Feature build by Richard Allen
Just before we get started, here’s a look at how it all turned out…
Opening Thoughts and Plan
Having built a Meng 1:48 F-4G I was so impressed with the build, that I decided to buy a second Meng F-4G to complement the first, but build in the Spangdalem 81st TFS, 52 TFW wrap round grey green scheme, from circa 1987.
Having visited Spangdalem when I was based in RAF Germany during the 80s, this felt like a good project to undertake and bring back a few memories in the process. I have recently finished the Revell 1:32 Wild Weasel F-4G, in the same scheme, which will hopefully look good alongside the 1:48 Meng when finished.
The Wrap round scheme would also contrast nicely with two tone grey scheme of my first 1:48 F-4G, which was a Dhahran based F-4G.
References
Internet images
Scalemates website
Zoukei Mura instructions
Meng instructions
Book: Modelling the F-4 Phantom by Geoff Coughlin and Neil Ashby (Osprey Publishing).
What’s the Plan?
After an exhausted trawl through the Internet, there appears very few images available of this frame AF69-268, and those that are available do not show it in an exact match for the Meng or ZM scheme, I had intended working from. However, the images do give a good feel for the actual aircraft and to my surprise show that the frames were pretty ‘clean’ without the excessive weathering that you would expect.
My intention was to use Vallejo Model Air paints for 90% of the build, despite having dabbled with Hataka and Ammo acrylic paints for previous builds, however, my default has always been to revert to Vallejo, so I decided to stick to what I am comfortable using.
The Zoukie-Mura 1/48 F-4G is coincidentally the same frame as the Meng (there must have been other options they could have chosen!) so I am using ZM’s paint scheme, which conveniently shows the Vallejo colours needed to recreate the scheme. Meng use AK paints as their recommended product, which are laid out very neatly on the side of the box, I simply don’t use that product.
