I have just put the finishing touches to my RF-4C model.
I am about to embark on a major F-4 modelling spree in 1/72, using eleven Hasegawa kits. Before I started, I thought that I would "get my hand in" by building an old Esci kit that has been sat in my Deep Stash for over twenty years. The reasons for it were threefold:
- I have never been particularly happy with the tan supplied by paint manufacturers for the SEA scheme, so I would take this opportunity to experiment with mixing my own.
- I would experiment with more extreme weathering than I usually use.
- When detail in cockpits is somewhat spare, I usually just buy a resin detailing set and bung that in. this time I thought I would attempt to detail the cockpit instead.
My original intent was to build it as "Tumbleweed", an extrememly weathered aircraft of the 11 TRS, using an aftermarket decal sheet, but I changed my mind. Seeing as this was going to be a very experimental build, I didn't want to waste anything worthwhile on it. The old Esci kit, although quite accurate, is not to the same standard of detail as the Hasegawa one. It is over twenty years since I bought it, so if it doesn't work out, it's not gonna cost me anything. Why waste a perfectly good aftermarket sheet on it? Instead, as the Esci decals had been damaged in storage, I used an old Italeri decal sheet of similar vintage.
So, I started the build. I really wasn't bothered if I made a pig's ear of the build and so I tried all sorts of things that I would never usually contemplate. I detailed the cockpit with plasticard and fuse wire. I realised that as I was putting Quickboost resin seats into the Hasegawa ones, I had a huge supply of spare kit seats, so two went into Esci kit, with added detail - seatbelts from cooking foil, handles from fuse wire.
I found a mix for the tan paint that I was happy with, applied the colour scheme and experimented with an overspray of Klear (Future) - something that I'd only ever used on canopies before. I applied the decals, added extra stencils from other twenty-year-old sheets and then I started to weather it.
This time, I wanted to portray a filthy undersurface - something that seemed to be characteristic of F-4s. I use various weathering powders on my model railway, so I tried something called "track dirt". Quite apart from the dirt it simulated, the powder also got trapped in the panel lines, producing a far subtler effect than I've ever managed with countershading or washing. It was then that I realised that my experimental build, which I didn't really care about, was starting to look very good indeed! All of a sudden, I *did* care about it...!
At that point, I did a bit of research. The particular aircraft that I was building took part in Exercise Coronet Keno in 1977. I found a picture of another aircraft from the squadron, which showed that they didn't carry inboard pylons for that exercise and that the paint scheme on the fin tip was different to how I had portrayed it.
So, with the model painted, decaled and weathered, I started to do some rebuilding and repainting - again, something that I would never normally consider. Further components - jet nozzles and centreline tank - were robbed from the Hasegawa kit.
Now I've finished it. That "experimental" build, that I "didn't care about" has turned into one of the most satisfying projects that I can remember. I have learned a few new techniques, I've taken a few risks and I've had an
*awful* lot of fun building it. It didn't really cost me a penny (most of the costs were amortised over two decades ago!) but it is now one of the most valued models in my collection. There *are* things wrong with it - the Italeri decal sheet provided a rather squidged squadron badge, for instance - but I don't care. I think it looks great!It has taught me a thing about my modelling attitude as well. I set out to enjoy the build, rather than worry about whether I was going to botch it up or not. Maybe because of that enjoyment, I made a better job of things than I expected.
So... I've moved straight on to building the Hasegawa F-4E that I robbed components from. And yannow what? Despite the fact that I paid good money for this kit quite recently - not to mention the aftermarket seats and decals that I'm going to use on it - I'm really not concerned if I botch it up... I *am* concerned about accuracy and suchlike, but if it all goes pear-shaped then so what? I have another in my stash! ;-)
Let's see how much I enjoy *this* one!