" flag of the south, because I see where the flag is now being removed from a lot of state buildings in the south because of what it "Represents". Will they do the same with any aircraft markings ?

21 July 2015, 16:45

Kerry COX
Would Mr Surfacer fit your needs Guido. ?

21 July 2015, 16:54

Bill Gilman
Kerry - I'm afraid I don't know if there are any squadrons that use the Confederate Battle Flag as part of their markings. But it wouldn't surprise me if there were some.

Guido - does Mr. Color thinner work with Tamiya putty? I've never tried that. I think it will work with Squadron green putty. Maybe you'll have to try some different kinds of putty and see what works. I don't think the putty I use is sold outside of the US. And yes, Mr. Surfer sounds better! 🙂

21 July 2015, 20:54

Clifford Keesler
Where do you get the putty you use Bill? Is it aviable at any auto parts store? .

21 July 2015, 21:50

Rex
Kerry, I don't think any USN/USMC squadrons used that flag. In going through the squadrons in numerical order, I can't think of any one that would use it. Remember, back in the early sixties, a bunch of squadrons got "PC'd" in their use of nicknames and squadron emblems. The one that stands out the strongest is VA-12 "Ubangi's", they got their name changed to "Clinchers", so as to avoid being construed as having a racist name. (yes, there was already "PC" back in the sixities)

21 July 2015, 23:01

Bill Gilman
Clifford, I bought it at the local store that sells automotive refinishing supplies (paint, bondo, putty, tape, etc.). The stuff has been around since the 1930s. Each tube contains 0.45 kg (1 pound) of putty and costs about $15. You'll never need to buy another tube unless you build a lot of ill-fitting kits. I always wet sand, dry sanding clogs the sandpaper.

Google it - here is one link:
azautobodysupply.com/nistspandglp.html

21 July 2015, 23:41

Bill Gilman
Rex - any squadrons use the word "rebel" in their names? I remember when the Confederate Air Force changed their name to the Commemorative Air Force (which makes more sense actually).

21 July 2015, 23:42

Clifford Keesler
Thanks Bill.

22 July 2015, 18:59

Bill Gilman
I've finished the Spook! There are new photos that show the last part of the build, plus quite a few more of the finished model. The next model will need to have a propeller or two. That's two jets in a row that I've built, and I like to mix it up a bit.

27 July 2015, 01:42

Kerry COX
Thanks gents for all who responded to my "Rebel" question.
And Bill, your 'Spook" is an other one of your masterpieces.
Stunning stuff mate.
👍 👍 🙂

27 July 2015, 02:15