Itchn' for Scratch IV: Phantom F-4G - for Berny

Modeling Subjects Scratchbuilding
1

Hey Geasel fans,

I started this build a while back in the The Official F-4 Phantom II Group Build 2011:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/29/t/134344.aspx

Many thanks to Mike, Thunderbolt379, for his consideration to dedicate his thread to Berny:

I also need to acknowledge Sparrowhyperion, AKA Rich, for his contributions.

I bought this kit about a decade ago, Revell-Ceji F-4F 1:32 (circa 1985);

it was severely warped, and had shrunk in the forward fuselagevareas:

Because of the issues, I decided to build it as an F-4G rather than the RF-4E as displayed on the box.

She ain’t that pretty right now:

I’ll update the components as I go;

I’ve posted progress on the scratch-built engines;

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/44/t/144655.aspx?sort=ASC&pi240=1

and updated turkey feathers:

See Itchn’ for Scratch II: F-4 J-79 1/32 Flame Holders:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/44/t/144655.aspx

improved radome:

wings:

and scratch intakes, paper pattern:

and right now I’m working on those intake ducts, scratched out of vac styrene and many scratch adjustments made to help them fit inside the fuselage intakes:

So I will continue to update the sub assemblies as I go. The intakes were the most technical revamp I’ve ever experienced: the vac styrene ducts, the fuselage intake and splitters, the ‘floor’, the inside fuselage bulkheads, the engine intakes, and no clear way to proceed with all of the parts.

Any how, i got the spacers put on the engine ducts tonight to separate them from the fuselage intakes:

More very soon.

Dom

2

This weekend managed to sort out a few more challenges with the intakes,

I built up the floor of the fuselage:

Added those pads to allow the intake duct floor a solid foundation.

Finally, I had to deal with this gap, nasty, but i found a piece of plastic to fit…lol:

Well that’s all for now, the F-4P, P for Putty, is going to be finished.

dom

3

Phrankenstein! I was looking at the kit pieces for the intake, and noticed the mounting tab in the center. Did Revell include that air flow sensor?

Glenn

4

Yes Glenn;

They included the pitot’s for that, mind you, those locater craters are bigger than the pitots…

PhPhPhrankenstein Phor sure…lol

Dom

5

Here is a long time-coming update.

I managed to put together a plan for the intakes, and they would incorporate the outside fuselage intakes,

and then, just like an aftermarket kit, I could snap them in just like the original manufacturer’s blue-print.

I know some of those look smudgey, because of glue, and finger prints, but those will be gone, once i put in the filler styrene and putty.

Yeah, it’s been a long road…

Next step is to fill, as i mentioned with styrene and putty to make the intakes smooth, like the originals…I will post a few more, they are complex to the eye.

Intakes assembled:

The intake fuselage ‘floors’:

The intake assemblies, with the re-inforced ducts, nice ejector pin marks:

Same thing, different lighting, a lot more styrene than anticipated:

looks like a Bowie knife:

That is the engine intake end, surprised they came out so close in size:

That’s the intake end, the ‘ramp’ up to glory…lol

just turn your screen upside down,lol

So that is the basic intake duct, pre styrene filler and putty:

And again, that is what the engine intake sees,perfection…lol,in my dreams…

Another J-79 intake view:

That’ll look nice all smoothed out…

Shhiiisssh…even smoother than Revell made it…lol

More Putty to come. I have tried more dry fits than all of the kits on earth, those intakes had 5 moving parts to dry fit. With a bit of luck, and a bit of glue, the dang things will be done.

Thanks for looking,

Dom

6

Got some more done on the underside of the wings, they were pretty warped,

and they won’t be blue-print quality, but the putty is filling them in pretty good.

I repaired cracks in the rear fuselage around the exhaust. I cannot believe how thinly

Revel cast these parts, I am talking paper thin crispy styrene. Even hinting at glue wants to melt

what little thin wall exists…shiiishhh…

Also got some more work on the intakes done, if everything goes okay I hope to

sew those puppies up before the fall…lol…

I still can’t find my resin intakes, so I will have to fake the turbine posts,

I’m just going to round out the ends a bit, Revell had them looking like

missile nose cones. They’re just shafts with the ends in half round points.

I am putting in new engine bulk-head ‘spars,’ to stiffen up the intake

plate bulkhead.

Grinding forward…

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Got the Engine intake bulkheads re-inforced and glued in, as well as rounding off the original

turbine posts. I was going to put in the pattern for the real posts, but that would be too far from the

over-all inaccuracy of the kit, that is to say, the Revell kit is so far from the blue-print, there’s no

point throwing in a blue-print part.

Dom

8

Today I got the landing gear covers re-attached to the underside of the port wing,

and sanded the airfoil back onto the wings.

I’ll take pictures, but the ‘never-ending-story’ is moving ahead.

Dom

9

Howdy Dom!

Now ain’t this a titanic effort what you’re doing with this one? I’m impressed. It also shows how bad a Revell kit can be, doesn’t it? I wish you good luck with this one, thanks for sharing and have a nice day

Paweł

10

Thanks for the compliment Pawel!

I have some good ones too…

This one must have been left in a car in Texas, warped

and bad shrinkage issues.

Would never re-do it again now,

but I am going to finish this one for sure!

Tx

Dom

11

Bulkhead reinforcements in place:

See how thin that Revell bulkhead is, what, 10 thou? Like thick paper.

I reinstalled the wheel covers/panels on the port wing underside:

Putty don’t scare a guy like me…lol:

Shiiiish…the shape is almost back to original…:

I rounded off those turbine shaft heads, more to do on those:

A little more work here, but I am not going beyond Revell original specs, no point in that, pardon the pun…

Resurfaced the upper starboard wing:

looking good…

So the belly is finally looking symmetrical,I can’t complain…

and more shavings from tool sharpening:

Thanks for looking guys!!![:)]

-Dom

12

This Memorial Day weekend I got the wings final filled with putty and sanded.

Almost ready for a coat of Mr. Surfacer and the re-scribe.

I had originally intended to re-scribe per Tamiya panel lines, but once again,

I realized the over-all tolerances are such that it makes no sense to try

and detail this beyond the original Revell offering.

I’m going to reproduce

the Revell panel lines, but maybe engraved rather than raised.

Fixing the shrunken forward wing-fuselage area is turning out to be a

Catch-22, I can’t fix it with the splitters installed, but I have to

glue the entire fuselage and wing section in place first, and that includes

the splitters…ho hum…

Just glad I’ve got this far, actually thinking about paint…

-Dom

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Hello Dom!

You’re putting a lot of hard work in this one - so if you are going to rescribe it, why not do it right? Don’t go Tamiya nor Revell, make it an F-4G! Just my opinion, keep up your excellent work and good luck with this one

Paweł

14

Many thanks for the compliment Pawel;

Yes it has been a lot of work, but I’m not too sure it will end up looking any better than

if I built the same kit factory fresh OOTB without all the warping.

I’ll get the Mr. Surfacer on her in a month or so, sand and smooth, and see

if she’s pretty enough to buy her a new dress…

Thanks for your suggestion about the F-4G panel lines, I have the Monogram tooled

Revell F-4G, 1/32, and she’s a beautiful kit wit lots of panel detail. I can check the

accuracy against F-4G pictures and decide.

I can easily make a stencil from her.

Dom

15

Pawel:

Great site man, still exploring all your work.

Do you have any interest in building a B-52 BUFF?

Dom

16

Tonight I applied a thin coat of putty to pull the wheel covers about 50 thou out to match the

underside wing surface, otherwise the covers would have been in a slight depression or dip.

Again, that’s the original Revell tolerances combined with the warped plastic.

I’ll post more pictures on the weekend. Just happy I am moving forward again.

dom