F4M Phantom 1/100 S&P

**CMDRTED** · #1 03-21-2018, 01:48 PM

The F4 Phantom is my all time all around favorite aircraft. I was a record setter from the onset, fastest climb, mach 2 largest air to air radar with radar guided missiles, etc etc. To a young man that was cheering on the sabre jets, the century series and the red threat migs the Phantom was the starship enterprise to me. Bruno has captured most of the series and has done it well. There are a few details he approximated that I had to tweak into his design but it is a good basic model. I built 7-8 of them and I admit the 1st, an F4C didn't fare to well, I learned from that failure. It wasn't until the M model flown by the RAF that I tried to capture the construction steps. Here are the first few prelim pics, the parts layed out and ready to be built.... the 3rd pic is my modifications for the UK model rolls Royce Spey engine exhaust nozzles

**Ofanim** · #2 03-21-2018, 02:20 PM

WOOOOW great !
After seeing the result on the KI-61, I'm sure this one is going to looks amazing !
Best regards,
Ronan

**Don Boose** · #3 03-21-2018, 02:32 PM

Glad to see another one under construction.

Don

**CMDRTED** · #4 03-21-2018, 05:28 PM

There are many places to start this kit. also many diversions while you wait for things to dry. I broke the assembly of Bruno's phantom into building the engine housings(those side saddle things), the center fuselage, which is actually the central piece that all gets attached to, the forward fuselage assembly, the after parts, the wings, then the tail feathers. All the other doodads are just add on details, the landing gear , tail hook, exhausts and then the payloads.

**CMDRTED** · #5 03-21-2018, 05:39 PM

I started this phantom with the engine housings. the keys to this part are preforming it close to the final shape and the intake/splitter assembly. start by using a round knitting needle like former I use a knitting/crochet rod, and roll the intake to roughly the shape of the duct that goes into it. continue gently rolling the upper fold, you can use the fold cuts as a rough guide for how much to roll the upper. the lower segment is sharply creased but not scored! use small triangle scraps of card stock to join together the little tuck cuts that form the housing into a gently flowing shape. You can see in the last photo the intake to the engine with the former that gives the housing its shape. I double that former by 1st forming the inside to shape and then gluing that to a piece of scrap card...

**CMDRTED** · #6 03-21-2018, 06:15 PM

continuing, now install that little intake interior and form the intake splitter. this is simple doubled over make sure the two sides match up. install the inside of the intake. make sure it fits tight up against the inside of the engine housing and lines up even at the very front and curved sides.
make sure the splitter notch is clear of the newly installed part. trim it if necessary. see the orange arrow. the splitter will line up even as shown by the green line. when this is good and dry, (I worked on the horizontal stabs), install the splitter. make sure the back end is up against the stop provided by that interior part. make sure the top and bottom of the exterior housing match up even with the splitter plate. this is a butt join fit no tabs allowed! the pic with the single orange line is pointing to the only scored part of the engine housing. the final pics show this assembly complete. It is better to paint the interior of the exhaust part as shown. it is a task to do it later when these parts are installed. Oh, repeat all the above for the other side!

**CMDRTED** · #7 03-21-2018, 06:21 PM

as in the above post I built up both stabilizers while parts were drying. they are scored at the front brought over double but given a little bowing in the center so the part isn't dead flat. on the phantom I leave the upper tabs on the stab. cut off the lower. this allows the downward droop characteristic of the phantoms tail feathers...

**CMDRTED** · #8 03-21-2018, 07:58 PM

the central fuselage is also the center of this models construction. it is here that the fwd and after fuselage parts fit. here is where the engine housings attach and then the wings attach afterwards. so what does this all mean, get it right and the rest of the kit follows. the first pic shows where to score. it is also highlighted on the kit as dashed lines. the top is rounded, use your rounding instrument, the back part has a section that has reversed curves that will provide attachment points for the exhaust nozzles, this little section has at the ends little triangular parts. these are parts that will be glued on top of each other providing a secure aft section. note this part doesn't quite attach to the main section, it sort of floats awaiting things to attach to, see the arrow

**YOAVHOZMI** · #9 03-21-2018, 09:15 PM

The Phantom is also my favorite plane and I see that you are doing great work on it.
well done.
keep on the good working.
i expect to see how the model will look at the end.

YOAV

**elliott** · #10 03-21-2018, 09:15 PM

Appreciate the detailed build threads you have posted Ted. You;re doing a great job on the Phantom!