Wingco57 Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Hi all. I have always admired the RAF Phantoms in dark green/ocean grey camouflage since I was a boy. They looked powerful and brutish not to mention much more different from the other Phantom oprators. In I /32 scale there are a few options. Wait for the upcoming HK Models kit, get a second mortgage to buy the Wild Hare conversion or....make your own conversion. I do not want to wait that long, a second mortgage is out of the question so option three would be it. Luckily I am not the only one with this desire. Master modeller Frank Mitchell did just that and with his articles on LSP for reference it was time to wield my trusty saw. Based on Tamiya's F-4J kit the differences are mostly in the intakes and rear fuselage/exhausts as te Spey was larger than the standard engines. The intakes need to be widened and the exhaust cans have a larger diameter and are shorter. With the articles to hand work began on the intakes. I let the pics do the talking. Cees 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harv Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 .....harv 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Ivanovich Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 I'm all ears...eyes. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HubertB Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Cool project. Even cooler if you'd choose to do it in the famous Alcock and Brown scheme ... Hubert 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave J Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Interesting your tackling this with the HK Models kit announced... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Ivanovich Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 HK announced an FG.1/FGR.2, but save for those "initiated", no one else really knows the actual status of the project. Simmering on the back burner, shelved for the time being or maybe even axed?) Given the (potential) complexity of his project, all I can do is to raise my hat to Cees in awe. Cool project, anyway. Purely motivational: 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GusMac Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 I'm desparate for a Spey engined bird but not enough to try and do this to an expensive kit! I grew up just across the river from Leuchars, so saw the 111 and 43 squadron machines doing 'circuits and bumps' all the time. Come on HKM tell us the status! Hats off Cees, that's a great start and I'm sure this will be easyish compared to the Manchester. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Great project Cees! Will be fun to follow along. If you need any spare intake trunking, I may have some around leftover from my several F-4 builds. I may even have a spare Jfuselage somewhere. Carl 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 Thanks Carl. I may keep that in mind. This wil be a carbon copy of Frank's conversion. The intakes get some preliminary clean up. The edges look good. To keep the wing joint usable a cross brace is fitted. Next installmen will see some heavy cutting. Cheers Cees 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators JeroenPeters Posted January 28, 2019 Administrators Share Posted January 28, 2019 Coolest Pahntom in my book! Go for it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Mr Wingco57, Have tread down this road myself an accurate renderings is a big, big undertaking. I have a large quantity of data as was among those asked to "share" with HKM and that lead to the stalling out my project. I do not want to high jack your thread but wanted to share some pics of my efforts. First top pic is an OOB Tamiya, lower is the highly modified intake/exhaust. Barry 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Ivanovich Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Seems like you were using the MacAir fuselage loft sheets. Stunning result, Barry. Looks spot-on. Purely motivational (again): 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 You guys are nuts and I like it ! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 well known article here 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 Hi Barry, Wow what a nice piece of craftsmanship. Can you elaborate how you modified the rear fuselage? It looks well and truly cut up (makes me look like an amateur in comparison). I read that due to the larger engines the area rule (coke bottle shape) was lost. Cees 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 Well...as promised the butchery has begun. Cuts were made to enable the intake fairings to spread out and connect to the widened intakes. Pieces of wedge shaped plasticard fill the gaps. So far so good. Cees 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chek Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 No Note though Cees, it's not only a widening of the intakes, but they also rise to a point about level with the rear canopy fairing. Despite Frank's valiant effort, this omission was enough to spoil the look of his method for me. The whole intake of the Spey Phantom looks like it's been cranked downwards, and without the vertical rise, you can't get enough of that downward crank. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 Thanks, I noticed and I plan to build up that "bump" with Miliput. The top has to be smoothed out anyway after the intakes were widened because of the piece of plasticard that was inserted the smooth flow of the sides was interrupted. Cees 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelR32 Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Nice work Cees. If you need to do any finer cutting work, may i suggest the JLC saw from modelling tools.co.uk One things for sure, as soon as tyou finish this a kit will be released. i seem to remember many moons ago Trumpeter were going to release a range of RAF F-4's? If you need any little bits and bobs for your build let me know, I think I have a load of odd Decals and PE bits left from my mega build of Easy Rockin Mama? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 Thanks Nige, That (razor)saw I have since 1988 and it has made many casualties over the years. It still is quite sharp. If a kit is released before I finish my conversion I don't care and would buy it anyway as there are plenty of interesting liveries to model. Cees 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 That's a bunch of progress there Cees. I took a quick look and do have some extra intake bits leftover. I have the outer sections as well as a couple splitter plates if you need them. Carl 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 Thanks for thinking of me Carl. Some more sawing was in order. I seperated the front of the bottomsection in order to fit the cockpit after the wing and fuselage have been assembled. In that way the cockpit will not be damaged during the cutting and sanding proce and the parts can be cemented together. I made a straight cut across and the joint looks to be perfect. Also very pleased with the wing to fuselage join where the widened section fits nicely on top. That will save some filling. Very pleased with the progress so far. Cees 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GusMac Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 That wing to fuselage joint is very neat given all the work going on. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis7423 Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 I have to be honest, I didn't realize how much difference there was between a regular F-4 and the Spey powered ones! This was very, very informative; and very, very well done! Thanks! - Dennis S. Thornton, CO USA 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 On 1/30/2019 at 2:14 AM, Wingco57 said: Hi Barry, Wow what a nice piece of craftsmanship. Can you elaborate how you modified the rear fuselage? It looks well and truly cut up (makes me look like an amateur in comparison). I read that due to the larger engines the area rule (coke bottle shape) was lost. Cees Hi Cees, Sorry for the tardy reply. It was all purely Mk 1 eyeball fro picks and drawings. I just cutting as needed to get the downward slope as close as I could. Barry 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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