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Hi all, I’m happy to report the roll out of my latest build, representing YF-104A Starfighter, 55-2969, depicted as she was when flown by the GE Engines test fleet in the late 1950s. The fleet operated a number of aircraft in very similar colour schemes, including a B-66, a T-38, an F-4A, an F-101A an F-102A. She eventually went to the QF-104 programme and was blown out of the sky in the late 1960s. This was a natural choice as my first Starfighter build since taking up the hobby again over the past few years. FYI (courtesy i-f-s): "This General Electric test aircraft had been returned to the USAF in August 1961 and directly transferred to Lockheed Palmdale in September. In February 1962 it was transported to Lockheed Burbank and in August 1962 it arrived at McClellen for IRAN overhaul but also QF-104A modifications and preparations. It was delivered to Eglin on June 11th, 1964. At Eglin it got nickname "Capt Sassey" due to the fact that it"s engine always made a "Sassling" sound. On July 1st, 8th and 14th, 1965, this QF-104A flew similar drone test missions at 35 MFT at a speed of MACH 1.8. All missions went as planned. On the 23rd that same month it repeated this tested mission followed by being a target for a missile shooting exercise. The missile pulled 25 G's while tracking the Starfighter. The Starfighter was avoided and the Starfighter could land again safely. 28 September 1968: QF-104A 55-2969 flew an unmanned mission. During the mission it was hit under its left wing by an AIM-9 missile fired by a USAF F-4. Gladly the aircraft could be brought/controlled back home and it landed ok. "Chuck", at the controls, encountered some trouble con-trolling the heading on landing. There was no other damage and could be repaired. 26 January 1971: A number of years passed without any loss but this day the QF-104A 55-2969 was killed during an unmanned mission by a AIM-4H missile by a USAF F-4E Phantom. It was said it had 24 missions logged." During her time as a GE test machine she flew in a number of variations of the basic scheme so I have taken the decision to build a compromise, including most of the earlier scheme features. She is depicted in some images with a test probe and in others without this. Early on the NMF and white surround to the star-and-bar and lettering was wider too. Later she had a little nose art as “Queenie”, but I chose not to include this. She is not shown anywhere with underwing tanks but to me she just had to have some. The base kit is the Hasegawa F-104G/S, and I used a spare Italeri as a donor kit for the wings (more detailed than the Hasegawa) and, importantly, the fin/rudder. Excellent advice from @Giorgio N. This meant keeping the better rear fuselage detail of the Hasegawa. Additionally, I used a little aftermarket (seat, probe, jet pipe, etc). I had to adapt the underwing pylons, canting them correctly and modifying the tanks accordingly. They’re not perfect but hey, ho! 😊. Fortunately, the Hasegawa kit includes J-model items so I used the non-bulge undercart doors, wheels, etc. What did I use, specifically? Well: 1. Kit – Hasegawa F-104G/S Starfighter 1/72 (kit no. D17) 2. Donor kit – Italeri F-104C Starfighter 1/72 (kit no. 1359) 3. Aftermarket – Aires C-2 Seat (7316), Master pitot (7202), Aires F-104A/C jet pipe (7114) 4. Decals – Xtradecal national insignia, home drawn and printed serials using internet auction paper and Papilio fixer ( @TheRealMrEd recommendation), lettering, GE logo, etc, Armycast stencils (ACD 72 013), Xtradecal red lining 5. Paints – enamels – Humbrol Metalcote Polished Aluminium (27002), Steel (27003), Olive drab (155), Matt white (33), Matt black (34), Model Master International Red, and other little bits here and there. 6. Masks – USAF lettering etc skillfully produced by @Giorgio N, Canopy mask by Eduard. 7. Washes and weathering – Flory dirt and Tamiya Weathering powders. I hope you like her. Martin