As the 1/32 seems to be popular, thought I would share a couple of things I found to add that little extra.

Seatbelts: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/AEC32002?result-token=BXRLt

Eduard etch set:
https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ED32025?result-token=BXRLt

Weighted wheels:
https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/QMTR32004?result-token=IXc2r

FOD guards:
https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/QMTR32013?result-token=IXc2r

Ejection seats:
https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/TDP32902?result-token=IXc2r

Hope these are of help to anyone with the kit.

Stephen, nice links for 1/32 do you have any for 1/48. I have been googling to no luck. I have the Hasegawa F-4B/N 1/48

Bob

Here you go.
A quick keyword and scale search on Hannants shows 381 items! So bound to be something useful amongst them.
https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?product_category_id=&product_division_id=&manufacturer_id=&code=&product_type_id=&scale_id=955&keyword_search=Phantom&setPerPage=100¤cy_id=

Enjoy

Google can be helpful but better ask Scalemates. Enter type of plane and brand in your browser and Scalemates. You get the history line of the kit, reviews and a list of aftermarket fir it. Same is with Hannants, which happens to be an excellent online shop, with a huge stock of airplane kits and related AM parts.

OK, can't say I'm a huge Phantom phan, but I found this one I started for 55 Years of Phabulous Phantoms. It's the Fujimi 1/72 RF-4B. Slightly started. I do see that I'm missing a 370 gal fuel tank so that might be challenging.

I'm pretty sure this is less than 1/4 completed, so I'll try to finish for this campaign.

Hi,

I wish to make an stupid question. Please let me know if the last bacht of Phantom send to Israel has slatted wings or not.
I´ll try to making the last version of the F4 in IAF service.
TIA

Jose Miguel

Jose, I also would be interested in your question plus what versions were supplied.

Bob

Bob,

I try to make the Kurnass or a two grey cammo aircraft.
If they have the slated wing, i combine Revell and Hasegawa kits. If not, I will use only the hasegawa.
But I wish to make a diferent version for my israeli Phantom.
In Wikipedia site in spanish about the F-4, I can see a picture of an F-4E with slatted and folded wings.......

TIA

José Miguel

Information about F-4E, including slats, IAF and Kurnass.
From this site: https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/f-4e.htm

F-4E Phantom II
The F-4E, which took off on its maiden flight on June 30th 1967, became the leading Phantom model, with 1,389 planes built. The first F-4E was delivered to the Air Force in October 1967. The Air National Guard received its first F-4E in 1985, the Air Force Reserve in 1987. This model, with an additional fuselage fuel tank, leading-edge slats for increased maneuverability, and an improved engine, also has an internally mounted 20mm multibarrel gun with improved fire-control system. The F-4E, which was equipped with leading-edge maneuvering slats and weapons and radar controls that were optimized for dogfighting, vastly improved the Phantom's air-to-air capabilities. Nevertheless, the Phantom's ultimate 3:1 kill ratio over the MiGs fell far short of the impressive advantage enjoyed by the Air Force in Korea.

The F-4E was different from earlier models in that it has an integral cannon, as well as improved systems that give it an added edge in air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. Since conventional wisdom held that the combination of high-speed and sophisticated systems would eliminate classic close-in dogfighting, the Navy's F-4B and the Air Force's F-4C and -D fighters were not configured with internally mounted guns. Such wisdom proved false in the skies over southeast Asia where restrictive engagement rules required visual identification of the enemy before missiles could be launched and where nimble MiG-17, -19, and -21 fighters proved they could hold their own against the more powerful but less maneuverable F-4s in the kind of close-in "knife fights" that remained a part of air-to-air combat. During the first few years of the Vietnam conflict, the US found itself engaging enemy aircraft such as the MiG-17 and MiG-19 that were relatively agile and could easily out-maneuver the heavier US aircraft (F-4 and F-105) that had been designed without requirements for close dogfighting or close weapons such as a gun. Initial tactics used by US pilots to try and turn with enemy aircraft had been relatively unsuccessful, and it had become apparent that missiles in use at that time were relatively unreliable at long ranges. Pilot training and revised tactics were ultimately employed to blunt the threat and use US aircraft to an advantage, but the lack of maneuverability and a gun for close-in combat became issues for the Air Force -- solved by the F-4E.

North Vietnam took advantage of the bombing halt ordered by President Johnson in late 1968 to rebuild its air force (NVNAF) and prepare its ground forces (NVA) to invade the south. In late March 1972, NVA units crossed the border into South Vietnam and sent the defenders reeling in disarray. On 8 May, President Nixon halted peace negotiations and authorized the USAF to strike targets in the heart of North Vietnam, which were now defended by over 200 MiGs flown by well-trained pilots. During Operation Linebacker I, USAF fighter aircrews made the defending MiG pilots pay dearly. From May through mid-October, the NVNAF lost at least 40 MiGs in air battles with USAF Phantoms.

The return of close-in air-to-air combat during Vietnam unfortunately exposed a deficiency in the flying characteristics of the F-4. During hard turns to engage or escape enemy aircraft, pilots began to fly the F-4 at high angles of attack where they experienced a marked deterioration in lateral-directional stability and control characteristics. Inadvertent loss of lateral-directional control and spin entries occurred, with an alarming number of accidents and losses of crew and aircraft during training and combat. McDonnell Douglas became interested in wing modifications for the F-4 that would improve buffet onset and increase lift and turning performance, while retaining satisfactory characteristics for approach and landing. Candidate configurations included the use of wing leading-edge flaps, leading-edge camber, trailing-edge flaps, and other devices; however, the most effective modification was a two-position leading-edge slat. Two slats were mounted on the leading edge of each wing panel in place of the earlier leading-edge flap. The inner slat was fully retractable at high speeds, but the outer slat remained deployed in both the cruise and high-lift con-figurations. With the slats deployed, the F-4 could make tighter turns, and approach speeds were also reduced by a significant amount. Another benefit of this modification was a dramatic improvement in the lateral-directional handling characteristics and spin resistance at high angles of attack. The slat configuration was evaluated during flight tests (known as Project Agile Eagle) of a modified F-4 test aircraft with extremely impressive results. The wing leading-edge slats were incorporated on all F-4E aircraft built during and after 1972. Later, the Navy received a slat equipped version of the aircraft known as the F-4S.

Starting in 1973, F-4E's were fitted with target-identification systems for long-range visual identification of airborne or ground targets. Each system is basically a television camera with a zoom lens to aid in positive identification, and a system called Pave Tack, which provided day and night all-weather capability to acquire, track and designate ground targets for laser, infrared and electro-optically guided weapons. Another change was a digital intercept computer that includes launch computations for all AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles. Additionally, on F-4E/G models, the digital ARN-101 navigation system replaced the LN-12 inertial navigation system.

The Israeli Air Force [IAF] expressed interest in buying Phantoms in 1965, when they were the most advanced airplane in service, anywhere. The Americans refused this, but agreed to sell Israel Skyhawks. Only in January of 1968, after massive pressure was applied at the highest diplomatic levels, did the Americans relent. The IAF, which at that time preferred single-seat aircraft, considered having a single seat version of the Phantom designed exclusively for it. The idea was abandoned when it was realized that giving up the second crewman would prevent full utilization of the Phantom's excellent potential. It was decided to purchase the tandem seat E model which was in development at the time. At the IAF's initiative, an internal cannon was included - the first time a Phantom model included a cannon. On 05 September 1969 the first quartet of Phantoms, nicknamed 'Kurnas' ('Sledgehammer') landed on Israeli soil.

In 1980 the IAF embarked upon the initial planning phase of the project for upgrading the Kurnas. On 15 July 1987 the first prototype of the improved plane took off. It was dubbed the Kurnas 2000. Kurnas 2000, which entered service in the IAF on 09 April 1989, was different from the original Phantom mostly in its avionics. The conversion plan included replacing the plane's original radar with a new one. Norden, an American company, developed the APG-76 radar especially for this purpose - and according to the IAF's specifications. This radar, considered to be the best of its kind, uses advanced technologies that were originally developed for the US Navy's future attack plane, the A-12 Avenger II - a project that has since been cancelled. McDonnell Douglas and the Israeli Aircraft Industries had both considered replacing the J79's with Pratt & Whitney PW1120. The IAI experimentally installed the new engines in a Phantom, and its performance was markedly enhanced, in terms of cruise speed and range.

New features included in the F-4E were a General Electric Vulcan armament system (M61A1, 20 mm gun) mounted in the aircraft's nose; AN/APQ 120C fire control system; two J-79-GE-17 turbojet engines (17,900 lb thrust with afterburner); and slotted stabilator. Also (beginning with the 1972 productions), leading edge slats (LES); and fittings for mounting armorplate over certain aircraft systems and armor on the rear of the fuselage.

Small note.
I don't know if what I read about deliveries to Israel is right, AFAIK from 1966 batches, they were second hand and came straight from Vietnam, were delivered to Israel. They were on a lease base and replaced later with new ones. F-4E delivered to USAF during Vietnam and shown below would have unsalted wings, after '73 did have slatted wings.

From 1966 Phantoms F-4Es
66-0298/0338 McDonnell F-4E-32-MC Phantom
0313 to Israel in 1973, Nickel Grass
0327 to Israel in 1973, Nickel Grass
66-0339/0382 McDonnell F-4E-33-MC Phantom
0352 to Israel in 1973, Nickel Grass

Think Nickel Grass is a codename for special operation? 1973!
Will add more when I find it.

Found it:
By the evening of the 9th of October, President Nixon ordered the commencement of Operation Nickel Grass, the American airlift to resupply the Israelis of military equipment lost in the war. Supplies began arriving in droves by October 14th and Israel was able to swiftly reconcile for its earlier losses. A real significance of the airlift was that it guaranteed that the U.S. would retain its influence with the Israeli government, sending the Jewish state help in her hour of need. This was essential to the Administration because by ensuring Israeli faith in the United States, the administration knew that it stood a much better chance of using its influence to make the Israeli negotiating position more flexible in post-war peace negotiations.

The End.

There is a lot to learn about this incredible AC. A nice link:
http://aviation.watergeek.eu/f4c-panel.html

@Robert Jan

Thanks a lot for your information!!!

I will try to make a later F-4E of the IAF

José Miguel

No problem. I just ask Google questions and most of the time it works. This information I got within 5 minutes, just have to check some extra links. Rest of my information is bookmarked on my Mac, easy as it is to look up things.

So I went out and purchased a few items of the after market nature. Intake FOD covers, front wheel well and strut. Which have arrived, and waiting on seats and photo etch for interior.
https://flic.kr/p/2jkhqXN

https://flic.kr/p/2jkerAV

Pete

Other 2 items arrived today. Seats and interior etch. Really looking forward to this campaign now. 1st one for a year or so.

https://flic.kr/p/2jmauTr

https://flic.kr/p/2jm7z86

https://flic.kr/p/2jmauAH

Pete

I'm now officially worried ....

Everyone seems to be getting a ton of after market extras for their builds apart from me .... Which will straight out the box....

Hope I'm not alone doing it that way.

I'm doing mine OOB too. It's looks good enough out of the box. Raiding the spares for the other bits I need.

Are you still doing the Revell 1/72 F-4J John? I'm not sure of the provenance of that kit as I don't think Revell ever did their own F-4J, so I don't know how much detail it already has.

But in 1/72 (especially with the canopy closed) you can't see a great deal anyway. I'm adding a pair of bang seats to mine as in 1/48 with the canopies open you can tell the difference (and, IMO, Phantoms should always have the canopies open on the ground, looks so much better and really adds to it's distinctive look).

I **might** add a pair of resin burner cans, but at £20 it's pretty expensive for a small upgrade. Or I might put that money towards a Coastal Kits base for it to sit on. I'll decide in August.

The same for me. No aftermarket purchased specifically for this build. Just using spares I have since years.

Neil, Revells 1/72 J was originally a Monogram. Found out recently when I saw some sprue pictures of the Revell boxing. Thought it looked familiar so compared with the Monogram from my stash.
It's a very nice kit with decent cockpit details for the age. Only downside are the raised panel lines, but something I can live with. For the price I might grab a couple more at some point. Have lots of decals for J's I really should use.

Don't worry about it, John. Build the way you want to, that's the way we do things around here!

Michael

I'm doing a 1/72 Hasegawa kit which doesn't really come complete. I had to buy weapons sets for it. And I'm doing it wheels up so I had to buy crew for it. But I didn't get any aftermarket to improve the kit parts.

So I've been doing some test spraying for the blue camo scheme on my F-4EJ. This blue scheme is notoriously hard to do, and no-one to my knowledge does these paints out of the bottle. In the past I have used a mix of Tamiya paints I found online, which is just about right. See below, the paler blue is a 1:1 mix of X-14 ad XF-18, but as you can see, small variations in the mix produce very different shades - however, both look "ok" in isolation.




However, since I came back to modelling at the start of the year, I have fallen in love with Hataka lacquers. I have always struggled with airbrushing, and Hataka are the first paints I've ever been able to spray easily and consistently. So I bought their equivalent of the Tamiya paints, mixed them up, gave them a trial on "Flash" and...…...eeeehhhhh, not great. Back to the drawing board.


[img]

Hi Neil
There actually is paint available out of the bottle for these colors. Mr Color has a Shallow Ocean Blue (C374) and Deep Ocean Blue (375) designed specifically for the JASDF blue camo scheme. I have these bottles in a set from MR Color called JASDF Oceanic Camouflage Colors which also contains Radome Gray (C376). The colors look spot on in photos I have seen using these paints. I have not yet got around to using them on one of my builds, though.
Have fun modeling
Mike

Thanks Mike, that's good to know. Never used Mr Color before, they're not very common in the UK.

I have finished some things up to the point they aren't really occupying space on the table, so I'm ready to begin.

4 ....