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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

Zoukei-Mura F-4E Late


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Dave,

Super job and I'm glad you went with the kit intakes - I have a ZM 1/48 F-4C kit so was interested to see how they worked and looked.  Great on your build BTW.  Your cockpit looks terrific - nice detail with the RF/ZM IP set.  And you really don't miss the seatbelts since you are using the pilots.  Easy enough to fashion belts for them.

You are making me want to break out my ZM kit!!

:popcorn:

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  • 2 weeks later...

More steps. I've decided to not use the ResKit exhausts because of the pieces that duplicate the engine pieces in the Z-M kit that I've already installed. I'll save them for another F-4E build. Each intake is 5 pieces and everything fits very well.

3gBDMu.jpg

The piece in the yellow circle should be installed later. It protrudes and I've almost wacked it entirely off once. The area in the red circle, make sure there isn't a step when you install the upper fuselage to the lower fuselage/wings piece.

9quzuq.jpg

The engine exhausts are assembled. I must decide whether I want them closed or open. But I've got time, they need to be painted first and I'm looking at waiting 'til the end to install them.

 

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Another step. I've looked through the instructions and decided that I would use the kit wing pylons and see how they look. There are a number of pieces to them. And I think the same for the landing gear too. I have several more 1/48 Phantoms, so all those parts will be usable.

It's starting to look like a Phantom. If you're wondering why the last few photos have the nose hanging over the edge of the desk, it's because of the piece of the nose gear, I'm trying not to break it. I need to have a look at all the seams and then I'll start masking and painting.

QwcIqJ.jpg

And, btw, I've used a little bit of the AK RC918, FS36270 Medium Gray paint. I've mixed it about 1/3 paint and 2/3 thinner. It seems to spray and cover well. It's a little hard to be sure that It's mixed well in the bottle, compared to the MRP paint. And I feel like I get some separation of the thinner/paint in the airbrush cup. That may be because of the very small quantities that I've mixed so far. 10 drops paint, 20 drops thinner. I've been using the AK High Compatibility Thinner. I mix it in a small disposable cup and pour it into the airbrush cup.

 

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Great work on the F-4. I built the Kai version some years ago and was absolutely overwhelmed by the quality of the kit. I would build more ZM F-4´s, if there weren´t the zillions of stencils.
The AK Real Colors I used, sprayed generally very well, with a even and fine finish. I had no issues mixing them in a jar with Mr. Leveling Thinner at about the same ratio you mentioned.

Cheers Rob

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Sooooo, I decided to mix up the AK paint with thinner in a 2 oz bottle. That way I could use it like I use the MRP. Pour some into the airbrush and when I'm done, pour it back in the bottle. It's thinned with AK High Compatibility Thinner. 2 Parts thinner to 1 part paint.

eiEtmP.jpg

The pigment seems to drop out of suspension pretty quickly. If you look in the background of this photo, I haven't painted all of the underside of the aircraft yet.

kYuLe0.jpg

So, Light Ghost Gray on the underside of the Phantom.

mgMXbw.jpg

I should have left the stabilators off for painting.

 

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Dave

Awesome progress on your Toom ... looking mighty good for sure.

Seems most the of Manufacturers chose to have the nose gear retraction link added in the early stages of the build and it's just way too easy to break it off . of course, I've done that more then a few times. I now tape a small cap over the part and so far, it has worked out pretty well. Just seems to me to be a poorly designed part that everyone has copied for whatever the reason. 

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1 hour ago, Peterpools said:

Dave

Awesome progress on your Toom ... looking mighty good for sure.

Seems most the of Manufacturers chose to have the nose gear retraction link added in the early stages of the build and it's just way too easy to break it off . of course, I've done that more then a few times. I now tape a small cap over the part and so far, it has worked out pretty well. Just seems to me to be a poorly designed part that everyone has copied for whatever the reason. 

Ditto, same with tail wheels.  I fold a small piece of thick paper around it to give it more support.

Paint looks terrific!  I've found on the really large painting jobs that I'm now in the habit of using the larger cup (esp on my Grex) and doing a LOT of swirling as I paint to keep everything mixed on the metallic paints.  Model Master Metalizer is terrible for separating quickly.  Great for small jobs, not so much for larger areas.  Not intuitively going with the larger cup, I know.  However, much harder to swirl paint in the smaller cups.  Or I use whatever cup and just paint small areas at a time.

Just asking, did you paint behind the intake splitters before you attached them?  Or how are you painting those areas?

You have me wanting to start on my ZM 1/48 F-4C....

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Great build so far - good to see you haven't had issues with the spine of the aircraft. Some builders of the ZM Phantoms have made note of the spine insert being rather ill-fitting. Looking forward to more!

 

John

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Dave

Paint work is looking might good, smooth and even.

I've been following your build very closely as I have a few ZM Phantoms in the stash and another due hopefully to arrive. Just got to love those F4's

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