RR Spey powered RAF Phantom conversion

[Wingco57]

The transplant and subsequent filling operation was a resounding success. Smooth as a Phantoms bum.

everything has to be rescribed.

 

[GusMac]

Excellent result Cees. Not sure I envy you rescribing over all those curves though!

[Anthony in NZ]

Well done mate, great thinking outside the box and agreed, a resounding success!

Who would have thought?  Brilliant job mate.

Mines a bit slow this week as I have a few jobs on my T.7 Auster rebuild that I need to get onto.  Great inspiration buddy!

[Wingco57]

T.7 Auster rebuild? Yeah right, that's the best excuse I have heard not to continue modelling.

I got me some magnetic tape which is quite thick but very easy to go around curves. Used it on the 1/32 Halifax vacform fuselage (old story) and very useful for

curves. But the lower wing needs to modified before I can rescribe.

[Anthony in NZ]

2 hours ago, Wingco57 said:

T.7 Auster rebuild? Yeah right, that's the best excuse I have heard not to continue modelling.

I got me some magnetic tape which is quite thick but very easy to go around curves. Used it on the 1/32 Halifax vacform fuselage (old story) and very useful for

curves. But the lower wing needs to modified before I can rescribe.

Lol, it's true it's true......next you will be telling me you built a Halifax cockpit in your spare time once!

https://www.facebook.com/Austerwe552

 

I am working on the Phantom tonight before bed though.....happy??

[Wingco57]

Same here, but I think I have managed to fit the Revell lower wing without butchery
and the exhaust cans too (blanks this time with  a diameter of 3cm). I think the intersection between the cans may need a bit of deepening but not much. There is plenty of lower wing protruding beneath the wing trailing edge.

 

[GusMac]

Almost perfect. 

[SapperSix]

Absolutely fantastic build. 

[Wingco57]

Found this drawing by Al Granger.

[Anthony in NZ]

Careful with drawings Cees, I can already see a few mistakes.  I am finding, photo's are the best way to go IMHO

[Wingco57]

While the Miliput on the first Manchester nacelle is drying ( still not set after 24 hours) I needed some change and the Phantom got some work being done.

 I am quite pleased with the mating of the Revell tail and  the Tamiya fuselage. I was wondering how the front would mate. In fact I am quite pleased about that too and the fit is in fact better than modifying the Tamiya kit. The Revell intakes are wider than the Tamiya kit and in my view the Revell kit is a better option for a simple conversion into an FGR-2.

With some more more tweaking a good joint will result. Next to rescribe the panellines on the rear fuselage.

[Anthony in NZ]

My word Cees, I cant get over the ability to cross kit these.  Watch out for the heat area behind the reheat cans, they are a slightly different shape too (as I recently found out)

Good work buddy

[Wingco57]

Anthony, I know, but I am not too bothered about that.

[harv]

Amazing work my friend !.....harv

[Wingco57]

The front Tamiya underside has been married to the Revell underwing. Fit  is surprisingly good.

[Anthony in NZ]

Cees, if I am seeing this correctly, the Revell lower wing unmodified matches the modified intake profile of the widened intakes??

I should have started with a Revell kit I think??

[Wingco57]

Hi Anthony, that’s correct.

in fact the Revell intakes have the same width as my modified Tamiya intakes.

A C/D or J kit would be the way to go. although I have no reference if those older kits are similar than the F-boxing from 1994.P I am using. 

Cees

[Anthony in NZ]

3 hours ago, Wingco57 said:

Hi Anthony, that’s correct.

in fact the Revell intakes have the same width as my modified Tamiya intakes.

A C/D or J kit would be the way to go. although I have no reference if those older kits are similar than the F-boxing from 1994.P I am using. 

Cees

That's what I it thought looked like.....I never expected to see that!  Even that ridge where the lower intake blends into the wing leading edge looks Spey, looking briefly at my photo's.  I think I could have saved myself a lot of work, had I seen this earlier.

Bravo Cees, I like your findings!  I dont know much about those Revell kits.  Maybe someone could chime in?

Cheers Anthony

[BlrwestSiR]

The earlier Revell kits have nothing in common with the '90s vintage kit. You can tell by the way they split the lower wing down the middle and through the nose gear bay. 

Cruelly, they were at one point reboxed by Tamiya in the early '80s and I fell for it back then. 

[Wingco57]

Thank you Sir,

Do you still have one of those boxings to see the difference?

Some progress on the Toom.

Parts of the centre wing undersurface needed to be restored with some plastic strip. The same material was used to deepen the rear fuselage a bit so there is more play to fit the exhaust cans.

And I made the side auxiliary doors in the rear fuselage. I didn't want to scratchbuild this area completely as life is too short. Looking at many photos the doors vary from fully open to slightly open. I wanted to do the latter and glued some plasticard  in the correct dimensions, and sanded the top area flush with the fuselage. After that I scribed in the top half of the door. The thickness of the plasticard very nicely represents the door itself. Very pleased how that turned out.

Cheers

Cees

[Anthony in NZ]

Yep, looking great Cees, That Aux intake door came up really really nice. that saves some work for sure!

Pretty impressed at how this is coming together.  What scheme are you planning?  Cant remember if you mentioned it already?

[BlrwestSiR]

5 hours ago, Wingco57 said:

Do you still have one of those boxings to see the difference?

I don't have still around but here's the kit on Scalemates.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-4706-f-4j-phantom-ii-mcdonnel-douglas--194170

The instructions show the split lower fuselage and nose gear bay. This is for the J but it was the same on the E.

[Wingco57]

Thanks Carl,

@Anthony, I have always been a fan of the camouflaged RAF Tooms, but what squadron I haven’t decided yet, It also depends what decals are available from Lightning or Hunter. I really like the black and white checkerboard. Does anybody have any advice on that?

Been doing some work on the cockpit fitting photoetch rudderpedal parts. Also the auxiliary intakes have been cut out and the Tamiya bays fitted.

 

[BlrwestSiR]

Flightpath makes replacement gear bays for the Revell kit. They correct the shallow depth. But, they're PE and a real PITA to assemble. They were way above my skillset when I tried them out. 

Also, Aerocraft has brass MLG and resin doors for the kit. 

[SapperSix]

51 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Also, Aerocraft has brass MLG and resin doors for the kit. 

Worth every penny IMHO.....

Your work is very precise.  I am looking forward to the finished product.