Here is my latest project. I figured I would start this one now, since the Camel is almost finished. This is the Revell 1/32 RF-4C. So far the exterior detail looks good, and the diminsions look close. The surprising thing is that there is very good camera detail in the nose(which I will add to). There is no side wall detail in the cockpit at all, it is just a blank sheet of plastic. I actually find this preferable to weak or incorect detail that needs to be removed. My progress so far… I added the detail to the sidewalls by adding .030 styrene strip and some copper tape that has a quilted pattern to it. I still need to scratch all the stuff hangin off the walls, but am looking for reference pics. I also doubled up some .030 strip and glued it to the sill because the things were just too skinney. Well, here are the pics of a couple hours worth of work…
Somewhere along the line I decided it would be easier to build the camera bays if they could be done seperate of the office, so I removed the nose section to detail and build. Looking back now I wonder about my decision to do this, maybe it will become aparent later.
any comments or help with office pics will be apriciated.
Looks real nice so far, jim, and after seeing your Camel pics, I can’t wait to see how this guy turns out! I really like that textured copper foil you used. Where’d you get that, cuz I can think of a few uses for it myself.
…and I’m in 100% agreement on the complete lack of detail vs. inaccurate detail…much easier to start from scratch. [:)]
Looking good so far. I also built that kit and had to correct around thirty problems with it. Just some advice, the ECM warts on the side of the nose, the kit comes with clear parts for it. Throw them away and don’t even use them. Only the very early RF-4C’s used them and they were painted a semi gloss black. I worked the RF in Vietnam in 67-68 and ours did not have them.
Another area is the main wheels. They look nothing like any wheels I ever saw on the Phantom. They would have you install them backwards, with the brake stack pressure plate going toward the strut. They should be facing out. Then you will have to build the brake housings as none is included with the wheels.
Have fun building the number three, four and five circuit breaker panels. They have complex shapes to them and are not easy to build. I know, I spent days building the ones for mine. The number six circuit breaker panel is easy to build. It is flat and small.
Thanks for the comments guys. The copper tape is the tail end of a roll from work, I’m not sure where they get it from, but it sticks good, and if you want the quilted patern more prononced, it can be scribed to make it deeper.
Berney, thanks for the compliment, coming from a Phantom Phixer it means im doing something right. as for the warts, did the marine Phantoms have em? and do you have pictures of the panels , I have been able to find very few pictures of the rear office. If you see something incorect, feel free to point it out, the help will be apriciated.
My dad was a Phantom Phixer in the late 80’s. He was in the Nevada Air Guard when they still used the old bird (they flyC-130’s now [:(]), so the phantom is probubly my favorite jet.
Yeah allen, I have used that tape on two other kits, it does the job great, and is easy to do too.
Here is tonights progress:
now to get the other side done :D. pretty much just painted the stuff I did on this side up. I still have to apply the plackards, but I will do that right before I close it up.
What are you using for reference pictures? The left side FCP should have only one emergency control handle, the forward one. It is the canopy jettison handle. The other two should not be there. It looks a little oversized also and should be about half its size. I know it has been almost twenty years since I have been in the cockpit of the F-4, but I can close my eyes and picture how it looks. Also on the left side there should be the canopy open/close switch with a guard over the switch, It is located just under the canopy sill with the control rods from the switch to the canopy lock box. The map light is also too big and should be about half that size.
Here is a few shots of my Revell F-4 that I have been working on. The side cockpits are scratch build and I haven’t finished painting them or haven’t added the final parts to it yet. It will give you and idea on how it should look.
I am using some online pictures of an F-4G at aircraftrecourcecenter.com, and of a build someone did online at largescaleplanes.com. I probubly shouldnt use someone elses build as reference, but greatmodels is being a pain about sending the books I ordered. At any rate I have put it down till they come in. The only photo I have of is of a J model in a book called cockpits of the cold war, and it is only of the front office.
Which model is yours, and what scale is it, it looks like it has better detail than mine.
Thanks for the corections, Im gonna wait for pictures.
It is the Revell 1/32 F-4E converted to a hard wing. All of the cockpit side walls were scratch built. I still have to install the canopy sills and AM PE parts for the canopy and windshield. All of this work was done over a year ago and I am just getting back to working on it.
Thanks Jim. It helps when you have first hand experience on the aircraft. The Revell kit has its problems but with a little work you can produce a great looking model. Just take your time and research, research and just when you are sure you have what you want, do some more research. A great book, if you can still find one, is the Detail and Scale series, by Bert Kinzey.
Your right, if it were a Coast Guard Dolphin, I would have it made. As for the book, I have that one, F-4 in action, and the lock on book from verlindin on the way (if great models ever get em in).
I highly recommend getting the RF-4 book by Detail N Scale. It shows the differences in the recon offices versus the fighter variants.For painting ideas check out- …And Kill Migs,USAF Phantoms in Combat,Phantom II-A Pictoral History of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. All by Lou Drendel and Squadron/Signal,but I think the last two are out of print.Hope this helps.
looking good post more pictures. i have a question i have a 1/32 Revell RF-4B i was wondering if any after market nose cone exist to convert it into a F-4B? it looks like the kit has a nose cone foe a F-4E/F. i am currently looking for good referance book, i would appriciate any help.
You can’t get there from here. The F-4B had more than a different nose. You would have to rebuild both cockpits to make a B model. Also the wings on the F-4B were the thin type without the raised area for the main gear. The main wheels and tires were much thinner, not the type included with the kit. The main gear doors would have to be scratch built. All of this would require major surgery to convert the RF-4 to a F-4B.
