Lockheed F-104C Starfighter

[Mike DeTorrice]

This is a 1/48 scale Monogram model of the sleek and missile-like F-104 Starfighter. Back in the mid to late 1950's when this astonishing interceptor-fighter first appeared, it certainly looked like a spacecraft from the future, ready to blast off to defend the planet from Ming the Merciless or anyone. It most definitely was my favorite jet fighter when I was a small kid !

Here, it's in a bit later F-104C form with a camo finish which generally succeeded it's initial gleaming silver form. Of course, the Starfighter also served with several air forces and had great capabilities at low-level as a powerful strike fighter.

Edited to add a P.S. : After I accidentally broke off the Starfighter's nose pitot tube when taking some snapshots, I painstakingly fabricated a detailed custom one from specially-alloyed aluminum. Ummm, in other words, I cut a length from a paper clip and super-glued it on to act as a stand-in !

Edited July 9, 2013 by Mike DeTorrice

[adrianm2]

Very nice, I like the f-104 a lot too!

Good to see it in a non-silver finish.

Adrian

[Duncan B]

Great photos as always. I was always thrilled but the sight and sound of the Starfighters we used to see screaming around Europe. Your C with the SEA camo looks great.

Duncan B

[Shalako]

[deltadagger]

Great finish!I like the Starfighter!

CTRL + Q to Enable/Disable GoPhoto.it

[Work In Progress]

It's good to see the Monogram kit built. I think it's somewhat under-rated by a lot of people.

The composite photography is interesting. I like the first and second photos best, especially the exhaust haze on the second - all done in Photoshop or similar I imagine?

[Gustavo Bunger]

Great SEA paint job ! How you put the model in the sky backgrounds ?

[viscount806x]

With the burner going at low level like that, I can almost hear the tanks sucking themselves dry in double time.....

[Mike DeTorrice]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments !

It's good to see the Monogram kit built. I think it's somewhat under-rated by a lot of people.

The composite photography is interesting. I like the first and second photos best, especially the exhaust haze on the second - all done in Photoshop or similar I imagine?

Great SEA paint job ! How you put the model in the sky backgrounds ?

Thanks, guys ! In the case of these Starfighter photos, the model was actually placed in front of an LCD screen displaying the background image that was used in each shot. Later, some "special effects" like the exhaust and afterburner flame was added in a photo-program. (In this case, PaintShopPro version 7.04) The background pictures were just snaps I made while walking around town or out the window of an airplane.

With the burner going at low level like that, I can almost hear the tanks sucking themselves dry in double time.....

LOL ! Yes, that's very true. Luckily, the airfield is just beyond that treeline so at this rate he should be in the landing pattern now very quickly indeed !

Mike