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Hasegawa
McDD F-4E
Phantom II – Hellenic Air Force
This
Phantom is the second F-4 model I present on ARC. The first one was a short nose
QF-4N and it was also built from the Hasegawa toolings.
http://www.arcair.com/Gal6/5301-5400/gal5386_QF-4N_Bade/00.shtm
The
F-4 Phantom series is one of the most famous jet fighters series and more than
5000 have been built.
Following
my short nose NAVY Phantom I wanted to build a long nose version, and if
possible one that was still flying at the time of building my model.
I
am fond of the Ghost livery of Greek machines and I have always been attracted
by ultimate versions of fighter aircraft. A modernized Peace Icarus 2000 Phantom
looked like the way to go.
Although
I had shortlisted my project, it was the information I got from two Greek ARCers,
Double Ugly (Nikos) and mmaker (George) that really allowed me to start this
project. The final little things that gave me the final boost were the 2 tiny
intake ECM fairings, of Hasegawa NAVY Phantom origin, that my friend Daniel T.
from Paris offered. Let all three be thanked today.
All
my Phantoms are built from the Hasegawa moulds. They are very sharp and complete
kits. A few comments can be made about the fact that the cockpit would need
detailling and underwing stores are limited to tanks. Still, as far as the
airframe and accuracy are concerned, the Hasegawa F-4s are amongst the best.
Shapes are alright and panel lines are delicate.
Click on
images below to see larger images
Building
starts with the cockpit. New instrument panels are built with a mix of
photo-etched parts and plastic card. New instruments are built to represent the
TV screens that replaced some analog instruments in modernized machines.
Although Hasegawa ejection seats are quite accurate, I elected to replace them
with more detailed resin seats.
Next
stage is common to all my Phantom models. Airbrakes are drilled and their shapes
are cut from the ings, as are ailerons (that is not exactly what these surfaces
are on Phantoms) and auxiliary air intakes. These surfaces are open or deflected
on a Phantom at rest. Airbrakes are rebuilt from photo-etched parts as found in
the Eduard sets. Auxiliary doors are rebuilt from plastic card while a careful
cut can save you the flaps.
Fuselage
is built enclosing cockpit. I don’t quite follow Hasegawa instructions here. I
prefer building half fuselages, mating right nose/right front fuselage/right
rear fuselage to build half fright fuselage. I believe this ensure better seams.
I then do the same with left parts. When both half fuselages are adjusted, I
enclose cockpit sub-assembly and cement parts together. I find adjustments are
easier that way.
Wings
are added at this stage.
That
is when I start working on sub-assemblies. Landing gears are detailed with
stretched sprue and thin metal wire. Most parts are painted white with a dark
brown wash. Oleos are painted silver.
Model
engine exhausts are traded for Aires resin exhaust. They are more detailed and
add to realism. Painting is a mix of dark grey, metallic shades and black.
I
do not like my models with heavy underwing loads. This Phantom shall be built
with underwing tanks. Wing tanks are painted differently, as sometimes was the
case on Greek machines, probably due to their various origins and camouflage.
Fuselage tank is the later F-15 type.
Back
on main airframe : start to prepare my model for painting! All adjustments are
refined. Filling, sanding and polishing are done to prepare model. Antennas and
fairings are added. Doors and pylons will be left aside for separate painting.
I
never use pre-shading on my models and all weathering is done after the original
camo scheme is applied.
I
used Icarus decal sheet on this project. Documentation calls for FS 35237, 36307
and 36251 as being camouflage colours, nose cone being FS36320. Most paints were
Gunze acrylics with Tamiya acrylics in a few instances.
*
FS35237 : available in the Gunze range (H337). I lightened a bit with some drops
of H307 (FS36320) for the main camo. I darkened on a few spots using Tamiya
XF-18 (medium blue)
*
FS36251 : not available but reasonably close to cockpit grey FS36231 (H317) -
added some drops of white to lighten a bit
*
FS36307 : not available but I used light gull grey FS36440 (H325) which looked
OK in 1/72nd scale due to scale effect. It might need a drop of a darker grey in
bigger scales like FS36231 - H317. Also, my weathering used a very light
spraying of a back wash mist, and played it role in darkening and merging camo
colours..
*
FS36320 : I actually used FS36375 (H308) due to scale effect.
These
are for main base colours. These colours were altered in spots with drops of
blue, white or grey I then start to work on panels, altering basic colours
either darkening or lightening them with approaching colours. (example adding FS
36320 in FS35237 or WW2 Intermediate blue in FS3537). Panels are painted,
starting to give model a patchwork effect.
Touch
ups are added along some panel lines, generally using an approachnig but
different grey (generally a lighter grey). Airbrush is tuned to paint thin lines
This
is achieved slowly, avoiding any symmetrical effects.
Decaling
is started along the way, when main camouflage is painted but before all
weathering is done, sometimes blending some decals with a very thinned spray of
main camo paint.
Panel
lines are then enhanced with very thinned sepia, black or dark grey oil based
paint as my base camo is Gunze aqueous paint. This means I can wipe out excess
paint from my panel lines with no risk for my main paint as thinners are not
compatible..
Mechanic
stains (shoe soles, hands..), oil, grime, soot, are mimicked by a very thinned
black paint spray : I would rather call this mix coloured thinner than thinned
paint. Airbrush is set to minimum width spray (1 to 1.5 mm ie 0.05 or 0.1 in –
as narrow as I can). I spray areas were crews walk : upper air intakes, main
fuselage, upper wings (avoid spoilers, flaps and slats). Also areas under
cockpit around hand grips or footsteps.. Then I touch up again with small light
grey dots over the dark stain effect : the clean over dirt, dirt over clean
cycle.
Model
is then sprayed with a very thin uneven layer of matt varnish.
A
few details are added as gear doors, airbrakes, antennas, external lights,
pylons and stores to complete this project.
I
am adding a few newer photographs of the QF-4N at the end of this gallery.
Eric BADE
Click on
images below to see larger images
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