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RF-4C - 7th July. Undersides done !!

ij001

Well-known member
Many years ago, I saw a Koku-fan photo feature on the 1981 'Photo Finish' competition, which featured some very colourful RF-4C's just after they were painted in the wraparound SEA camo scheme. At the beginning of last year I was lucky enough to win a copy of that magazine (March 1982) and a Hasegawa RF-4B, which has all the parts you need to make an RF-4C except the stabilizers which I had anyway... and before anybody says I was lucky... I wasn't, I've been planning this for years !!

With the kit safely stowed, I bit-the-bullet and ordered:

Aires replacement jet exhausts.
Eduard etch 'Zoom' set.
Eduard masks.
True Details resin seats.
Quickboost intake covers.
Detail & Scale RF-4 special (cheap from Amazon).


Everything in place, all I had to do was decide which machine from one of the three Microscale sheets with a total of seven aircraft I was going to build !! – I still haven’t made-up my mind.

So without anymore words here’s some pics:

RF41a.jpg


RF41b.jpg


Some 'old school' plastic card boxes and bits to each cockpit side.




RF41c.jpg


RF41d.jpg


IP details sanded off, ready for the Eduard etch set. Also added the wiring from the rear of the back-seaters IP. Nothing smart here, just 5amp fuse wire and florists wire, some CA glue, a watch-makers drill and a little of patience. All done in one 90min session.

RF41e.jpg


Same for the cockpit 'bath'.




RF41g.jpg


No I didn't have a nose-bleed, just sprayed the inside of the auxiliary doors a dull red. Same as the photo-flash bays and inside of the speed brakes.



RF41f.jpg


Didn't intend this at the outset, but I found myself hacking through the wings to separate the flaps. Adds a little more interest to the completed model later.

So to sum-up. This will be a long-term project, will probably take a year off-and-on, and my first Phantom build in over 15 years. Strangely, as this is written, I'm also building my (rare ?) original issue Fujimi F-4B/N alongside this project for no other reason than I really fancied a quick 'holiday build' just for the h*ll of it !! - you'll see this one only when it's finished.

As ever thanks for taking the time to look and/or comment.

More soon. HNY.

Ian
 
Re: RF-4C (long-term project)

I'll keep both eyes on this one :coolio

Keep it coming :popcorn

Cheers, Christian B)
 
Re: RF-4C (long-term project)

Just a quick (non) update - I've sprayed the basic cockpit grey tone and left it all to one side (I really want to get this 'right' so am taking my time with every step). Just at the moment I'm wrestling a couple of 1:48 'What If' builds into submission, you'll see these here in due course.

More RF-4 in a couple of weeks, stay tuned ;)

Ian
 
Re: RF-4C - 22 Feb, progress pics.


Mentioned before I am currently building two 1:48 'What If' projects, but as this is written they're both at a 'natural break', so this afternoon, I dragged-out my RF-4.

Did some seat work ! - Basic black, sprayed a couple of weeks ago:

RF42a_zps7c2491ca.jpg




Little dry-brushing to pop-out the details, to help me see/paint them;

RF42b_zps4e5096e8.jpg





And basic colours on:

RF42c_zps7bf716fd.jpg





More soon.

Ian
 
Re: RF-4C - 22 Feb, progress pics.

Got all of the cockpit done:

RF43a_zps74435b72.jpg




RF43b_zps6e83efa0.jpg




RF43c_zps2c6049e7.jpg




G*d bless Eduard Zoom sets !!

Ian
 
Re: RF-4C - 22 Feb, progress pics.

The scratch building seems to have come-out quite well too. Really like the the rear of the back-seaters panel has 'come alive'. Should look even better with some very gentle washing and dry-brushing.

RF43d_zps949af2cd.jpg




RF43e_zps4747cfb8.jpg




RF43f_zps34d1fff0.jpg




As mentioned at the start of this project, this is very long-term, but hopefully, once the cockpit and all the other 'insidey bits' are in and the fuselage halves joined, the rest of the build will pick-up some speed.

Thanks for taking the time to look and/or comment.

AFN

Ian
 
Re: RF-4C - 29 March, progress pics.

Managed to get quite a bit done since the last update five weeks ago.

As you can see, the fuselage halves are together. The cockpit looks very sharp and there were no gaps nor 'fit issues' as a result of the extra detail work that had been done. All the time I was doing that work I could hear my late Dads' mantra in my head "Measure twice, cut once" - not exactly appropriate but you get the idea !!

RF45d_zps0b6e0dfc.jpg




RF45c_zps49e70f7b.jpg




RF45b_zps6903dc99.jpg




RF45a_zps0df7f660.jpg




More in a minute.

Ian
 
Re: RF-4C - 29 March, progress pics.

With the fuselage together, I set-about the exposed metal area around the empenage. After a couple of quick passes with the sanding-sticks I masked off the fin and rear fuselage, then sprayed the exposed bits with Tamiya acrylic glossy black straight from the rattle-can. Left it for a few days to harden then broke-out the Alclad:

RF44a_zpsc97b86ea.jpg




RF44b_zps1c90eea7.jpg




RF47f_zpsb7aa7128.jpg




Looks tatty here, but like my kids and their colouring books, I deliberately went outside the lines because I knew it would all be rectified when I mask it up ready for the camouflage coats, as evidenced in the last pic of the (now) masked stabilisers.

(even) more in (another) minute.

Ian
 
Re: RF-4C - 29 March, progress pics.

So about ten days ago this is where it stood. Fuselage together, metal-work done, all it needs is to bring the wings and the fuselage together....

RF46a_zpsa441f830.jpg




RF46b_zps4536e2c4.jpg




And that's when the 'fun' began !! :vmad

Stay tuned.

Ian



 
Re: RF-4C - 29 March, progress pics.

If anyone here has built any of the 1:48 Hasegawa RF-4's can they please tell me what I did wrong, because I'm d*mn*d if I can see it !! - here's a couple of pics of the forward fuselage joints AFTER an extended interlude with the putty and several grades of wet'n dry.

RF47d_zpsb6a61be9.jpg




RF47e_zpscde9846e.jpg




Not pretty is it :angry: - well at least now it's done, but it took several sittings and a whole new vocabluary of expletives to get it to this point. I'll finish with a couple of general shots which show where I am as this is written.

RF47a_zps3a081d10.jpg




RF47b_zpsaa9acc50.jpg




RF47c_zpsa3db0161.jpg




As ever, thanks for taking the time to look, more next week.... Next.... Paint !!

Ian
 
Re: RF-4C - 29 March, progress pics.

Coming along nicely Ian!

If I ever decide to get another jet kit, its going to be a phantom!
 
RF-4C - 29 - Frustration

Been far too cold to work in the garage around here for the last week or so, today though the sun is out and it's warmed-up a little and I'm ready to start work again on this wee beastie. But today, Caroline is working late and I'm on kiddie duties.... One day, I'll get back to it.... one day :bang head:

Ian
 
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