My Tamiya F-4E is for all intents done (except for the part that I tweezer-pulted across my basement and have to hunt down), but I have a minor question.
The kit comes with both the internal boarding ladder that extends down from just in front of the left intake as well as the external boarding ladder that hangs on the side of the front cockpit. The instructions show both of them being used, but I can’t see any reason for having them both since they would only be about a foot apart on the real ones. The pictures I’ve seen show one or the other in use, but not both.
Right now it’s built without the internal ladder and I have the external one hanging on the cockpit. I can easily go back and add the extendable boarding ladder if it’s necessary. Can some of you guys who are familiar with the real ones let me know whether they actually do use both of them or just one?
Yes, they could both be used at the same time. Usually if we had the boarding ladder, the kick steps would be retracted. A common thing we would do is have them extended so we would have something to hang our comm head set on. Even if we had the boarding ladder in place. We would retract them after the crew showed up.
The boarding ladder was used most often as it would give us something to sit on while we strapped in the pilot. It also made it easy to go from the intake to exit the cockpit areas after strapping in the WSO.
If it was me, I would use one or the other. If you have the boarding ladder in place, show the kick steps retracted. My F-4D has the ladder in place and the kick steps retracted.
Thanks Berny. That’s sort of what I suspected. I may try to scratch build a little tiny headset sometime and hang it from the kick steps. It will give people something to wonder about [:)]
If you make a head set and hang it on the kick step, don’t forget the fifty foot comm cord which was attatched to the comm panel in the left wheel well. I tried making one in 1/48 scale using fine wire and plastic. I couldn’t get it to look right so I scrapped the idea. It would be easier in 1/32 scale. You just gave me an idea for my 1/32 scale F-4E.
Try some “Invisible Thread”. It’s available in the sewing areas of most larger department stores. It’s very thin and made of some sort of plastic so it’s pretty tough. I also saw some very fine wire (34 gauge if I remember right) at Michaels the other day in the “Beading” section (supplies for making bead necklaces).
Good to see a Phormer Phantom Phixer. I am trying to get into building the Hasegawa 1/48 F-4E from the 347TFW Moody AFB where I was stationed. I see from bio that you stayed with the F-4 where I was moved to heavies (KC-135, C-17). Perhaps if I need my memory jogged you could help me out.
I would be more than happy to help in any way. I have been off of the Phantom for a long time, but there are some things you never forget. Not only that but I still have plenty of scars from the numerious Phantom bites I took over the years. [banghead]
Chris what was the til number i work on the drones here at tyndall if it’s here i can get you some pictures of it. Berny i’m sporting multiple Phantom Bites as i write this it sure is one mechanic biting plane, and it bites harder than the F-15 i’ve learned that the hard way.
In reply to PhantomPhixer’s comment:
Not only that but I still have plenty of scars from the numerious Phantom bites I took over the years.
I worked on the Phantom myself…we always said you could tell a Phantom crew chief by the scars on his back and walking with a permanent crouch!
I used to regularly whack my forehead on the elevators of the F-4Js in the hangar bay. I wasn’t even an airedale but on a carrier everyone had to deal with the hazards of aviation. (one reason for the Black Shoe vs Brown Shoe rivalry)
I know the feeling. At times people ask if I had back surgery because of a scar running from my left sholder to the belt line on my right side. When I tell them it is from an AIM-7 missile wing I got during a hot scramble, they don’t understand. With my height (five feet, fiveteen inches)[%-)], I spent a lot of time crouching or on my knees when I was under the aircraft.
At least the F-4 was better than the F-111. If you walked closer than five feet from the F-111, you were going to get dirty from the leaking hydraulic fluid.
to date the worst phantom bite i’ve had is the stab and my nose had a run in and it won, i had to walk around with a lump on the bridge of my nose for awhile. the other are just cuts and bruises
Sounds like phun… heh. Anyway, I’ve heard about mishaps on B-52’s where the engine caught fire and practically weldind the cowlings together, has this ever happened on a -4?
Not to my knowledge. I have seen engine bay doors melted from the heat of a fire. On one RAM assignment, we had to cut the drop out link out because it was fused to the bulkhead. It was in a no stress crib and was in a jig, so it couldn’t be binding. We tried sledge hammers, pry bars, come alongs, and nothing worked. We finally used a metal saw and slowely cut it away. Even after, we couldn’t move the part of the link still attatched to the aircraft. We shipped it back to Hill AFB where they replaced the complete bulkhead, plus repairing the fire damaged areas. Even they couldn’t get the parts of the drop out link out of the bulkhead.