I built this F-4
about two years ago. It began life as the 1/32nd Tamiya F-4D, but I have
always had a fondness for the Wild Weasel "G" jets, so when Cutting
Edge released their conversion, I quickly purchased that and began work.
Everyone by now knows the pros and cons of the Tamiya kit, so there is no need
to review that. The Cutting Edge set was beautiful. Perfectly cast
resin, down to the Weasel-specific antenna that sprout from all over the jet.
A nice touch was the WSO's instrument panel. It was cast in a
translucent green resin, so that, when painted, it would very realistically
simulate the greenish tint to the glass screens. Cutting Edge also supplies new
engine exhausts which are wonderful in detail, but very noticeably too small in
diameter. Another drawback is the price.
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I also purchased the
Verlinden cockpit set (designed for the D) and modified it to resemble a G
cockpit. The seats are a little inaccurate, but with some time and effort
build into very nice seats. The seatbelts and RBF tags are made from lead
foil. The buckles are made from scrap brass, as Verlinden didn't supply them.
Once the cockpit was finally
finished, assembly went smoothly. The Cutting Edge nose mated fairly well
to the Tamiya fuselage, requiring some putty and scrap plastic to bridge a small
"step", but nothing too bad. The model was painted with Model
Master enamels and weathered using a combination of drybrushing, airbrush
shading, and a wash of water-based dark gray paint. The decals are from
Leading Edge. They laid down perfectly, leaving no sign of the carrier
film. They depict F-4G 69-0298 as it appeared in March of 1996. It
was one of the last three F-4s serving in the U.S. Air Force.
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Other odds and ends include a
scratch-build AN/ALQ-184, and a scratch-built front windscreen, as 69-0298 used
the newer one-piece windscreen. I did this by molding a master from wood,
and then pulling clear Thermaform from Squadron over the master. Very
easy. Mk.20 Rockeye cluster bombs came from the 1/32nd F-15E and the
AGM-45 Shrikes came from the spares box. The Shrikes are not accurate, as
they were long since removed from service by 1996, but I didn't have any AGM-88
HARMs laying around. I plan to replace the Shrikes soon, though. The
centerline 600 gallon fuel tank was robbed from a Revell RF-4C. The RBF
tags are made from lead-foil. The engine intake covers are Reheat.
All in all, this model was a joy to build. It is by far my favorite
model I've built.
I hope you've enjoyed the article and pictures.
Jake
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