F-4J Phantom II VF-154 off the USS Ranger -1/32nd scale - by Egilman

[Canute]

Yep, quite the jet. You notice the only way to make the smoke disappear was to select afterburner/reheat.

[mtaylor]

As kid, I remember very well the sonic booms over head.  We lived just south of Wright Pat AFB, in Dayton.   Part of the good about living there was in the 50's a lot of aircraft were being flown in for the museum.  They also had a lot of aircraft coming and going that were being tested.  The other part was the fighter squadron (long since gone) that seemed to everything as a group including loud flyovers while breaking the sound barrier.  

[Javlin]

Nice looking Crate EG who's the kit from?

[lmagna]

On 8/7/2021 at 2:00 PM, mtaylor said:

As kid, I remember very well the sonic booms over head.

I always thought it was unfair when they outlawed sonic booms in the US. Every time we heard one when I was a kid we would stop what we were doing and look for the aircraft! We thought it was cool and didn't bother us at all!

[CDW]

Just now, lmagna said:

I always thought it was unfair when they outlawed sonic booms in the US. Every time we heard one when I was a kid we would stop what we were doing and look for the aircraft! We thought it was cool and didn't bother us at all!

I don't know where you grew up, but nobody told the pilots flying to Avon Park bombing range in Florida about that law. I heard sonic booms all the time in the 60's. 

[CDW]

Great build of the Phantom, EG! Love it!

 

F-4's flew out of MacDill AFB here in my hometown and I always got a kick seeing them flying formation overhead.

[Egilman]

On 9/3/2021 at 1:19 PM, Javlin said:

Nice looking Crate EG who's the kit from?

Thanks Brother...

 

The real story....

 

I don't know the manufacturer, there was no box.... I got the model years ago, it was given to me in a bag, all the parts were off the sprue's... No instructions, decals, or any info at all... The friend who gave it to me didn't remember where he got it from and was going to toss it... Told me I could have it if I thought it would be useful..... Always up for parts.... {chuckle} I had to research the parts to determine which model aircraft it was, no mold marks or anything identifying on the parts (that's why no build log) that went on for weeks, I finally determined it was a navy bird, an early "J" model.... I inventoried what parts I had and found I had a complete aircraft sans weapons.... So I looked for loadouts and found that although the F-4j could carry many, many different weapons and equipment, Sparrow's, Sidewinders and a centerline droptank was it's basic loadout in the interceptor role... So I went thru the stash looking for the weapons and tank.... The Sparrows came from a Revell F-4E and the Sidewinders from my old Hasegawa F-104C.... Had to modify the tank cause the one I had was too short, came from an A-4.... The scheme came off another model, not something in decals, (none available I liked) so I stole images off the net of a particularly nice airplane... What caught my eye was the USS Ranger CVA-61..... My real estate broker when I was back selling real estate was a gentleman named Dick Gunderson, He was an ex Skywarrior pilot, and former Commander in the Navy... His last posting was as CAG for the Ranger Airgroup during the early deployment to Vietnam.... So I figured I would do it as a CAG aircraft off the Ranger.... Dick never flew an F-4, and I didn't have an A3D to build, (not available in 1/32 scale) But I didn't think he would mind.... (he's been gone for almost 30 years) No decals available for the period that I could find, and F-4's off the Ranger in that period weren't easy pics to find, (I couldn't come up with a complete scheme for any aircraft)

 

So I searched other models to see what was available that had already been done.... Got the images from that and went to work..... I had sufficient decals in the stash to make up the markings, (just don't get too close to the stenciling, some of it is not too exact) and the paint scheme is a fairly easy one... The weathering is a simple dusting overspray technique, using shades that are slightly off from the main coloring to highlight the panels and joints....

 

The whole assembly/painting/decaling/finishing took about a week....

 

Gotta keep my hand in putting glue/paint to plastic and time/life didn't allow for all that goes into a detailed build log....

 

I'm glad you all liked it.... I really wasn't trying to make a showstopper....

Edited September 16, 2021 by Egilman

[popeye the sailor]

sometimes low expectations produces the best looking models  

[Egilman]

1 hour ago, popeye the sailor said:

sometimes low expectations produces the best looking models  

That's an absolute truism in this business..... You know where you start, but never know where your going to come out or the results.....

 

Thanks brother.... This one was pleasant....

Edited September 6, 2021 by Egilman

[popeye the sailor]

....as I've always said....."there's a masterpiece in the box somewhere......rest assured I'll find it!"   

[Landlubber Mike]

Wow, how did I miss this one??  What a fantastic build, amazing work!  Mucho respect!  Looking forward to your forthcoming builds!

[Egilman]

Thanks Mike, seems like when I'm not really trying everyone thinks it's the bees knees....

 

It's much appreciated my friend....

[CDW]

It's been a long, long time since anyone came out with a new tool 1:32 Phantom. I was just thinking about how long the 1:32 Tamiya F-4's have been around. 

[Egilman]

Tamiya's first 1/32nd F-4 was in '95.... Academy just released a new tooling one this year.....

 

It's definitely not a Japanese or Italian product, it felt American in it's assembly... It was like assembling the Revell F-4E without the chin gun..... Wait a sec.... 

 

Yep it's a Revell, 1972 new release, F-4J Phantom Kit H-188.... I'll be damned, That's why the '74 F-4E's sparrows fit so well...  They are the same kit.... {chuckle} Strange thing is, back then Revell always molded copyrite info inside one of the fuselage halves, I specifically looked for such and it wasn't there...... Someone must have cleaned it off when they took all the parts off the sprues cause it just wasn't there....

 

Well, now we know.... I built the F-4E way back in the early '80's that's probably why it felt so familiar and went together so easy, I had already built one before... In fact the lack of a chin gun is how I decided it was a "J" model....

 

My rookie model childhood is coming back to haunt me.....

Edited September 16, 2021 by Egilman

[Landlubber Mike]

I believe Zoukei Mura is coming out with a series of F-4s, if they haven't already.

 

*EDIT*  ZM recently released the F-4 in 1/48, not 1/32.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Landlubber Mike

[CDW]

Just now, Landlubber Mike said:

I believe Zoukei Mura is coming out with a series of F-4s, if they haven't already.

I know about the 1:48 Phantoms, but have not heard about 1:32

[Canute]

Nose of an E model and J model are light years different.  The J is closer to a D model, without the "protrusion" under the nose. That was a never installed IRSTS and ECM antennae. The E model is 6 feet longer, due to the Gatling gun installation. My buddy Mike spent a lot of time on alert at Eglin AFB, wiring up the hydraulics and whatnot in the wheel wells while we sat Air Defense Alert on the Gulf Coast, protecting Alabama and the Florida panhandle from whoever intruded our airspace. 😁

[Old Collingwood]

Anyone seen this  - 

 

OC.

 

https://www.sbmpics.com/sbmimages6/F-4Announcement.mov

[CDW]

Just now, Old Collingwood said:

Anyone seen this  - 

 

OC.

 

https://www.sbmpics.com/sbmimages6/F-4Announcement.mov

Who is that from? Looks interesting for sure.

[Old Collingwood]

33 minutes ago, CDW said:

Who is that from? Looks interesting for sure.

I did a Google search mate  put in  "F4 Phantom 11  new models"    and a site popped up  with that link.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Just now, Old Collingwood said:

I did a Google search mate  put in  "F4 Phantom 11  new models"    and a site popped up  with that link.

 

OC.

There is nothing to indicate who it's from except a logo that's unknown to me. Just CAD drawings, an idea. Not even a prototype yet.

[Old Collingwood]

23 minutes ago, CDW said:

There is nothing to indicate who it's from except a logo that's unknown to me. Just CAD drawings, an idea. Not even a prototype yet.

Here is the other link  that  gives  the other link  (if you get me)    its a forum  by the look of it  talking about  them  - I agree  its not  very clear yet  who the kit maker is  etc.

 

OC.

 

https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/90466-new-132-f-4-phantom-family-coming-in-2022/

Edited September 16, 2021 by Old Collingwood

[Canute]

Well nuts. I need a C,D,E, slat E, RF-4C (flew them all). I wonder if they'll do aftermarket  LORAN D (towel rack on the spine) or NWDS LORAN E mods? So many mods. I'd need a squadron's worth of E models to do all the variations. If I can have one, I choose the slat E. Smokeless engines, 7 Mikes and 9 L/M for air to air. Anything else is rubbish

[CDW]

Just now, Old Collingwood said:

Here is the other link  that  gives  the other link  (if you get me)    its a forum  by the look of it  talking about  them  - I agree  its not  very clear yet  who the kit maker is  etc.

 

OC.

 

https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/90466-new-132-f-4-phantom-family-coming-in-2022/

Okay, that's better...Spruebrothers are a very good USA online hobby seller. Phantom Phreaks are a company who manufacture decals, particularly F-4 Phantom decals. It seems that they are taking on a joint venture to produce a new line of 1:32 F-4 Phantoms. Awesome! That's going to be a very costly undertaking on their part. Hope it pays off well for them.

[Old Collingwood]

40 minutes ago, CDW said:

Okay, that's better...Spruebrothers are a very good USA online hobby seller. Phantom Phreaks are a company who manufacture decals, particularly F-4 Phantom decals. It seems that they are taking on a joint venture to produce a new line of 1:32 F-4 Phantoms. Awesome! That's going to be a very costly undertaking on their part. Hope it pays off well for them.

Thank you for sorting that out Craig, I didn't get as far as to fully understand what it was all about.

 

OC.

[Egilman]

10 hours ago, Canute said:

Nose of an E model and J model are light years different.  The J is closer to a D model, without the "protrusion" under the nose. That was a never installed IRSTS and ECM antennae. The E model is 6 feet longer, due to the Gatling gun installation. My buddy Mike spent a lot of time on alert at Eglin AFB, wiring up the hydraulics and whatnot in the wheel wells while we sat Air Defense Alert on the Gulf Coast, protecting Alabama and the Florida panhandle from whoever intruded our airspace. 😁

I know it is, You know it is, Everyone who is familiar with the various F-4 variations know it is brother... You also mentioned it earlier in the thread....

What I was referring to is the Revell F-4E is derived off their earlier F-4J molds.... So the Sparrows are the same molding my friend... That is why they fit like a glove....

 

 

I sure wasn't alluding that you didn't know what your talking about... 

 

I sincerely apologize if it felt that way....

Edited September 16, 2021 by Egilman

[Egilman]

6 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

Thank you for sorting that out Craig, I didn't get as far as to fully understand what it was all about.

Truth of the matter is, these kind of announcements are made from time to time, and never come to fruition.....

But I will keep my eye out... every one knows the deficiencies of the Phantom II Models currently out there now, even the vaunted Tamiya Phantom has it's own accuracy issues... (there are a lot of rivet counters out there still)

 

I think you would need 18 or so individual kits to represent the entire design chain... When has that ever happened to any subject? It's what keeps the aftermarket business busy...

 

Most of the time we are lucky to get one or two variations on a subject and are left to our own devices to make them accurate to what we want to put on our shelf...

 

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Egilman

[Egilman]

1 hour ago, Egilman said:

I know it is, You know it is, Everyone who is familiar with the various F-4 variations know it is brother

Just to make sure.... Here is a comparison of the F-4E profile with the FG.1 profile .. (FG.1 is the Royal Navy's F-4C/J) 

 

 

 

Clearly the nose is 6 feet longer..... (the most noticeable variation, there are others though on close examination....

 

Probably the best site for detailed scale info on the F-4's various profiles is this....

 

Wings of Pegasus.... Great site for modeling various aircraft....

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Egilman

[Egilman]

2 hours ago, Egilman said:

What I was referring to is the Revell F-4E is derived off their earlier F-4J molds

Here are the two instructions, it is plain that they obtained the F-4E by adding new parts for the nose, an extension for the gun section, a new radar fairing and nose tube....

 

F-4J (pdf)

 

F-4E (pdf)

 

Essentially the same model assembled in the same way with extra parts for the E version....

Edited September 16, 2021 by Egilman

[Canute]

Egilman, no I was just gobsmacked by the scope of these releases. When they show up, I'll get a slatted E. Most of my 4K hours was in various E models. My buddy Mike and I had  questions about the Revell E, but he liked the larger size. I had a Tamiya in 1:48, but it was the first configuration of the cannon, so I needed to build up the shield. And the assorted doors were molded  in. I like the Hasegawa E a lot more. But, there can be aftermarket for a lot of add-ons. How about ALE-40 chaff and flare dispensers at the rear of the inboard pylons? It's just my wish list. We have it better in 1:48 for ordnance, like different bombs, CBUs and missiles.

 

And the 7M Sparrow? I did the ops test at Tyndall during Desert Shield. It fit but there were other issues the engineers worked out to allow our APQ 120 radar to speak with the Sparrow. Fun times for Weapons Officers.  😁