A little work in progress

[Martin H]

time for another Phantom


This is XS747 a Phantom F-2 (F-4C(UK) ). Of 92 squadron RAF circa 1965, Based at RAF Bruggen.

In the early 1960's the USAF started to adopt the F-4C into front line service. They noticed that the royal Navy was looking at the navy's F-4B as a possible replacement for the home grown Seavixen. The Airforce brass came up with the idea of promoting the Phantom (mainly aiming on the F-4C) as a NATO standard combat aircraft. The DoD was very keen on the idea and arranged for both the B and C models to be made available to other NATO member states at a very reasonably discounted price, so long as the aircraft where used primarily on NATO taskings.

Italy and West Germany got in first, with the UK being the third customer for a small batch of 25 C model aircraft for use in the air defence role over the UK zone of West Germany. The RAF being the RAF, had to have their birds be a little different from the standard.

Their F-4C(UK) variant was wired for British built ordnance. Mainly Redtop misslies in place of the more usual Sidwinders, and Firestreak's instead of the Sparrow's in the belly missile troughs. They did keep the standard Vulcan cannon pod though. They also insisted that the retractable refueling probe from the F-4B be fitted as well, in affect creating a B/C hybrid. The Royal Navy on the other hand opted for a completely off the shelf purchase for their F-4B's (Phantom F-1)

19 and 92 squadrons traded in their Lightning F-2A's for the Phantom F-2 in 1965. In keeping with fighter command practise at the time the undersides were painted in high speed silver rather than the Light aircraft Grey most other RAF Germany squadrons used. The Lightning carried on with the home defence role. So, apart from a few attrition replacements no other F-4C(UK)'s were built. But they proved very popular in the RAF and paved the way for a much larger Phantom buy later on when the F-4E(UK) started to enter RAF service in the mid 1970's.

This was a bit of a weekend build. I started nailing it together on Thursday evening and the final coat of varnish went on around midday Sunday.
The kit is the Fujimi F-4C built pretty much oob. The model had already donated its ordnance for some of the other Phantoms I've already built, Hence the idea of loading it up with Firestreak's and Redtop's. All of which are from various Matchbox Lightnings that have been built over the years. The paint work is a mixture of Gunze sanyo for the upper dark sea grey/ dark green cammo, and  Halfords Audi Aluminum for the undersides. Decals are from various Airfix Lightning, missile markings and national/squadron insignia. Fujimi Phantom FGR-2 sheets for the phantom specific markings and modeldecal for the serial numbers. Which in turn come from a small unallocated batch.
I did consider doing this one in over all Audi Aluminum, but that changed for cammo/high speed silver once I chose 92 squadron markings.

[Gondor]

I would have thought that Radar Red Top would have been better for the under-fuselage weapons.

Nice build otherwise 

Gondor

[Martin H]

agreed. But Seeing as I had a ready supply of standard redtops and firestreaks..............................................

[kitbasher]

Blimey Martin, I guess that's what you call 'tooled up'!

[NARSES2]

It does look as though it's out for a stroll in some of the murkier parts of town that's for sure.

Nice one Martin

[Gondor]

agreed. But Seeing as I had a ready supply of standard redtops and firestreaks..............................................

Cut off the dome of the Redtop seeker and give it a point and you have the radar version.

BSP Hypersonics, Ramjets & Missiles page 35

Gondor

[Martin H]

i know exactly what the radar redtop/blue dolphin looks like.........................................

[Captain Canada]

Gorgeous. Love the camo and the weapons load. Nice work !

[Gondor]

i know exactly what the radar redtop/blue dolphin looks like.........................................

My apologies, I intended the information for others following this thread, not to imply that you lacked such information. 

Gondor

[Weaver]

That looks great Martin! 

[Martin H]

i know exactly what the radar redtop/blue dolphin looks like.........................................

My apologies, I intended the information for others following this thread, not to imply that you lacked such information. 

Gondor

No worries.

[JayBee]

Martin, that is a really daft idea.

PERFECT!



Jim

[Martin H]

Bloody hell! Has it really been 7 months since the last build from me?

any way.

the 1st completed build for 2016.



What if the British Airways 707 fleet lasted long enough to get repainted in the Landor scheme?

This one started almost 12 months ago after a brain storming session involving one Kit Spackman. The real BA 707's never wore the post privatization Landor scheme. Kit and I wondered what they might have looked like if they had.
He then went off and created suitable decals for such a build. and held on to the art work pending me getting the build underway. The build finally got going in the summer. Kit duly produced said decals and got them to me. It then sat on a shelf around 75% complete while I was sidelined by Airfix lightnings and work issues. (see the personal update thread in the SIG area)
Fast forward to now. While im between jobs, ive kept some progress going build wise, including finally getting this one finished. Airfix Boeing 707 kit built oob, with decals custom made by our own Kit Spackman.

[PR19_Kit]

The Landor scheme suits the 707 really well, such a pity BA didn't do it for real.

That model needs to be sneaked onto the Airliner SIG's stand at a forthcoming show OGL. 

[Dizzyfugu]

That looks great! Makes me wonder what a Comet in that scheme might look like?