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1/72 F-104G Starfighter - German Navy MFG 2


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This was a straightforward build for a cancer research fundraising GB, with the only additions being the Kormoran 1 courtesy of Eduard, and a modified brass pitot for a Jaguar.  This is the Academy kit from the 1985 boxing (I was able to utilize the original decals), based on 1970's tooling.  Had I noticed when I was ordering the Kormorans that the package included one 1, and one 2, I would've ordered 2 packs to hang a pair of Kormoran 1s off the pylons.  Oh well, so be it.  I've always kinda liked asymmetrical load outs anyways.  Or perhaps he has just fired one at a target.....  :lol:

 

On to the pics, because I know that's the only reason anyone is looking.  :P

 

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Edited by helios16v
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Lovely F-104 and to follow on from Scimitar all it needs is that J-79 howl perhaps the eeriest noise ever made by an aircraft.

 

If you would like a second Kormoran to finish the job just pm me with address details , I have a couple to spare and no problem sending you both in case they differ in detail from the one you have already fitted.

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Thanks for the offer Des.  I'll likely just order another set on my next order to Victory Models...then I'll have a matching pair of Kormoran 2s for a future build.  I had a deadline of February 28th to finish this, and by the time I caught the differences in the Kormorans it was too late to get another set in time for the deadline.  Plus with international shipping...I wouldn't want to do that to you. :)

I'll attach a follow up once I have the base finished and a 2nd Kormoran added.

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I am compelled to praise this! I'm simply hard-wired to like anything about the wonderful '104!

 

 

Martin

Edited by RidgeRunner
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Very nice! Loved the 104 in the grey/white colours. I remember as a kid I assumed as it was a navy plane that it must work off of an aircraft carrier!!!! 

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Top job

 

I have the Academy kit in my stash and look forward to building it after seeing your version

 

I believe they are a little "tubby" compared to the real thing but it looks damn smart too me on your display!

 

Cheers :D

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3 hours ago, Winenut said:

Top job

 

I have the Academy kit in my stash and look forward to building it after seeing your version

 

I believe they are a little "tubby" compared to the real thing but it looks damn smart too me on your display!

 

Cheers :D

 

Word of warning if you do a Marine version, the intake inlets seem to run a little high.  The point "should be" at the color change line.  I didn't realize they were a bit high until I started masking from the wing that the intakes were off.  So I was left with the option of "bending" the paint line to get it to run through the tip, or keep the paint line level and just live the the intake being a little high.  I ultimately decided a bent/wavy paint line would stand out more than the intakes being off.  You may be able to sand a slight angle to the backside of the intakes to bring the front down.  It wouldn't take much, and had I known when I was assembling it at that stage, I likely would've tried that.  With the intake plastic being fairly thin, I didn't want to take a chance of breaking things by pulling it back apart.  You might even be able to get closer just by reshaping the cones (as they differ from the real thing by quite a bit).  I thought about it, but opted against it due to time constraints.

If you are doing one of the camo versions, I think it will be a moot point and not really worth worrying about.  It really only becomes prevalent in the 2 tone Marine schemes.

Edited by helios16v
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11 hours ago, helios16v said:

 

Word of warning if you do a Marine version,

 

... or any other version, for that matter. I don't want to detract from your very nice build, but I think the Academy Starfighter is a very poor effort. Most visibly, the canopy is far too bulbous and the intake cones are the wrong shape (as you already mentioned). Also, the wingtip tanks seem off in shape and size (but that's a common occurrence with F-104 kits, AFAIK, only the Hasegawa ones are the right size and shape). IMHO even the ancient Airfix F-104 captured the shape of this elegant plane better. I'm probably too familiar with the shape of the F-104 not to be annoyed by the disfigured Academy kit, but your mileage, as they say, may vary.

Edited by ivand
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I whole-heartedly agree, there is a lot w/ this kit I felt lacking.  Hence why it's sat in the closet for nearly 2 years.  I ultimately built it because it would be a quickie and I could play around w/ making a base, which is something I haven't done yet.  I decided to just build it for the overall experience (still fairly new after getting back into the hobby) and not sweat the discrepancies w/ the kit...after all the tooling is nearly 40 years old.

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8 hours ago, helios16v said:

I decided to just build it for the overall experience (...) and not sweat the discrepancies w/ the kit...

 

Of course, that's what I reckoned. And I think you showed a lot of skill in doing so. I don't think one can get more out of this kit than you did. :)

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Looks good to me! That thing really was a manned missile, wasn't it?

Did the kit come with a pilot? I guess the production is early enough to include a figure, nobody seems to do Crew any more. Or did you have a spare?

I like the pose, like the model.

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Yeah, the kit came with a pilot...a rather crude one, but it did come with one.  The quality of the detail is why I chose to tint the canopy.  It doesn't completely hide the cockpit, but obscures some of the lack of detail in an attempt to draw the eyes away.  :lol:

Yeah, straight, level flight is boring.  I tried to give a feeling of a low level, high speed transit with subtle pitch & roll angles.  The "rock" is going to be the edge of the coast.  There will be a good bit of water on the base when it's done...if I don't muck it up too bad.  

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I just built this about a month ago.  My decals were so out of register that they could not be used, so I made a Japanese version and had to use 'cals from the spares books.  Nice work tho...looks very nice.

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I was actually surprised I was able to use them.  I figured they would just fall apart when I slid them off the backing.  They did take a lot of setting solution (and some fairly hot stuff at that) to get them to nestle down though.  Micro-Set/Micro-Sol wouldn't touch them, I had to break out the Mr. Mark Setter.

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  • 3 years later...

Ten zestaw jest okropny! Jest zupełnie inny od dzisiejszych produktów Akademii i to dziwne, że firma wciąż go ulepsza! Uwielbiam Starfighters i to dziwne, że Akademia produkująca tak udane zestawy jak F-8 Crusader, F-16C Fighting Falcon, F-14A Tomcat nie wypuści na rynek zupełnie nowego F-104 Starfighter. Model ten jest kopią a nie najlepszym zestawem Hasegawy z 1963 roku, ze źle wykonaną osłoną kabiny i zbyt dużymi stożkami wlotów powietrza, brakiem detali w podwoziu i lukach kokpitu. 72 jest właściwie niemożliwe i możesz tylko próbować zbliżyć się do tej poprawności, ale nadal będzie to ten sam straszny zestaw, jaki zawsze zobaczysz. Ten zestaw jest niczym innym jak wstydem dla Akademii, a daeno powinien był wypuścić zupełnie nowy model Starfightera, tak jak w przypadku F-14A Tomcat, F-15E Strike Eagle lub F-16C Fighting Falcon. Udało ci się zbudować bardzo ładny model Starfightera z tego okropnego zestawu, ale nie idealny, ponieważ nie możesz zrobić z niego modelu, który idealnie odzwierciedla wygląd legendarnego wojownika. Brawo za ładny efekt końcowy. Aktualnie pracuję nad F-104G z zestawu Academy i pomimo wielu ulepszeń model ten jest nadal okropny i niewiele można z tym zrobić. To bardzo smutne, że firma Academy tak źle traktuje fanów modelarzy F-104 Starfighter, bo innymi zestawami udowadnia, że potrafi tworzyć piękne i nowoczesne modele samolotów wojskowych. ale nie idealny, ponieważ nie można zrobić z niego modelu, który doskonale odzwierciedla wygląd legendarnego wojownika. Brawo za ładny efekt końcowy. Aktualnie pracuję nad F-104G z zestawu Academy i pomimo wielu ulepszeń model ten jest nadal okropny i niewiele można z tym zrobić. To bardzo smutne, że firma Academy tak źle traktuje fanów modelarzy F-104 Starfighter, bo innymi zestawami udowadnia, że potrafi tworzyć piękne i nowoczesne modele samolotów wojskowych. ale nie idealny, ponieważ nie można zrobić z niego modelu, który doskonale odzwierciedla wygląd legendarnego wojownika. Brawo za ładny efekt końcowy. Aktualnie pracuję nad F-104G z zestawu Academy i pomimo wielu ulepszeń model ten jest nadal okropny i niewiele można z tym zrobić. To bardzo smutne, że firma Academy tak źle traktuje fanów modelarzy F-104 Starfighter, bo innymi zestawami udowadnia, że potrafi tworzyć piękne i nowoczesne modele samolotów wojskowych.

Edited by Marcin Wojciechowski
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