Kit: Zoukei-Mura Super Wing Series 1/48 No.6 - F-4C Phantom II
I recently got back into the scale modelling hobby last year after about 25 years away. This is the 2nd aircraft model I've done since returning, most of what I've completed have been cars and sci-fi subjects. I had never heard of this company, but the kit had good reviews and was discounted on sale, so I decided to take a chance. The kit was well-packaged with individually bagged sprues, a huge decal sheet, a color printed paint/decal guide and a well-detailed B&W instruction book printed in both Japanese and English.

Decals: Experts-Choice 48-32 191st FIG Michigan ANG (Nose Art No.1)
I originally purchased these decals sometime in the 1998/1999 time frame and they had sat in my stash ever since. Both the decal sheet itself and the instruction sheet had a copyright date of 1992, so they were possibly 34 years old at time of use. A detail that will come up later.

The Build:
Everything went together very well, only issue was in the fuselage-to-intake and fuselage-to-wing seams which did require a little bit of putty/sanding work. Although to be fair, some of that was probably my fault for lackluster dry fitting on some pieces. The general fit, finish, level of detail and engineering was well done. No major complaints, would recommend the kit and would not hesitate to purchase another kit from the company.

The Paint:
Base color is AK Real Colors ADC Grey FS16473. First time using this particular line and it laid down like a dream. I thinned at about 60/40 paint-to-thinner with Mr.Color Leveling Thinner and sprayed at around 18-20psi. The nose was basic Tamiya X-1. The bare metal tail areas were done with a mix of Alclad lacquers and Tamiya rattle cans. Alclad Aluminum and Steel were mixed for the primary base with some shading done with Alclad Jet Exhaust. The horizontal stabs were shot with Tamiya Semi-Gloss Aluminum and Silver Titanium. First time working with Alclad and probably need more practice with it, but so far I'm impressed. The surfaces scratch easy but really do look impressive over a gloss black undercoat. The only big bummer was a dumb mistake on my part. I did not properly wipe down and clean the canopy prior to gluing in place for painting. Something gassed off inside the cockpit and fogged up some of my latent fingerprints. I thought about tearing the canopy off and trying to fix it... but then I looked at my model stash, shrugged my shoulders and moved on. She will live in my display case proudly displaying her warts. I'll just do better on the next one.

The Decals:
Turns out using decals that are somewhere between 27-34 years old has some potential downsides. I started with the roundels, the first one developed a few small tears as I tried to coax it off the backing paper, but nothing that couldn't be saved. Moving onto one of the big "USAF" decals for the wings is where tragedy struck. The decal instantly shattered into dozens of shards as soon as I tried to take it out of the water (you can see it is missing in the underside photo). At this point I had already decided to force my way past any issues. Whatever this old sheet had in store, I was just going to just have to deal with. Overall, I'd say probably 30-40% of all the decals have at least one tear despite my best efforts at being gentle. Most of them were pulled from the fire without looking too obvious, but it was a journey. The stenciling was all from the kit decal sheet. While I don't believe the 171st Phantoms were ever heavily stenciled in reality, I had the sheet in front of me and decided to get some practice. The bigger decals were all blasted with Solvaset, the one truth in forced decal compliance.

The Weathering:
There is none. I wanted this example to look shiny and waxed. I grew up about 10 miles from Selfridge ANG Base where these were stationed. I saw them in person at multiple air shows throughout the 1980s. These Phantoms were always immaculate. They were like your local fire trucks, spending more time getting washed and waxed then they did performing any official duties. I was always after a "best case scenario" display example. Not to mention that I doubt these planes ever carried 4x AIM-7 and 4x AIM-9 in ANG service. It's all artistic license and a little flight of fancy. I just wanted something that looks good from six feet away when sitting behind glass doors.

The Aircraft:
F-4C 63-7583 was ordered in 1963 and delivered sometime in late 1964. She was assigned to a training squadron straight from the factory. Over the next 14ish years, she performed the thankless but vital role of training pilots and back seaters in the use of the F-4.

By the mid-1970s the F-4C variant was essentially outdated. They had been replaced in front line squadrons by updated F-4D/E variants with much improved avionics and capabilities. Not to mention that the new hotness F-15 was just entering service as well. The march of time would push the F-4C into reserve and Air National Guard roles where it would replace even older types. In the tactical fighter role, the Phantom would push out the older F-100 and F-105. In the air defense role, the Phantom would push out the older F-101, F-102 and F-106. 63-7853 would be assigned to the 191st Fighter Interceptor Group, 171st Fighter Interceptor Squadron by 1978.

The 171st was responsible for air defense of the Detroit area, being based 10 miles north of the city limits. 63-7853 would be assigned to the 171st from 1978 until 1986 and participated in the William Tell events of 1978, 1980 and 1982. At some point after William Tell 1980 and before William Tell 1982, the Phantoms from 171st would be given unique nose art. At least 19 unique examples existed, with "Never Trust a Smiling Cat" being the nose art on this particular example. The nose art was based on a Garfield poster that came out in the late 70s and was still popular at the time.

In 1986, the 171st gave up the F-4C and transitioned to the F-4D model. The slightly newer Phantom variant did not last very long in the role, being replaced by 1990 with the ADF variant of the F-16A/B. These Falcons didn't last long either, as the end of the Cold War further de-emphasized the air defense role for the ANG. In 1993 the squadron was converted to tactical airlift and equipped with the C-130. This lasted until 2007 when it was converted again to aerial refueling with the KC-135.

After her retirement in 1986, the story wasn't over for 63-7583. She was sent to then West Germany to be used as a ground instructional airframe. She had come full circle, ending her days back in the training role. Once obsolete even as a study aid for mechanics, 63-7583 likely should have been set to the scrap yard but was thankfully spared. If you live in Germany or are visiting, you can still see her today. She is on display at the Hermeskeil Aviation Museum, still sporting her 171st Michigan ANG livery.

This and a tiger 1 are the last 1/72 ill make before daring to make a bigger one, how is it looking??

Made from spares . 1/76 SCALE

So calling this one done. A Hasagawa 1/72 Kfir.C2. Not bad for an old kit (tooling dates back to 1979). I had a Xtra Decal set for the F-1 Mirage that included decals for an Ecuadorian FAE Mirage. I knew that the FAE operated the Kfir and I liked that paint scheme so decided to repurpose the F-1 decals for this build. The Hasagawa decals were thick as a brick so I pulled/sanded some of them off, which then resulted in having to repaint some areas. I've really got to get better at writing down my paint mixes as it was a bit of trial and error till I got back to what I laid down originally. Not a whole lot of weathering as the reference photos I could find didn't show much. Obviously this doesn't represent a real aircraft but I liked the way it turned out. 

One of the objectives of this build was trying out the Ghaaleri Kaliedo primers, varnishes, and thinner. Big thumbs up to all three. I used the thinner with my Mig Ammo Atom paints and it worked beautifully. The black primer was so much easier to use and cleanup after than Stylrez and gave a nice foundation for the rest of the finishes. The varnishes also went down really well and gave a nice protection layer. I was able to use enamel panel liners and odorless spirits on top of the varnish without an issue. I also got to try out my new jig from maddogmodels. It's a little expensive but I really like it. 

Oh well back to the stash.

Because i cant think of other thing than pressure coming out of the airbrush being the issue here when the nozzle cap is on vs wheb its off.

1/35 scale

I was getting to the part where i had to prime when i noticed something odd, there were a lot of parts, some spare parts if i messed up something, yeah, some where mentioned as additional parts in the manual but other ....im just left wondering what am i suppossed to do with this??

Is there a site that help explains this stuff better?? All the videos about this kit ive found on youtube are extremely basic and say nothing about this parts.

Thanks in advance.

I know it’s a little bit dark but I’m trying to show the LED’s I installed in the hull using fiber optic line in each porthole. Still need to add rigging.

Airfix ferret scout cars 1/35 scale

Amazingly some willy jeeps were transported by crate.

Tamiya 1/35

One of my favourite films

Airbrushed with acrylic. Some oils used . 5 months of building and weathering

Academy kit . Airbrushed

21st Century Toys, early 2000's (?) made for 12" action figures. This one started as the police version. I know others have done the Magnum paint scheme, but I did all the body and interior work to make it more or less a civilian 500D. Biggest challenge was cutting out the rear door windows and moving them up! Cloth seat coverings and felt carpet a close second for PIA level. Did my part to increase Bondo's profits for sure!

Revell kit airbrush in union flag colours

Im really proud if this work, put a lot of effort in it, was really challenging work maybe the most challenging I ever build, was a little bit complex keeping the folded wing in site, and finding references too, really hope you appreciate it 🔥

This project started from scratch—just an idea to create my own 1/48 carrier deck base kits inspired by USS Langley and the Essex class. From researching the decks to designing the MDF parts and 3D-printed details, it’s been a rewarding process of learning, testing and bringing everything together.

Assembly starts by gluing the laser-cut MDF planks and 3D-printed tie-down strips in place, then sealing the surface with varnish.

For the wood finish, I tried two approaches: different shades on individual planks on the left, and Vallejo Fresh Wood on the right. Another coat of varnish protects those colours before applying Worn Effects chipping fluid.

I didn’t have the proper Deck Blue paint, so I mixed a shade by eye. Once applied, I chipped it with water and a brush to reveal the wood underneath, then added the white deck markings.

The bases come in two sizes: 30 × 25 cm and 25 × 20 cm.

Seeing something that started as an idea turn into an actual model kit is probably my favourite part of this project. Still learning, still experimenting—and enjoying every step!

What do you think?