Jump to content

Starfighter prototype XF104


John R

Recommended Posts

I quite fancy having a model of the XF104 for my collection of prototypes and need a drawing of this version.

In recent publication about the Starfighter there is one which purports to be the last of the preliminary schemes for the F104 and, apart from the lack of anhedral, is said to be representative of the XF104. The drawing is for the L 242 version but when I put this into Google it says that this designation is for a proposed naval version.

Can anybody please explain which is correct and what is going on?

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The design number CL-242 was applied to a number of configurations that lead to the final XF-104. that one was a navalised version is not in conflict with the fact that others were ancestors of the Starfighter as we know it.

The XF-104, now this is an interesting idea ! I've seen a model completed by a Japanese modeler starting from the Hasegawa kit here

http://www.webmodelers.com/201302YFcenchury.html

Unfortunately there's no work in progress picture, however some of the modifications can be seen very well.

I don't know of any good drawing, there are a number of rough ones, they may be the basis for your work. Then there's the profile in the Squadron in Action book (that appears on the link posted by Andre) and another profile of eastern european origin that can be downloaded here with other drawings

http://www.airwar.ru/other/draw/f104.html

Personally I would start from the profile to determine where to chop the fuselage ( the XF was shorter than the YF and subsequent Starfighters) and then work from pictures to determine the other modifications (intakes, rudder, engine area).

Wish you best of luck with such a conversion, hope you'll post a WIP !

Edited by Giorgio N
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whilst digging around on Google (Thanks Jari but I got more pictures just looking for XF 104 info.) I came across this site where someone has already done it, albeit in 1/32. All in Japanese, I think, but loads of pictures in WIP format. It looks like the same model mentioned by Giorgio in his link.

Also while on a trip to Old Warden recently I found a display cabinet full of models made by someone after my own heart. Lots that I have also made and many that I wish to make. Amongst them was a very nice XF 104. There was no mention of the perpetrator or how they came to be there.

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also while on a trip to Old Warden recently I found a display cabinet full of models made by someone after my own heart. Lots that I have also made and many that I wish to make. Amongst them was a very nice XF 104. There was no mention of the perpetrator or how they came to be there.

John

John,

I think that you must have seen Andrew White's collection of 1/72 scale models. When he knew that he had no longer much time to live, he sought an organisation that would accept his models and they went to Old Warden. Andrew lived for many years in Geneva and was a member of the Matterhorn Circle, a small group that would build models to a chosen theme and display them at the annual Basler Modellbautage. This is part of the 2004 exhibition. (Click on 2004 X-planes) Do you recognise any of his models?

http://www.wings-aviation.ch/96-IPMS/3-Exhibition/Basis-exh.htm

It is a pity that the people at Old Warden did not put his name on the collection.

His wife is an artist and she created this wonderful portrait of Andrew.

http://www.chinapastel.com/Foreign_works_view.asp?id=855&gwysjid=97&classid=18

Mike

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you. Does this sad message mean that Andrew is now no longer with us? i would have liked to have told him how interesting I found his collection.

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alas, Andrew died of a very nasty cancer a couple of years ago. If you look at that link to the Matterhorn Circle you will see that the theme for one year was "Remembering Andrew". The guys in the group thought it a good idea to present the sort of models that Andrew liked and would have built.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 07/10/2015 at 5:05 PM, Giorgio N said:

Wish you best of luck with such a conversion, hope you'll post a WIP !

 

Well the surgery has started. At the moment it's still in the 'feasibility study' phase but if the baby survives its birth and looks as if it might grow into a  lusty infant I'll post a WIP.

F-104C%20bits_zpstsvf4o1w.jpg

John

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

just looked up on the USAF national museum and got this pic

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Photos.aspx?igphoto=2000541926

 

followed this with a google search

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lockheed+xf-104+starfighter+prototype&biw=1920&bih=911&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiVv-iu4sfRAhVMIsAKHZKDAL4Q_AUIBigB

 

Lots of images of the XF104 based on the search parameters and which tie in with the image from the USAF museum.

 

Regards

 

John 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/16/2017 at 10:15 PM, John R said:

 

Well the surgery has started. At the moment it's still in the 'feasibility study' phase but if the baby survives its birth and looks as if it might grow into a  lusty infant I'll post a WIP.

F-104C%20bits_zpstsvf4o1w.jpg

John

 

Good luck with this interesting conversion! The Japanese 1/32 model was mentioned before, but I don't see a link to his 90 page build report here, so I will post it:

 

http://fg786.blog87.fc2.com/blog-entry-2011.html

 

If you run it through Chrome and have it translated, you can understand most of it. I recommend that you study it, because at a late stage he discovers that he needs to cut out an additional segment in the front fuselage, to make things fit.

 

Rob

Edited by Rob de Bie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Rob, Yes, I have seen that site but no translation. That's not modelling - it's a work of art! I doubt that my ageing fingers could replicate that in 1/32 let alone 1/72. I'm going for something much more simple.

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...