Progress on the F-4 though not as much as I had hoped. After what feels like weeks of prepping the seams, and thinking I had it perfect, I put the primer coat down and found several areas where the seams weren’t perfect after all, and I had some paint splatter issues that will need cleaning up.
On the positive side, looks like I got rid of that nasty spline seam! Just need some panel line repair.
I went back to working on this one over this past weekend. I had picked up a pedestal machine gun mount for the cargo bed last week, and modified the stowage to allow everything to fit. I also painted up the main block of the Value Gear stowage and other stowage in their base colors.
I have also started work on a .30 cal. Browning M1919 from my spares collection for the pedestal mount.
Haven’t sat down at the table for over a month, I’m hoping to have time this afternoon, when I have time I’m not in the mood and when I’m in the mood I don’t have the time, go figure….
After a 6-week layoff due to shoulder surgery, I optimistically went back to the bench today - and discovered that my fingers don’t have quite enough dexterity yet. Tried to make progress on the Model A but didn’t get very far. I think I’m going to put it aside at this point and start a new build (a Heller Mercedes roadster) when I can.
Thanks CB. The netting is green cheesecloth that I found at Lowe’s during Halloween time as a decoration item. It is something like 3 yards of it for a few bucks! I have enough now to last me for any foreseeable projects in my lifetime.
This afternoon I finished up the markings. Most of the kit decals gave me problems so I used a lot of stuff from my spares supply, but even some of those gave me age related issues. I made the bumper codes from my old first line unit, 5th Infantry Division, 10th Infantry Regiment, which fought as part of Patton’s 3rd Army from the Normandy Breakout, across France, into the Bulge, across the Rhine (Patton snuck them across the Rhine ahead of Monty’s big crossing) and finally ending up in Czechoslovakia on VE Day.
Anyways, here is how it looks at this point
I also used some data plate/placard decals from my spares bin on the dash to give some more accurate look there.
Now I can start the final stages of getting this one wrapped up.
Meng’s F-4E/2020 Terminator
This is my 13th 1/48 Phantom, my first Meng F-4.
The F-4E/2020 is a substantially upgraded Phantom designed to be a viable threat into the 212st century. Design and construction is by Israel Aerospace Industries. About 50 updated F-4s were modifies by IAI as “Kurnass 2000” for the Israeli AF. An additional 54 Turkish F-4s were modified some by IAI and some by Turkey’s aerospace industry.
Model-wise the changes are the cockpit which uses “Multi-Function Displays” and revised IPs, additional antennae, additional formation lights and updated external stores.
Meng’s kit is similar to Academy’s F-4. Lobsterback fuselage, separate vertical fin and rudder, separate aft fuselage.
Meng’s improvements include auxiliary air inserts (in lieu of open holes) and air intake ducting similar to Zoukei-Mura’s.
Quinta had not released their cockpit set when I started so I used the kit plastic parts along with the kit decals. The result was unexpectantly good. With liberal application og Micro-set and Micro-sol the decals settled almost perfectly over the molded instrument bezels. After a thin flat clear coat I am pleased with the result.
Another photo shows the completed external stores: an IAI ECM pod wihich is carried on the forward port AIM-9 Well and two Turkish-designed and built “SOM” (Stand Off Missile) carried on the inboard pylons. The white pieces are evergreen 1mm rods I drilled and glued to the SOMs for a more secure attachment to the pylons.
The other photo shows the completed lower fuselage half with nose landing gear well, main landing gear inserts, engine intake ducting, auxiliary air inserts and engine exhaust.
Next up is to attach the lower aft fuselage and mate the top and bottom fuselage halves.
well i screwed up my B29, 1/72 scale bomber. it’s bad, I’m ticked off and in a recovery mood. I’ll make it look nice but all the detail i know is messed up. can’t get the two halves to line up, it’s twisted from the interior pieces not being exactly where they should be. anyway no more bench work today
