Airfix 1/72 McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 Build Royal Navy A06016

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Hi All,

I've posted a build review of this kit once before when it was first released, when I built it as a 43 sqn machine in low viz grey, all folded up with the radar exposed.

However that review no longer has any photos, so I thought I'd do another for this build, though not as detailed. This time round I'm going to use the kit decals, with a little twist.

On the sprues the plastic looks very good, with indented panel lines that aren't too excessive, rivet detail, full intake trunking, and lots of options for weapons fit, and general configuration (flats, slats, nosewheel etc). However there are a few mistakes, including missing the vents on the top and bottom of the intakes, a strake on both sides of the underwing drop tanks, when it should only be on one side, and the painting instructions having the tanks all over dark sea grey, when I think they were 50/50 grey and white undersides.

I started with the cockpit, which went together well. The seats are several parts each, including separate pads, with moulded on belts, and decals for the instruments, but no aircrew, even though inflight and launch configuration are options. The fully assembled tube then went into one of the fuselage halves, the fit was fine.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

The fuselage halves went together with no issues, then the tailfin and tailplanes went on, also without any trouble or filler needed. To save any detail being lost on the spine when it comes to sanding, this part is a separate insert, but it didn't fit that well, and needed some filling and sanding around the edges, which lost some minor detail.

Also note that that there are two tailfins provided, with or without the fin top box, and blade aerials on the side. However, later Navy Phantoms had the box on top, but were missing the blade aerials. It's much easier to remove the aerials from the later fin than to add the RWR box to the earlier, so that's what I did.

By the way, the tailplanes can be positioned level for normal flight, or angled down for take off.

The under fuselage and inner wing stub panel was then added, this was a pretty bad fit under the cockpit section, seen in the photo below.

[Matthias Muth]

It's not a problem for your first build.

I had done the same, love all the open parts:

modelldoc

[Kenneth ONeill]

Nice build PMM. As an aside on the tanks, both the grey/white and overall grey schemes are correct depending on period, with the note that you could have both wing tanks in either scheme and the fuselage tank in the same scheme or the other scheme.

Also those tail aerials are for the Instrument Landing System, and the box is for the Radar Warning Receivers.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Thanks for the comments Ken, and the information. I've searched on the internet and found a photo of the machine I'm modelling with one all over extra dark sea grey tank, and one where the front 2/3 are in EDSG and the rear 1/3 is in a different shade of the grey, with a white underside, a case of cut and shut I think! Anyway that will add a bit of interest.

Very nice build Matthias, good diorama as well.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

The wings and intakes have now gone on my Phantom. Had some major issues with the intakes, the fit was not good, with some major gaps, and a lot of pressure was needed to keep them in the right place while the cement cured, see the photos below. The wing flaps and slats were also a little on the sloppy side for fit, but nowhere near as bad as the intakes.

This view does show off some of the nice rivet detail however.

[Kenneth ONeill]

My comment about tanks just refers to "official schemes"; I'm pretty sure I've seen a photo with 2 different greys front and rear too, and not with the division along a shadow line.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

The gaps have been filled and the undercarriage also added. The grey paint was to check to seems. The white undersides have also been sprayed using Vallejo Model Air.

The undercarriage was a little fiddly to attached, but not to bad. Once on, the interlocking retraction jacks made for a strong construction. The doors were then fitted with no issues.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

The basic painting has been completed, again using Vallejo Air, and a gloss coat added, the upper surface grey was hand painted. All ready for decaling now.

[T2B]

Be ready for several days doing the decals PMM with all those stencils, but from experience it is worth it in the end!

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Finally finished the decaling. Took about 4 sessions altogether, about 1 and a half to 2 hours each! Probably close to 400 individual markings to put down, if you count the multiples.

I chose to do XV864 in the 892 Squadron markings. I did change it slightly though, instead of doing the 1974-1975 version, I did her as marked for the final deployment in 1978, with the Squadron flash on the nose (this came from an old Modeldecal sheet), the the legend 'FLY NAVY' on the fuselage, instead of 'ROYAL NAVY'. This was made from taking the 'L' and 'Y' for 'ROYAL', and modifying the 'R' into an 'F'.

Weapons ready to go on, on the final stretch now.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Finally completed my Navy Phantom, and I'm pretty pleased with the result. There were a few fit issues, especially the intakes, and the canopy, but I think dealing with things like that help improve skills, and adds to the sense of fulfilment when solved.

I built mainly from the box, apart from modifying the decals slightly as mentioned earlier, and a few other easy changes. These included removing the ILS aerials from the fin ( these were never on navy phantoms, but are not mentioned in the instructions), removing the starboard side strake from the underwing fuel tanks (these tanks only ever have one strake, no matter which mark of Phantom it is, don't know how Airfix made that mistake!), and I added an extra rocket pod under each wing, after raiding the spares box for the leftovers from another Airfix Phantom build.

The weathering was kept to the underside white, which received a dark grey wash, especially around the rear area, under the engines, and some oil leaks, using a Tamiya weathering set, and some soot around the engine exhausts, using Humbrol Weathering Powder.

Overall a good and enjoyable kit to build, let down by some issues such as sink marks here and there, such as on the Sparrow Missiles, and missing details such as the vents around the intakes and exhausts.

The kit must have the most options of any Phantom, with 3 different outer wings, 2 tail fins, different parts for retracted and deployed flaps and slats, open and closed canopies, and extended or retracted refuelling probe, and well as the normal and extended nosewheel leg. The weapons load is also pretty good with 3 tanks, 4 Sidewinders, 4 Sparrows, and 4 Sparrow drill rounds, as well as 4 bombs (1000lb'ers I think), and 4 Navy specific rocket pods.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

[sticky fingers]

That is fantastic and nice to see the Navy 2" rocket pods, makes a change from the usual AIM-9 only fit

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Thanks RodC and sticky fingers. It's a pretty good kit, apart from the intake fit.

[RougeTrooper]

That's a cracking job. Not surprised it took that long with the decals.

 

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Thanks RougeTrooper. Yes the decals were a pain, but worth it in the end. I did them in number order, after applying the main markings first, and aimed to do maybe forty or fifty a night.