Working on a scale model aircraft again.

Blazer · May 19th, 2008, 04:36 PM

And this time it's a Lockheed F104 starfighter and it's rather small. I mean really tiny.

The Fuselage, already painted. To show just how small this one is, I placed it on top of the box of a PS2 game and put the brush I used to paint it in front of it.

It's a ***** to get this one right.

Buckocaster51 · May 19th, 2008, 04:50 PM

1/144 scale?

the old Lockheed Starfighter...the manned missile. They were certainly the object of my adolescent affection!

eryque · May 19th, 2008, 05:05 PM

Did they ever have those painted camo? I've only seen them in polished aluminum.

Looks like a fun little project.

Blazer · May 19th, 2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

1/144 scale?

the old Lockheed Starfighter...the manned missile. They were certainly the object of my adolescent affection!

Yup 1/144 scale. It'll be in the colors of the German Luftwaffe.

The Royal Netherlands Airforce also flew the Starfighter before they were replaced by F16 jets in the eighties.

My next project will again be a starfighter, although some what larger than this one, it'll be a 1/32 scale model which I plan to work out as a RNAF example like the one in the picture.

Buckocaster51 · May 19th, 2008, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eryque

Did they ever have those painted camo? I've only seen them in polished aluminum.

I'm pretty sure I have seen photos of some USAF F-104 painted up for deployment to SEA. Don't know if they ever went.

Telarkaster · May 19th, 2008, 05:17 PM

Cool! My favourite airplane as a kid. This one mesmerized me:

The silver version was cool too...

I've built a couple of them too, but never as small as 1:144 scale, good luck!

Blazer · May 19th, 2008, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eryque

Did they ever have those painted camo? I've only seen them in polished aluminum.

Looks like a fun little project.

A USAF F104C Starfighter about to refuel during the 'NAM war. As you can see, it's camoflaged.

The F104 model I'm building is the F104 G model which was never operated by the USAF but was a selling succes in Europe where the majority of the airforces who flew them had them camoflaged.

timmer · May 19th, 2008, 06:54 PM

I still kick myself in the "you know what" for not buying an A-6 Intruder model that came out with the release of Flight of the Intruder.

It was a very large model which cannot be bought now, I still search eBay and other sites though periodically for it.

and of course there was the station wagon series as well:

I worked on the A-6 in the US Navy and we used to picture the guys in the back of the EA-6B (wagon model) with beach balls asking the pilot over the intercom "are we there yet?".

Blazer · May 19th, 2008, 08:00 PM

Here it is finished, putting on the transfers was by far the toughest job with something THAT small.

Buckocaster51 · May 19th, 2008, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blazer

A USAF F104C Starfighter about to refuel during the 'NAM war. As you can see, it's camoflaged.

The F104 model I'm building is the F104 G model which was never operated by the USAF but was a selling succes in Europe where the majority of the airforces who flew them had them camoflaged.

This is ancient history to me (and probably most of you) but weren't there some "inconsistencies" found in the way Lockheed handled the sale of those Starfighters to the European countries?

But back to that camoed 104C. I wonder how much the top end of that thing was lowered with that rough looking camo paint and the refueling probe. I can't imagine Kelly Johnson had that look in mind for them.

One of my brothers flew USAF fighters for most of his career. He always said that there was a VERY noticeable difference in the performance of a clean jet compared to one that was dirty.

If you now what I mean.

Blazer · May 19th, 2008, 08:24 PM

It's a pity that the F104 will forever be linked to bribery and the whole "Lockheed Affair" because that's what made the F104 a selling succes while it certainly was not the best suited fighter jet ever.

In Vietnam, the F104 was used as a decoy to lure vietcong fighters into battle. But the Starfighters themselves never fought the Migs, the F4 Phantom would take care of that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-104_Starfighter

The Royal Netherlands Air Force probably would've flown either Dassault Mirage III, English Electric Lightning or Saab Draken fighters if the F 104 wouldn't have been there.

Stratsrgood · May 20th, 2008, 11:11 AM

I moved house a few years ago, soon afterwards driving down a "strange road" I looked over when I saw a Starfighter (and some other aircraft) parked in a field!
Turns out to be the collection of a small historical group on the edge of an old airfield. The Starfighter is an ex German Airforce job, still in camo, never thought that I would see another one of those!

May 19th, 2008, 04:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
Blazer Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3,261	Working on a scale model aircraft again. And this time it's a Lockheed F104 starfighter and it's rather small. I mean really tiny. The Fuselage, already painted. To show just how small this one is, I placed it on top of the box of a PS2 game and put the brush I used to paint it in front of it. It's a ***** to get this one right. __________________ "I reject your reality and subsitute my own." - Adam Savage, Mythbusters

May 19th, 2008, 04:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Buckocaster51 Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Iowa USA Age: 56 Posts: 5,206 1 Photos	1/144 scale? the old Lockheed Starfighter...the manned missile. They were certainly the object of my adolescent affection! __________________ "If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all." - Thumper the Rabbit "An awfully lot of time can be wasted waiting for the right time." - Gunsmoke's Doc Adams

May 19th, 2008, 05:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
eryque Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: albany, ny [not chicago] Posts: 6,982 44 Photos	Did they ever have those painted camo? I've only seen them in polished aluminum. Looks like a fun little project. __________________ my blog: eryque.blogspot.com Updated 9.17.08! Subscribe_____________________

May 19th, 2008, 06:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
timmer Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: On the banks of the Pontchartrain Age: 48 Posts: 1,227 26 Photos	I still kick myself in the "you know what" for not buying an A-6 Intruder model that came out with the release of Flight of the Intruder. It was a very large model which cannot be bought now, I still search eBay and other sites though periodically for it. and of course there was the station wagon series as well: I worked on the A-6 in the US Navy and we used to picture the guys in the back of the EA-6B (wagon model) with beach balls asking the pilot over the intercom "are we there yet?". __________________ "Choose silence of all virtues, for by it you hear other men's imperfections, and conceal your own." George Bernard Shaw

May 19th, 2008, 08:00 PM	#9 (permalink)
Blazer Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3,261	Here it is finished, putting on the transfers was by far the toughest job with something THAT small. __________________ "I reject your reality and subsitute my own." - Adam Savage, Mythbusters

May 19th, 2008, 05:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
Telarkaster Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Montreal Quebec Canada Posts: 1,607	Cool! My favourite airplane as a kid. This one mesmerized me: The silver version was cool too... I've built a couple of them too, but never as small as 1:144 scale, good luck!

May 19th, 2008, 08:24 PM	#11 (permalink)
Blazer Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3,261	It's a pity that the F104 will forever be linked to bribery and the whole "Lockheed Affair" because that's what made the F104 a selling succes while it certainly was not the best suited fighter jet ever. In Vietnam, the F104 was used as a decoy to lure vietcong fighters into battle. But the Starfighters themselves never fought the Migs, the F4 Phantom would take care of that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-104_Starfighter The Royal Netherlands Air Force probably would've flown either Dassault Mirage III, English Electric Lightning or Saab Draken fighters if the F 104 wouldn't have been there. __________________ "I reject your reality and subsitute my own." - Adam Savage, Mythbusters

May 20th, 2008, 11:11 AM	#12 (permalink)
Stratsrgood Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Hampshire,UK Age: 57 Posts: 111	I moved house a few years ago, soon afterwards driving down a "strange road" I looked over when I saw a Starfighter (and some other aircraft) parked in a field! Turns out to be the collection of a small historical group on the edge of an old airfield. The Starfighter is an ex German Airforce job, still in camo, never thought that I would see another one of those!