The reason for me creating this 'Phantom diorama' goes back to my childhood really, seeing the mighty and massive Phantom being launched from an aircraft carrier etched a picture in my memory. It's a scene I have wanted to replicate in miniature for some time now and with an F-4 Phantom Group Build competition starting on ARC it was the ideal time. I wanted to show the FG.1 with the nose wheel extended and all the flaps dropped ready for launch on the cat.

Photo courtesy of http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/

The model I chose was the Hasegawa 1/48 FG.Mk1 which was one of the later moldings of the Hasegawa Phantom Phamily, that said I found many problems with badly formed parts and sprues covered in flash. To depict the Phantom at launch the main change I had to make was lowering the flaps both leading edge and trailing edge, this required cutting them away from the wing and filling in the gap left with scratchbuilt parts. (pic1, pic2)

The kit comes with separate drooping ailerons which both have to be fitted pointing slightly down.

The model is painted using Tamiya paints and weathered with pastels and oils, and the decals used are a set of Model Alliance decals and I chose aircraft '005' aboard HMS Ark Royal.

I have used a piece of dense foam on a plywood base and the blast deflectors and details are made from card and sprue. The for the cat wire I have used normal string dipped in PVA glue and painted black. The crew 'although not accurate' are a set of Hasegawa US deck crew painted to represent the RN deck crew aboard HMS Ark Royal in the mid 70's. I wanted to show the sheer scale of the Phantom against the deck crew.


 

For the nose gear I used foil to replicate the polished look of the struts and clear green on the inside of the cockpit for the front glass.

Photos © 2005 by Pete Hudson

September 1, 2005

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