SPA Modeler

Excellent work Carlos! Great job adding those in. It may be a small update, but at least you are getting bench time! I haven't seen that in several weeks! Looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks Mark. I am almost done with the interior detail painting. I still need to stripe up a couple of the emergency handles, and do the bare metal switches on the sidewalls, then I can get a wash on and get it all sealed up... one small step at a time.

Well the cockpit interior is all finished, painted, and installed. Along with the forward end of the nose gear well and the radar bulkhead. And the forward fuselage halves glued together. But Photobucket is currently FUBAR and not operating, so I will get photos posted when it returns to merely SNAFU...

Now that Photobucket is operational in its' standard SNAFU state this evening, I was able to get my past couple weeks work uploaded.

Interior final detail work done, wash applied and removed





















then it was time to get it all glued together!!! Finally some real progress!!!



I also added the front wall of the nose gear well



and the radar bulkhead. Although this part is not added in the instruction sheet, the part is on the sprue. I figured that would help add a little extra rigidity and strength to the nose area...



Now my next area of focus is here- the backside of the rear IP- totally devoid of any detail on the kit part, but the real area is quite busy(instrument housings, wiring, etc.) So I will be adding some scratch work detail there.



Thank for looking...

Looking excellent Carlos! It does feel good to see some progress doesn't it?

Check your seams; I see a few peeking out. And it looks like there's a slot for a radar assembly in the radar panel in the nose so you can pose the nose open to show the radar. That is cool!

Also, check the instructions/sprues. Isn't there a shroud or something that covers that rear of the GIB's IP? I always thought there was.

Duke Maddog wrote:Looking excellent Carlos! It does feel good to see some progress doesn't it?

Check your seams; I see a few peeking out. And it looks like there's a slot for a radar assembly in the radar panel in the nose so you can pose the nose open to show the radar. That is cool!

Also, check the instructions/sprues. Isn't there a shroud or something that covers that rear of the GIB's IP? I always thought there was.

Mark, it feels great to have something this substantial at least basicly put together now. Although I seriously do have a lot more to do on this portion alone, aside from seam clean. Which I have not yet even started. I have to fill up some vents on the bottom of the chin fairing which are left over from the F-4E/F-4F base kit and were not present on the F-4G. Plus I need to create and add at least 7 more antennas to this assembly alone.

Yes there is a slot for a radar. There are even the parts for one to display open. Unfortunately it is the type of radar used of the Luftwaffe F-4F ICE (the base molds for this kit), and not the radar used on the F-4E & F-4G. At the very least a new dish and mount is needed to do that on this kit.

Yes there is a glare shroud over the top of the rear IP, but the instrument housings themselves are exposed to the front between the panel and the pilot's ejection seat.

you can get an idea of that area from these two photos

Seam clean up done, and panel lines rescribed... as well as filling in the un needed gun gas vents. A little shim work was in order on the cockpit shelves behind each seat

I like this so much, I'm giddy.

I'm happy to hear that. I am really enjoying this quite a bit myself. It's not "shake n bake", but it sure is nice. And I am really enjoying the project. It's turned into one of those that keeps the creativity juices flowing...

So yesterday and today I have been working on adding the front lower portion. The fit was fine before the nose gear well was glued in place, but once that is attached, it adds a lot of rigidity to that piece. So for anybody taking notes glue the well walls together, but do not add the well to the bottom part to allow for some flexibility when you glue the bottom to the sides. Or you will get a step like I did...







At least on one side... more to come in a moment