In recent years, plastic models have advanced remarkably—welcome news for us model enthusiasts.
By contrast, reports say that solid models have been in decline, and the regular meetings of solid-model clubs around the country seem less lively than before. That is regrettable.
The other day someone told me, “At this rate, in a few years everyone still carving wood will end up as Living National Treasures,” and I felt quite disheartened.
Although many contributors have presented building methods in this magazine, we have seen surprisingly few solid models that appear to have been made by following those articles. Why might that be?
Perhaps because many past authors are regarded within their clubs as “No. 1” or “masters,” readers have come to think solid modeling must be extremely difficult.
I do not believe it is that difficult. What matters is to make a solid model that brings out your own abilities to the fullest.
To be frank, I am not especially skillful myself; there are many members of Saiunkai who are better than I am. But I do not intend to lose in terms of the will to build. I encourage everyone to pick up the craft of wood-carving with a light heart.

A solid model aims to be a true scale representation of the real aircraft, but at 1:50 there are limits. For types with limited documentation—and even when accurate documentation exists—it is virtually impossible to reproduce minute details such as cockpit interiors and landing-gear minutiae.
Find your own points of compromise. Boldly omit areas that are rarely visible from the outside or are simply beyond your ability (for example, the rotor-hub assembly of a helicopter). Otherwise you may stall and abandon the project.
My motto is not “How perfectly can I copy the real machine?” but rather “How convincingly can I suggest the real machine?”
With that in mind, let us build the F-4 Phantom II.

A foldout drawing of the F-4C appeared in the August 1964 issue of Kōkū Fan. That drawing depicts the Air Force’s C model, but externally the Navy’s B model is essentially the same (see figure below). To build at 1:50 you must enlarge that drawing by about 1.3×.

Do not trust any drawing blindly—always scrutinize it before use.
Photographs do not lie, so check your drawings against photos. In the August issue drawing, the front view of the air intakes seems slightly off: on production aircraft, the upper portion is not as narrow. Early variants may have such a shape, but production models differ.
The small intake on each side of the nose also appears a bit too long in side view; on the real aircraft it extends only to about just ahead of the nose-gear strut.
Because many F-4C drawings show side views with Sparrow missiles mounted under the fuselage, the actual lower contour of the fuselage can be hard to read. Study photographs and add this line to your drawing. If you can draft your own plans, so much the better—but in any case, begin by checking the accuracy of the drawing you will use; correct what needs correction and bring it closer to the real aircraft.
Gather as many photographs as you can from your own sources; many have appeared in this magazine. In my notes I found Phantom photos in the following issues: 1964 (March, October, November, December); 1963 (February, May, June, October, December); 1962 (April, May, July, August, September, November, December).
Use high-detail photos when working on details. Even when details are unclear, unit markings and codes are useful—collect images focusing on the F-4B of the unit you wish to model.
In addition to these materials, I used photographs I personally took during last year’s Armed Forces Day open house at Yokota Air Base. Armed Forces Day is approaching again; if you have the chance, go to Yokota or Atsugi and take as many detail photos of the F-4B as you can.
There is no reference more accurate than the real aircraft, and as the saying goes, “Seeing once is worth a hundred descriptions.” Do go and see it for yourself.

Because my family business is cabinetmaking, friends often say, “You’ve got a lot of tools—lucky you.”
Indeed, I own many planes and chisels, but I do not possess many tools specific to solid modeling. There are builders who can make a mock-up with a single knife and do it far better than I can. Owning good drills or woodworking machines does not automatically yield better models.
Therefore, make the most of the tools you already have.
I rough out mock-ups with one plane, two or three chisels, and a saw. I use a penknife only when scribing panel lines.
Sharp tools make work easier, but many people are not fond of sharpening. In solid modeling, the sharpness of a tool does not directly appear in the finished work. I have a friend who buys a ten-yen carving chisel for scribing, throws the blade away when it dulls, and keeps only the handle for a drop tank. Even on an F-4C, two or three such chisels seem sufficient for scribing.
In short, use the tools that are comfortable for you to the fullest. If you put your mind to it, besides knives, planes, and chisels you can make use of anything—wood files, fragments of glass, etc.
Even the fussy landing gear need not be soldered; I know modelers who have made the gear of a Zero or a Raiden using adhesive alone.

Please look at the assembly diagram. From the standpoint of solid-model enthusiasts, the Phantom II has a particularly troublesome fuselage.
This is my second F-4B. The first time, I carved the fuselage from a single block of magnolia, which proved extremely laborious, so this time I divided it into three parts.
For the center fuselage, prepare one block 26×43×360 mm; for the intake sections, prepare two blocks 15×31×200 mm.
Decide the width of the center section as accurately as possible, and plane the mating faces so they fit perfectly before gluing.
Transfer the side profile from the drawing to the center block and carve only the side profile first. The arresting hook on this aircraft is much larger than on earlier Navy types, so I make that portion from wood as well. The tip that catches the wire will be fabricated later from tinplate and faired with putty, so at this stage it is safer not to carve away the root of the hook.
Because the aft fuselage has a complex cross-section, glue the three parts together before carving. Do not carve anything other than the side profile yet.
After carving the side profile of the center section, use intake templates to mark the bonding surfaces on the center block, and shape everything else. In other words, carve the upper fuselage and the nose, but leave the aft portion and the bottom rather blocky for now.
Likewise, fabricate each intake section separately and glue them on firmly with a strong adhesive.
Once the joints have fully cured, carve the planform and then round the cross-section. Pay close attention to capturing the F-4B’s distinctive area-ruled planform.
Cut the slot for the main wing spars before gluing, if possible. The intake geometry is complicated—compare drawings and photographs carefully and carve to match.
I carved with reference to photos and sectional sketches. Beginners, or anyone concerned, may prepare gauges for each station and use them.
Note the missile-mount fairings under the fuselage; photographs make the aft portion hard to read, but from the main-wheel bays rearward the contours are quite angular—study this closely.
In the end, what matters is to use your tools to the fullest and carve with drawings and photos always at hand.
My approach is to carve the side profile slightly oversize and then true it to the drawing with very coarse sandpaper (around 50-grit). After that, I finish the surfaces with finer papers.
For the exhaust nozzles, turn separate wooden cylinders, hollow them out, and fit them. Tinplate also works.

You will need a somewhat wide board for the main wing. If you have straight-grained magnolia with a bluish cast, select a good piece. Transfer the wing outline from a template and rough-cut it 2–3 mm oversize.
Form the wing-root tab at the same time. If possible, align the grain with the trailing-edge line; this helps when scribing. Keep in mind the grain orientation at the leading edge as well—once painted, the grain will be invisible, so fix it in your mind now.
After reducing to approximate thickness, shape the section with reference to sectional drawings—but do not rely too much on the printed airfoil drawings. Judge the fullness at the root and the sharpness of the leading edge by studying photographs, then carve accordingly.
On modern jets, the wing section is often close to symmetrical. Some types have drooped or “kinked” (dog-tooth) leading edges; again, compare carefully with photographs.
One key to a clean-looking solid model is to make the trailing edge as thin as possible. When held to a light bulb, you should see a faint glow through it. If the trailing edge remains chunky, you will never capture the crisp character of a jet.
I carve wings mostly with a plane. Fix the plane upside down, and, holding the wing in your hands, shave it as if slicing katsuobushi (bonito flakes). Once roughly shaped, fold a sheet of sandpaper in two, lay it on the desk, and rub the wing over it by hand.
A very thin trailing edge will be fragile, but paint will stiffen it. Because it mars easily, determine the mounting position and true the planes first; then complete the final trailing-edge thinning just before installation.