下塗りから上塗りまでの間は全く単調な仕事で、私もときどきソリッドを作るのがアホらしくなります。そんなときはあせらず一服してから、じっくりと取組みます。
　さて上塗りですが、実物のF4Bは殆んどツヤ消しに近い白とガル・グレイに塗り分けてあるようです。ソリッドにした場合あくまで実感派としてツヤ消しにする場合は吹付で行ないますが、私の場合は機体はツヤを出すため少し厚目に筆塗し、乾いてから600番ぐらいの細かい水ペーパーでもう一度磨いてから、コンパウンドでツヤを出しました。
　そして機首レドームや機首光線よけを完全なツヤ消しにすると、一段と引き立ちます。
　まず下塗り完成後の機体をもう一度良く調べて、完全に水ペーパーがかかっているかたしかめて下さい。そして下面に白のラッカーを5回程度塗ります。
　白のラッカーはそのままの白色より青のラッカーを、ほんの少し落してまぜてから塗ると良い色に仕上り、完成後の変色もある程度防止できます。
　ガル・グレイに塗る部分は必要ありませんが、フラップおよび垂直尾翼の舵面は上下面とも白色ですので塗っておきます。別に作ってある水平尾翼も上面下面とも白色ですので一緒に塗ります。
　乾いたら目の細かい水ペーパに石鹸をつけて、ハケ目を取るために磨いておきます。そしてフラップ上面や方向舵の部分をセロテープ等でカバーしておきます。そして今度は写真等を良く見て機首の塗り分けを行ないます。同様に他のガル・グレイの部分も塗ります。
　さて、このガル・グレイなる色ですが、私の場合、有難いことに新明和にいる友人に痛んで、同社が米海軍機に塗っているガル・グレイの色も手に入れましたので、塗料だけはホンモノであります\\。 　この他にネプチューン等に塗られているダーク・シープレン・グレイと言う色、海兵隊のヘリコプターや観測機等に塗ってある明るいグリーンの色を持ってますが、これらを塗ると完全にツヤ消しになります。シンナーで溶けますが、われわれが入手出来るラッカーとは違う質の塗料のようです。
　色の具合は私は数字で現わすのが苦手で、黒が何％　とは申しませんから、皆さんの感じでガルグレイを作って下さい。
「航空フアン」のカラーページにも有りますが、65年3月号のサベージとフュリーの色ほ少し青味がオーバ一気味です。実物は白に黒を落して行くだけで作れる色のようです。64年9月号のフランス海軍のクルセーダーの色等が近い色だと思います。
　ともあれ実物を見る機会のある人は、自分自身の目で確かめて下さい。海に近い人は上を飛ぶカモメに御注意下さい。ガル・グレイですぞ! 　乾きましたら白色のときと同じように水ペーパーで磨きます。コンパウンドはスジポリの後で使います。
風防のセロテープももう少し後でめくります。

In the past, many modelers scribed panel lines during the mock-up stage, but nowadays more do it after the finish coats. This avoids having surfacer fill the scribing and allows shallower lines that still look crisp, even if your hand is not perfect.
On my models, I scribe deeper (down to bare wood) only on movable surfaces such as flaps and rudders. I scribe very lightly on items like leading-edge flaps, inspection holes, and canopy frames—merely cutting the paint. For ordinary skin joints, a light knife line suffices.
Sharp tools help, of course; some modern blades are made so you can snap off the dull tip. Use what works best for you. In my experience, laying the blade down at a shallow angle helps keep it from wandering along the grain.
I also add rivets at this stage. Some plastic-model fans think solid models are inferior because they “lack rivets,” but that is a misunderstanding. On modern jets, most rivets are countersunk and should be flush with the surface. Those prominent “bumps” you see are often manufacturers’ tricks to make things look convincing.
On a solid model we indent rather than raise. Still, rivets should not be overemphasized; it is best if you only notice them when you look closely in hand. Do not draw big rectangular “boxy” rivets with a dressmaker’s roulette.
Nor is it efficient to punch every dot with a pin. I use a fine mimeograph roulette (for dotted lines), rolling it lightly. Without detailed skin-layout photos you will end up improvising; do not be too fussy.
When finished, polish the surface with compound or a wax/compound blend. Next, remove the canopy-masking tape; score lightly with a knife and peel. Clean up the edges once more with the blade.

At this stage one longs to finish quickly, but resist the urge—markings and stencils are key to a crisp-looking solid model.
Study photographs carefully to place U.S. national insignia. You can freehand with ruling pen and compass, or mask with tape and cut with a knife; each method has advantages. I used the ruling-pen method, which has been described previously in Kōkū Fan. Do not over-thin the lacquer—use it slightly thick and work quickly. If you overrun a line, scrape gently with a penknife or razor tip to correct.
My subject replicates a Marine F-4B shown at the Yokota open house last year (serial 151013). Some modelers invent numbers—birthday dates, car plates, and the like—but I prefer to model an aircraft that actually existed.
Do not just choose easy digits like 1, 4, or 7; check references or the serial-number sticklers will complain. Nose modexes differ by service (Navy: usually three digits; Marines: often one or two). Also note: tail “1013” does not imply that a nose “3” equals tail “1014,” and so on—be careful.
On U.S. Navy/Marine aircraft, the outlines of large digits and letters often have rounded outside corners, while inside corners are not rounded—observe this when painting.
For big letters and numerals (e.g., the “VW” on the tail, or “2” on the nose), I cut tape masks. Rarely does it go perfectly in one pass, so expect minor scraping or line-thickening corrections.
For smaller legends, I first define the bounding height with tape above and below, then paint with ruling pen or freehand. MARINES and VMFA-314 I freehanded using hobby lacquer. For tiny lettering, I find using hobby paints (with a little retarder) kinder than over-thinned lacquer; if you err, wipe lightly with hobby thinner on a cloth and try again. So long as the top and bottom bounds are true, it will read well at normal viewing distance—avoid over-correcting and scarring the finish.
Recent U.S. aircraft are covered with stencils, and the F-4B’s nose is particularly busy. Using a fine brush and black hobby lacquer, dot in the cautions and placards, placing them by reference to photos. This adds more realism than clumsy “rivets.”
By the way, paint the radome flat black (some later aircraft use a gray-white tone), the anti-glare panel a near-black green, the leading edges of the main wing/intakes/tailplanes silver, and the aft fuselage around the exhausts silver toned with a little black. Inside the exhausts, a near-black works well—the settled sludge in your brush-wash jar can make a convincing shade.
Choose squadron insignia to taste. Atlantic-based F-4Bs can be quite flamboyant. In monochrome photos, judge colors by the value of the blue in the national insignia and the red bar. Colors here are not subtle mid-tones but mostly simple hues: blue, red, green, yellow—surprisingly straightforward.

Now for my weakest area: landing gear. Many, like me, are not fond of soldering—attach one part and another pops off, and sooner or later you leap from a burn! At 1:50 scale, do not chase excessive detail; omitting very fine parts is often safer.
Use commercially available 12-mm U-control tailwheels for the main wheels and 8-mm for the nose wheel (two each). File the rounded tire beads flat so they sit properly. For struts, use brass rod or knitting needles; I used brass nails of various sizes—handy if you keep a stock from the hardware store.
When my solder builds up unevenly, I file down the excess. For non-load-bearing parts (e.g., oleo scissors), I use metal adhesive and hold with tape until cured. Gear doors are made by laminating two brass or tinplate sheets and are pinned to the fuselage with dress pins. On Navy aircraft, gear struts are generally painted white; paint the wells and door interiors white as well.

*Underside of the finished model. The landing-gear installation is clearly visible.*

Carve the left and right horizontal tailplanes as one, finish the section, then separate them. The F-4B has a pronounced anhedral; cut the roots to match the angle.
Because of the anhedral, the planform appears slightly larger than the drawing—trim to size by checking against the plan. Pin with insect pins to set location, then mount them to the fuselage.
This yields an all-flying tail, as on the real jet. The gap between fuselage and tailplane is visible on the full-scale aircraft; modeling it this way eases construction and makes marking far simpler—very convenient. Beware: the tailplanes are thin; do not push the pins so deep that they break through.

The F-4B carries many stores under the wings, and configurations vary. You may model clean pylons only; I chose two wing drop tanks. Some aircraft carry a centerline tank as well—choose what you like.
There are no tanks on the drawing I used, so I scaled them from photos. Mine are about 12 mm in diameter and roughly 115 mm long. I made the support fairings integral, then trimmed to fit the wing and fixed with pins. I formed the tank circumferential joints by applying thin strips of plastic sheet and over-painting; paint the tank tips silver.
Early pylons looked like those in the drawing; later ones are more complex. I carved mine from wood. The pitot-like probe on the fin is a fine dress pin.
At last, the F-4B is complete. Set it on the desk and study it. Are the tanks hanging too low? Are the wingtips at equal height? If not, correct with gear-leg length. Check the horizontal-tail anhedral, and touch up any solder-scuffed spots.
If everything is OK, clean off fingerprints with a glaze/wax (e.g., Unicon) and polish to a uniform sheen.

Thus my “Phantom II” is finished. It looks splendid in photographs, though the real model has its share of flaws. If I grade myself, perhaps 80 points.
This article is not a rigid textbook. If you decide to build one, you need not follow me step by step—use whatever methods you find most suitable. If my notes help even a little, I will be delighted.
What I most wished to say is this: if you are the kind of person who mutters about inaccuracies and “fixes” plastic kits, you are more than capable of building a solid model. The feeling upon completing one far surpasses that of finishing a plastic kit. I hope many will experience this satisfaction.
Solid-model clubs everywhere will gladly welcome such newcomers. Let us, even with my middling skills and carefree approach, enjoy solid modeling to the full—and let us fill the pages of Kōkū Fan with the solid models we build!
(End)

* f-4b start * 1965 May Issue * 1965 June Issue * 1965 July Issue * Image Gallery