1/600th Aircraft - US Navy Fighters

Following the amount of work that detailing USN Aircraft generated I have broken the page up into management pieces. This page covers the USN Fighter Aircraft. For details of the fighters in the CVW-16 project you need to go here.

 

F-4J of VF-92 10 May 1972

Step 1 - Taking the TD late model Phantom as a base for this model (it is one of the better F-4 mouldings from these guys (but way better than anything I could do myself)).

Step 2 - Undercoat and base as normal, follow with a dark wash to pick up the panel lines and then finally go over with the fuselage colour and insignia white control surfaces and undersides. THEN as we are adding coloured decals (on clear decal film) the fin needs to be really lighted at the base to allow the yellow to show properly (white).

Step 3 - Re-black the cockpit and air intakes. Then add the cockpit detail.
For this aircraft I also added yellow on the wing tips and the top of the fin. The VF-92 aircraft have a black outline around the cockpit. I have tried both freehand in the past (VF-151 and VF-111 F-4s). This one used a decal as it was black.

Step 4 - National Insignia. I always put this on first as it means that the aircraft start taking on persona of the real aircraft. This F-4J has the Dom Decals small national insignia either side of the rear cockpit on the air intakes. I have gone a size up on the TOP left wing and BOTTOM right wing (I don't normally both with the underside markings) based on photos for this particular aircraft.

Step 5 - The VF-92 aircraft has NG as a tailcode split with a chess piece. This sat above a yellow dart shape. The whole decal had been made up on clear decal paper so the yellow needs a white base to show up. The black will come out on anything.

Step 6 - I added 7269 as the Bureau for this aircraft again made up decals printed at the same time as the tail codes.

Step 7 - Added NAVY in black using home made decals. I can't find the recent pack of NAVY that Dom sent me Oh well.


Step 8 - Added the Modex Numbers 211 under the cockpit on both sides. Modex numbers were done using font size 4. Red traingles added to the cockpit sides for both Pilot and RIO. The Modex number on the real aircraft has a yellow shadow but that was a bit to fiddly to add.

Step 9 - The One Below: Fixing the errors and bits missing you will have picked up in the one above.

I have no idea why I painted white across the rear edge of the entire wing. I haven't done that on any other phantom so why this one ? The middle panel should be all white upto the N in NAVY. FIXED

I haven't done VF-92 for the squadron. Bit too fiddly. NOT GOING TO ATTEMPT ON THIS ONE

USS CONSTELLATION needs to come down a bit on both sides. This is a result of having separate decals due to the way that Microsol affects the paper. NOT GOING TO ATTEMPT ON THIS ONE

Ive done the white base for the yellow fins and wing tips, but forgot to put the yellow on! FIXED

Haven't done the natural metal on the rear surfaces and what isn't metal should be all white. FIXED

Haven't done the warnings at the air intakes. STILL NOT DONE

Haven't done the anti-reflection panel forward of the cockpit. DONE

NG needs adding to the right wing. DONE

7269 on the starboard side needs replacing. DONE

A simple 1967 RF-8 Crusader.
Step 1 - Clean up the model. The Tumbling Dice model has the sidewinder/Zuni mounts just under the cockpit on both side. This needs cleaning up with a file.
Step 2 - Undercoat and base coat as normal, follow with a dark wash to pick up the panel lines and then finally go over with the fuselage colour and insignia white control surfaces and undersides.
Step 3 - Re-black the cockpit and air intakes. Then add the cockpit detail.

Step 4 - National Insignia. I always put this on first as it means that the aircraft start taking on persona of the real aircraft. The RF-8 has the Dom Decals small national insignia either side of the cockpit, TOP left wing and BOTTOM right wing (I don't normally both with the underside markings).
Step 5 - Tailcodes. I chose to use the PP used by VFP-63 on USS Hancock. Simply because it is a simple "normal" PP (and I had the BuNo and Modex assignments). These were done on a word processor using font size 7 (which is approxmitely 36").
Step 6 - Bureau Numbers were added again same font but this time down at size 2.5 (about 12") on both sides
Step 7 - Added NAVY in black I have done some of my own for the more awkward TD aircraft where Dom's won't fit without hacking apart.
Step 8 - Added the Modex Numbers under the cockpit on both sides. Modex numbers were done using font size 4. Red triangles added to the cockpit sides. Step 9 - Fixing the errors and bits missing.

All said and done enough for wargaming models. Most of the markings are the wrong scale but I work on the TLAR principle (That Looks About Right). It gives the right impression. The VF-92 Insignia is also sat too far back, probably need to shift the NG forward as well just a fraction when I next do a decal run and a second aircraft
Second models are always easier. A Black Falcons (VF-96) F-4J. Dropped the triangles but put the jet intake strakes on instead.

 

Time to put this one into the varnish and then just some testors dullcote from the nice people at Antenociti's workshop so will give it a blast with that when it arrives (gives the varnish some time to harden as well). Panic over then the dullcote works and the two F-4s ready to go tableside.
The beauty with downtown is that all aircraft represent flights so I can "do" individual markings for all my aircraft and not feel too guilty or I can run them all from the same squadron. The choice is limited by the ink in the printer and time to research.
Part of the work to do a set of decals for USS Oriskany meant that I could get around to the proper fighter of the Vietnam war, the Crusader. VF-111 were one of the unique (if not the unique squadron) in that they had MiG kills with both the F-8 and the F-4. I had alread done a Sundowner F-4 when first getting into this scale so I was itching to get my hands on the F-8s. The tail art is a lot more reserved than later which was good as it took a while (and still needs updating as we go).
As usual this simple foray led to more and more work and I have now done a test set for VF-111, VF-162, VA-163, VA-164 and VFP-63. I haven't done any of the support aircraft yet.
I have now just finished the last of the 6 aircraft for the Constellation Air Group which took longer than I expected because I got diverted off to playing Ambush Alley. These F-4Js will go off for a game next Monday and the Cheltenham Warchiefs club for a game of Thud Ridge. These new ones have new proper length fuselage stripes (they are shorter). By doing so I have been able to add the Squadron identifier which was missing from the first two. For some reason I put 3 digit numbers on the elevators by mistake but only noticed after varnishing, oh well....Anyway TLAR and on to the table with these. Attack aircraft here I come.

Moving off Vietnam for a little experiment I bought a pair of F-14 for a 1975 what if scenario. I have now done one of them (in the process of doing the second one) for TOPGUN. Only a little bit of fun.