"Cutting Edge's F-4B/N Airframe Conversion
Basic Set"
CEC32180 F-4B/N
Airframe Basic Conversion Set for Tamiya (starting from F-4C/D or
F-4J)
These are the parts you will need REGARDLESS
of which Tamiya F-4 kit you start from (F-4C/D or F-4J)
Wings
- Flat right upper inboard wing with main landing gear
mounting point stiffener bulges (bulges are easy to remove for
earlier versions before the bulges were installed)
- Right MLG bay front wall
- Right MLG bay aft wall
- Right lower wing triangular flat insert
- Right lower wing flat insert abaft of the MLG bay
- Right flat speed brake
- Right flat MLG inner door
- Right flat MLG outer door
- Flat left upper inboard wing with MLG mounting point
stiffener bulges (bulges are easy to remove for earlier versions
before the bulges were installed)
- Left MLG bay front wall
- Left MLG bay aft wall
- Left lower wing triangular flat insert
- Left lower wing flat insert abaft of the MLG bay
- Left flat speed brake
- Left flat MLG inner door
- Left flat MLG inner door
- Thin main wheels & nose wheels (2 each)
- AN/ALQ-126 ECM radomes for lower wings (later aircraft only)
The "Flat" Wing
As you already know, the wings of the F-4B/N were "flat" because
of the thin main landing gear tires. From the F-4C--on (as modeled
in all versions of the Tamiya F-4 kits), the wider MLG tires
required a substantial bulge in both the top and bottom surfaces of
the wings to accommodate the larger tires. The underside bulges
extend across the lower wing surface and continue onto the main
landing gear doors and the speed brakes.
Your Cutting Edge Airframe Basic Conversion Set includes
completely new cast resin inboard top wings. These are not merely
Tamiya parts with the bulge removed, but completely new wing tops
that we created to precisely fit the Tamiya lower wing part.
This is both good news and not good news (see below). To prevent
shrinkage on such large parts, we have had to implement special (and
time-consuming, and expensive) processes and procedures to ensure
you receive a resin wing part that fits right every time. We've
worked very hard to make this work right for you, and frankly, we're
pretty proud of the results.
Our conversion set also provides you with detailed, "flat" doors
for the MLG and speed brakes, and "flat" resin insert parts for the
most difficult bulged areas of the bottom wing itself. You can see
from the photo below that these are straightforward to install, as
you cut along existing Tamiya panel lines.
Note, however, there is only a small bulged area of the lower
wing just aft and inboard of the speed brake well on each side that
we do NOT provide a replacement part for (see the hatched area in
the photo above). Why? It's not very "humped" to begin with and I
decided it was actually less work for you to sand this area flat
than cut it out and replace it with a resin insert. Again, this is
the "hatched" area in the photo.
I have confidence in your ability to handle this small area on
your own. We've taken care of the major problem areas; you are well
able to fix this one small area yourself.
The Thin Wheels
We all know the F-4B/N had much thinner main wheel tires than all
subsequent Phantoms. Yes, we've given you these wheel units, and
also included separate resin nose wheels since many of you do not
like to use vinyl model tires.
I am very lucky to have a McDonnell Douglas technical document
(thanks to Dave Rider) giving exact tire sizes for the various
Phantom versions. Do you think we used it to get our F-4B tires the
correct size? Duh!
The Landing Gear
Attachment Point Fairings
You'll also note in the parts photo the obvious wing-top curved
fairings directly over the main landing gear attachment points. This
was part of a major F-4B upgrade program that included drooped
flaps, slotted stabilators, and the much-upgraded main landing gear.
These improvements were implemented on the production line from
Block 25, and retrofitted to most Block 25 and earlier aircraft as
time and circumstances permitted. Aircraft in this configuration
were first delivered to the Navy in April 1966, but of course not
all aircraft were modified, and even those that were, were not
necessarily quickly modified. However, by late 1971 or early 1972 it
would have been rare to see a F-4B without these modifications,
except perhaps in RAGs or Marine reserve units.
The landing gear upgrade portion of this program resulted from
the main landing gear struts beginning to punch up through the wing
tops during hard carrier landings fairly early in the F-4B's service
life.
To prevent this heart-stopping (and aircraft life ending) event,
the Navy directed MCAIR to design MUCH beefier main landing gear
struts and mounting brackets. These much stronger struts worked very
well, but they had to cut a hole, literally, in the top wing surface
to allow the new assembly to sit in the proper position.
The bulged fairings you see on our parts faithfully reproduce the
original. I am indebted to Alan Howarth, Fotios Rouch, and Jim
Rotramel for providing considerable information about this
modification, and am especially indebted to Bill Spidle for
measuring and photographing the fairings so we could get them
exactly right.
Please note especially that the fairing does not "fair" into the
wing top surface particularly well! This is modeled correctly on our
part, so don't go back and try to smooth it into the wing! This
fairing plate was almost primitive in its attachment to the top
wing, although I've seen several museum Phantoms with so many coats
of paint that it begins to almost look "faired in."
Now, if you're modeling one of the early F-4Bs without this
humped fairing over the MLG attachment point, you'll have to sand
the bump off our resin wing. This is pretty trivial, and much easier
than trying to get a separately molded resin fairing placed in the
exact position and alignment on the wing top. We took care of the
difficult part; it's easy for you to undo if you need to.
A Note For All Of Us
For those 1/48 modelers who are reading this, you'll note the
fairing we've done is considerably different from the domed,
racetrack-shaped fairing provided in the original Hasegawa F-4B kit
and continued into their F-4N series of kits. Yes-we will provide
the properly shaped fairing in the Cutting Edge 1/48 F-4B/N
conversion as well!
Since I'm talking about wing modifications in this section, I'll
mention the under-wing AN/ALQ-126 ECM antennas. These are precisely
the same as on the F-4J. (More about this in the section
below-you'll want to read this important information.)
Fuselage
- Late under-nose IR seeker with horn antenna
- AN/ALQ-126 Shoulder ECM antennas (L/R)
- Fin cap with AN/APR-32 RHAW leading edge antenna and
AN/APR-25/27 trailing edge antenna (see below)
- Plain fin cap without RHAW
ECM: The Nose And
Tail
Alan Howarth has made an intense study of these issues, and he
notes that beginning in 1966 some F-4Bs were fitted with the
AN/APR-32 RHAW, which included a horn antenna on the leading edge of
the fin cap and the horn-shaped addition to the bottom of the
standard IR seeker fairing fitted under the radome.
These antenna fairings have frequently been misidentified as a
part of the AN/APR-30 system in many publications, but the APR-30
was installed in the F-4G only (the early F-4B conversions - 12 jets
only).
The APR-32 leading edge antenna was probably initially applied
alone, without a fin cap trailing edge antenna. Photos of this
configuration are rare, to say the least, because the AN/APR-25
"flat football" style trailing edge antenna was soon installed on
most F-4Bs. The trailing edge antenna has also been frequently
misidentified as part of the AN/APR-30 system.
If the leading edge AN/APR-32 antenna was already installed, it
was normally not removed and remained on the jet until the end of
its service life (even if it was later converted to F-4N
configuration).
Whew! If you followed all that, you're a better man than I, Gunga
Din. Anyway, we've provided the proper antenna shapes in this set.
The shape of this APR-32 leading edge antenna is pretty complex, and
we've put quite a bit of time into getting it right for you. (For
you 1/48 guys, this antenna is represented in a very simplified form
in the Hasegawa F-4B and F-4N kits-and yes, we'll give you a new fin
cap with the proper shape.)
ECM: The Shoulder
Antennas
An irrefutable identification point of the F-4B/N is the
AN/ALQ-126 horn antennas with LONG raceways mounted on
the upper shoulders of the engine air intakes of later aircraft.
These antennas are the same as on the F- 4J, and mounted in the
same location, but due to cable routing issues the large external
wiring raceways are MUCH longer, extending almost all the way back
to the panel line that separates the intake from the main fuselage.
"Wait! Dave! You're Wrong! These long AN/ALQ-126 antennas
were only on the F-4N, so they're an infallible identification
point of the F-4N!"
Ah, Grasshopper, not so
fast! In fact, this upgraded ECM was not specifically part of
the F-4N upgrade program, per se, and some late F-4Bs are documented
as receiving this ECM fit. Conversely, some early F-4Ns can be seen
in photos without the AN/ALQ-126 fit.
Although I've never seen it mentioned in reviews (perhaps I
missed it), the horn antennas at the leading edge of the Tamiya
parts have the wrong shape. Simple reference to photos will show you
that the antenna itself (not the raceway) was wedge-shaped, and not
shaped like the head of a golf club as in the Tamiya kit. We've
corrected this shape for the parts we're supplying you.
I already noted in the "Wings" section above that I'm also giving
you the AN/ALQ-126 antennas mounted under the wing.
But--OK. It's GENERALLY true that if you see the long AN/ALQ-126
antennas on the intake shoulders you're looking at a F-4N, but NOT
ALWAYS. It's amazing the details you learn when you have friends
like Alan Howarth who've lived and breathed this kind of thing for
years! (Thanks again, Alan!)
Finally, since neither the F-4C/D kit nor F-4J kit includes a
"plain" fin cap (no RHAW antenna), I've included a plain cap in this
conversion set for the early F-4Bs.
Special FREE bonus
included with the Cutting Edge Airframe
Basic Conversion Set!
- Rear fuselage vents above nozzles
Another part I'm throwing in as a
Special FREE BONUS
with this basic conversion set, since they are NOT purely and
specifically part of the F-4B/N conversion, corrects the small vent
on each side just above the exhaust nozzles. Please note that
these vents need to be
corrected on ALL Tamiya F-4 kits, regardless of the version.
We've known from the first day the Tamiya kit hit the street that
these vents were the wrong size, shape, angle, and location.
Interestingly, Revell got the size, angle, and shape right on in
their 1/32 F-4 series, and was off the correct location by only
about three scale inches, which is no big deal (if you're building a
Revell kit, of course, which has other problems).
We've corrected these vent panels for the Tamiya kit and are
providing you as a
Special FREE BONUS with new, triangular resin inserts
that fit along existing panel lines in the Tamiya kit. Here's a
photo that shows one of the panels in place (along with the rear
fuselage extension parts needed only when you start from the F-4J
and included in set CEC32187).
At this point, we do NOT plan to release these small but
important parts as a separate set.
This wraps up the basic parts you need whether you're starting
with a Tamiya F-4C/D or a Tamiya F-4J. These next two sets are
specifically designed to provide you with ONLY the extra parts
you'll need for the specific Tamiya kit you're starting from.
"Which Tamiya F-4 Kit Should I Use
As The Basis For My
F-4B/N Model?"
One of the most frequently asked questions we've gotten over the
last few weeks is: "Should I start from the F-4C/D or the F-4J?"
For some of you, the answer is easy: whichever one you have
available. Our sets give you the freedom to start from either!
However, the question above comes from modelers who already have
both kits, or need to buy one anyway and don't know which makes more
sense.
Well, if you simply look at the sets below, you'll see that there
are fewer additional parts necessary to convert the Tamiya F-4J back
to the F-4B/N. The F-4J kit also has the "Navy-style" rear cockpit
with no aft right side console, so that may be attractive to you if
you're planning to use the Tamiya cockpit instead of our upcoming
F-4B or F-4N superdetailed resin cockpits.
You'll also need J70-GE-8 engine nozzles, which will be available
in a Cutting Edge superdetailed version in about two weeks.
Finally, but for only a very short time, our F-4J additional
parts set is priced lower than our F-4C/D additional parts set-but
read the alert at the end of this article for very important
information on this issue.
Starting from the F-4C/D kit, you will have the correct engine
nozzles right in the Tamiya box, which will not be an advantage if
you plan to use our Superdetailed J70-GE-8 Nozzles set coming in
about two weeks.
The F-4C/D kit has the right radome, and correct "early" IR
sensor included in the box. However, as an Air Force variant, it
will require a bunch of "Navy-style" parts as detailed below.
"If You're Starting From
The Tamiya F-4C/D Kit"
CEC32185 F-4B/N
Airframe Conversion from Tamiya F-4C/D (also REQUIRES CEC32180)
These are the ADDITIONAL
parts you will need
if you start from the Tamiya F-4C/D kit
Wings
- Catapult hooks and bays
- Navy-style pylons
- ECM radomes for lower wings (later aircraft only)
Luckily, all the wing conversion parts we give you in this set
are extremely easy to build, and in fact are direct replacements for
existing kit parts.
Fuselage
- Navy refueling probe, bay, door
- Slotted stabilators without reinforcing plates
- Drag chute door
- Nose gear main door & clear resin lights
Most of these fuselage conversion parts are extremely easy to
build, and as with the wing conversion parts, are direct
replacements for existing kit parts.
The only difficult conversion parts, and they're only moderately
difficult, are the Slotted Stabilators. As originally built, up
through Block 25, the F-4B had Unslotted Stabilators, and these are
included in the Tamiya F-4C/D kit and may be used as-is (except for
removing the stiffener and battle damage repair plates). Note that
Block 26 and higher F-4Bs left the factory with Slotted Stabilators.
However, late in its service life nearly all Block 25 and earlier
F-4Bs received Slotted Stabilators to significantly reduce landing
approach speeds-a very important issue during carrier landings. All
F-4Ns had the Slotted Stabilators (as did, of course, all F-4Js).
If you're modeling a B/N with the slotted stabilators, you'll
need to remove the existing Tamiya kit stabilators from their
mounting/rotation structure and glue the Slotted Stabilators in
their place. (BTW, I recommend you use 5-Minute Epoxy for this
procedure rather than superglue).
"If You're Starting From
The Tamiya F-4J Kit"
CEC32187 F-4B/N
Airframe Conversion from Tamiya F-4J (also REQUIRES CEC32180)
These are the
ADDITIONAL parts you will need
if you start from the Tamiya F-4J kit
Wings
- Rear lower wing/fuselage extensions for the J79-GE-8 nozzles
The Tamiya F-4J lower wing and rear fuselage is designed to
accept the later, larger-diameter J79-GE-10 engine nozzles, so to
properly fit the earlier J79-GE-8 nozzles you'll need to extend the
lower wing and fuselage sides in this area.
No big deal. Our resin parts easily and quickly solve this
problem. You don't even have to make any cuts on the fuselage,
although you've got four simple cuts along existing panel lines on
the lower wing part.
Fuselage
- Radome for IR seeker assemblies (yes, the radome above is a
resin casting!)
- IR seeker with early AAA-4 seeker
- Unslotted stabilators
- Rear fuselage extensions for early engine nozzles for
J79-GE-8 nozzles
Since the F-4J dispensed with the chin IR seeker and housing,
you'll need an earlier-style radome that had a slightly different
shape and will accept the IR seeker housing.
To ensure you receive an accurately shaped and sized replacement
radome from us, we've had to adopt some special moldmaking and
casting processes and procedures. This is quite time-consuming and
expensive, and it will have an effect on the pricing of this set in
the very near future-see below for very important information on
this issue.
"The Issue Of The
F-4B/C/D/N Engine Nozzles"
Some of you who contacted us apparently didn't read all the way
to the end of my prerelease emails and missed the fact that we are
currently preparing a set of superdetailed J79-GE-8 engine nozzles
that will fit the F-4B/C/D/N Phantoms. These nozzles are NOT
included in our airframe detailing sets as nearly all of you who
responded to our F-4 survey told us you didn't want to buy any more
parts than you actually need to build your own F-4B (or F-4N) from
whichever Tamiya F-4 kit you choose to use as the basis of your
conversion.
(BTW, our separate nozzles set will include a
FREE added bonus:
the small triangular fuselage plates directly over the nozzles with
the correctly sized and angled exhaust vents. This area has always
been wrong on the Tamiya F-4 kits and we've heard no end of requests
that we fix it. Well, we have! And, these two small parts will be
included in the superdetailed nozzles kit when we release it.)
Stay tuned for more information on the release of this set in the
next couple of weeks.
And, before my fellow 1/48 guys bite my head off, YES, the 1/48
F-4B/N conversion for the Hasegawa "late" (engraved panel lines)
F-4J kit is two to three weeks behind the release of the 1/32 kits!
Also for modelers of both 1/48 & 1/32: YES, we are working on
quite a few decal markings sets for the F-4B and F-4N. We're
following the guidance you all gave us in our F-4 online survey a
few months ago. It will be a while before our decals are ready, and
a bit later we'll let you know what the subjects are and when
they'll be released.
"Special Advance Notice 'Head's Up'"
I owe it to you to give you advance warning of a significant
price increase coming soon for these sets. While I expect we will be
able to produce these sets for a while, you can get them now at the
prices advertised on our website, or considerably more later.
When I put them up on the website last Friday, I set the prices
without consulting my Production Supervisor. This morning when Nic
saw the prices I had set, she nearly killed me (yes, our Production
Supervisor is a lady and she's doing a great job! Please email us to
thank her if you agree).
Well, it turns out-and I should have foreseen this--that the
special molds, molding and casting processes and procedures, and
time required to make the parts included in these sets is very much
higher than required in our normal sets. As I've described above, we
are going to great lengths to ensure you get parts that are very
accurate and actually fit your model.
My butt may be duly kicked, but rather than immediately raise the
prices to where they should be right now, we'll hold the lower
prices I set on our website last Friday-BUT
ONLY FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
At midnight, Thursday, May 24th, 2007, US Eastern Daylight Time,
the prices for these three sets will rise to the prices shown here:
|
CEC32180 |
F-4B/N Airframe Basic Conversion Set |
$84.99 |
|
CEC32185 |
F-4B/N Airframe Conversion from Tamiya F-4C/D |
$34.99 |
|
CEC32187 |
F-4B/N Airframe Conversion from Tamiya F-4J |
$39.99 |
(Click any of these set numbers right now to go to the
ordering page
for that set so you can get it at the lower current price)
If you want to snag these sets at the current, lower prices, your
order must be entered into our system no later than midnight,
Thursday, May 24th, 2007.
You can click on any of the photos above and be taken to a larger
version of the image and the ordering page on our website for that
set.
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