1/72 ESCI F4-E Phantom II

Gallery Article by Andrea Pomettini on Nov 14 2013

 

 

Here I am again, with a machine I like as no one else (no matter that is somewhat huge) and with a manufacturer I am really fond of: ESCI. If you do not share the same reasons, you could at least be impressed by a so engaging boxart!

The first attempt was not so good: few years and a lack of experience and resources caused the poor model to look very wretched. When I felt ready and looked for a new box … oh dear me: ESCI was no longer operating! I will never thank enough job lots: among one of it, a new box was waiting for me.

You can see the Verlinden contribution in the cockpit (resin ejection seats plus some photo etched) and in open radome; on the other hand, Hasegawa Aircraft Weapons boxes (II and III) provided all ordnance: AIM-7E Sparrow missiles, 2 GBU-10 Laser guided bombs and 1 GBU-8 TV guided bomb; this one to pay homage to the equipment mounted on the leading edge of the port wing: a telescopic camera known as TISEO - Target Identification System Electro-Optical. 600 gallons centerline tank comes from the box.

 

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You could now wonder on my contribution; I positioned the wing ailerons in the down position, slightly opened the air brakes, used small aluminum foil to create real holes for the air intakes behind the shark mouth and a larger one to build red air intake covers. Finally, I used some thin plasticard strips to rise up the identification lights and some spare plastic rods to assemble the yellow cockpit.

Painting followed a typical scheme: Green 34079, Green 34102 and Tan 30219 for sides and top surfaces, while bottom is Grey 36622; all Humbrol enamels. Some (few) paint chipping was applied with metal mixed to silver via small brush and some dirt on the wheels and landing gear by diluted oil paint completed a light weathering. Decals … from the box, of course! To represent a machine belonging to 3rd TFW / 3rd TFS operating from Philippine’s Clark Air Base.

Have good time while modeling.

Andrea Pomettini

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Photos and text © by Andrea Pomettini