Tamiya 1/48 F-4B (#121)

[blakeh1]

Basecoat is down, I'm not entirely happy with the color. First coat was too dark/tan/brown for my tatste, so I added some lightening, and some more, and a bit more...and I think I overdid it.

View attachment 124242

View attachment 124243

Add to that, I noticed after demasking the canopy that I forgot at least one lightening phase on the canopy. The one mounted on the kit is for closed, I am just using it as a mask. The one I intend to use is "open" and you can see below it is a bit darker/bluer/grayer.

View attachment 124244


I'm not going to make any decisions or changes today. I've learned to let things sit and stew for a while, it might be just fine. After a few coats of clear and some paneling/weathering I think it should darken some more. Plus having those white control surfaces helps the gray look...gray.

To me it seems like most Light Gull Greys and even the Light Ghost Grey and Dark Ghost Greys from paint manufacturers just feel too dark compared to both pics as well as ones I have seen in person.
Maybe it is that the paint on these planes fades quickly in the sun, or maybe it is that the paint may match the FS color, but does not take into account the "scale down" effect

I like the color you have

compare it to something like this and it feels right

and here is Vallejo's Light Gull grey compared to an A-4 fuel tanks grey. I figured this was one of the better comparisons for color since the Fuel Tank is not quite as exposed as the fuselage to the sun. Seems too dark, especially for it's scale

 

[Edbert]

Alright, the M3 has a top-coat that I need to let sit for a while, the P-38 is primed but I need to read up on polishing metallic paint before moving ahead on it. So...

Time to put the Phantom back on the front burner right?

I need to give the metal surfaces some attention...

You can see the gaps I missed in the picture above, no excuses on a kit of this quality.

I'm relatively happy with the variations of warm and cool grey.

This area will be getting (darkish) exhaust "stains".

I'm also going to experiment with adding color to the cans. Hoping I can match what Gary did on his F-4, looks for his thread on Robin Olds to see.

 

[user 22148]

This is a very nice build indeed. I've just read back through the thread and I really like what you did with the interior - nice job!

I have both the Tamiya P-38 and the Tomcat sitting around collecting dust whilst I spend time building crappy older kits... I just felt I couldn't do them justice. Seeing your builds has really inspired me to get them going again.

Cheers!

 

[Edbert]

I'm sorry @GaryG64, I'll keep trying but I cannot get your effect on the cans.

those are just stuck in there for now, Need more work.

Top side too, the vert is mostly primer, with some metal overspray from previous session.

 

[GaryG64]

I'm sorry @GaryG64, I'll keep trying but I cannot get your effect on the cans.

View attachment 126382

those are just stuck in there for now, Need more work.


View attachment 126381

Top side too, the vert is mostly primer, with some metal overspray from previous session.

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I think they (cans), and the entire build looks/looking really, really nice!

 

[user 22148]

Agreed - that looks superb!

 

[JUG]

I'm a great motivational speaker as you can tell

Ok then May I have your business card I need help Now. Lol

 

[Edbert]

This is the scheme (1 of 3) that I chose to build.

I snapped this one just to show an attempt was made to use paint for some of the markings. Difficulty in setting up the tape around the cockpit made me give up. The one in place above is just for a mask, the final kit will have both canopies open, and masking them for paint was looking quite unpleasant.

Deekals were going to be used anyway, right?

I think Tamiya has changed their system, these are not the thick indestructible ones of the past, but they laid down pretty nice, No use of Micro-Sol yet, but I intend to bath them in the stuff. You can see some stencils were started on the starboard wing.

 

[user 22148]

That's reaaaalllly nice - it looks fab in those decals and the painting is spot on!

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Heh…you haven't gone to stencil hell yet. Good looking bird.

 

[blakeh1]

Excellent work. Love all the variations in the paint work

 

[Edbert]

Heh…you haven't gone to stencil hell yet. Good looking bird.

I've done many more, but yeah, realize I'm not yet halfway. These decals are definitely new for Tamiya, I'm liking it. But some of the ones here are quite large and I've torn a couple. One I did not tear, at least here, is the black section on the starboard side of the vertical stab. I might have torn it but could not find the missing part, so I decided to just paint it. You can sorta see the different texture on the back 5/8 inch or so.

I'm sure the dullcoat will conceal that.

There was no decal for the nose cone. Those of you who build jets (this is my 4th jet ever) might know why, I think the curve would be impossible to lay down, but that's a guess. So I was gonna have to mask and spray some gloss black anyway. My collection of Model Masters is really coming through for me.

I accidentally covered up the little gray square right in front of the windscreen, I'll have to touch that up and part of the frame got hit too. But pretty happy with the result.

 

[Edbert]

The stencils are substantial, but so are the deekalz needed just for ordinance.

 

[Richard55]

Amazing stuff.Am a big Phantom Fan.
Richard

 

[Jim62]

Looks great. You mentioned the Tamiya decals being new for Tamiya. I noticed that with their new Martlet/Wildcat FM-1. They are a welcomed improvement nice and thin, but they are delicate so care is required as you found out.

 

[Edbert]

I am at a point where this kit is sucking my "mojo". I'm not giving up, I never will. But I do keep adding more decals. This is all I have left.

Yeah it looks like a lot. I agree, but this is only 25-30% of what I had initially.

 

[Jakko]

Eh, jet aircraft kits and stencils … Airfix's 1:72 scale Lightning kind of put me off them because of this

 

[Edbert]

Okay, brought the Phantom out again, I've been neglecting it, partly sick of the decals, but also ruined one that is very prominent. You can see the damage I did above in the Oct 15th post. I had micro-sol on my fingers (I guess) and while working on the port side "NAVY" decal I fooked the starboard side one.

But a saint of a modeller I met online snail-mailed me an extra "NAVY" from Tamiya, he put aftermarket decals on his. So I fixed that mess and did another hour of decals before I threw in the towel. Just too much, I'll admit defeat and move on. Gave the entire girl a pair of matte coats (and learning from past mistakes) put it away again for 48 hours to fully cure.

In the foreground you can see a small pile of bits I need to add, as well as the stock ejection seats. The Canopy bit are just sitting there. Attaching them will be the final step.

I'm pretty disappointed in the seatbelts, decal versions look bad, but in the lighting here you can barely tell. Gunsight is missing, need to locate that too, but the end is near!

 

[Recurve]

I absolutely love that Tamiya phantom, such a pleasure to build, I used different decals for mine though

 

[Edbert]

I pulled this guy off my "must finish sometime if I ever get a roundtoit".

Working on some last little fiddlies, then to the photo-box I say!

(waiting for glue to dry is similar to paint)