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1:72 Lockheed F-104N Joe Walker Tribute


Navy Bird

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The light brown panel visible in the picture above is interesting... on the G this is never visible and in pictures of NM aircrafts this is clearly in metal and part of a larger panel. Guess that the N with its specialised role was different enough from the G. The same small panel can be seen well in this picture

 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/306583main_EC63-00221_full.jpg

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She's all shined up and ready for New Year's Eve! Or at least some stickers...

 

IMG_1584

 

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Whilst the Future is curing overnight, I'll finish up the sundries - wheels/tyres, windscreen and canopy, and whatever other bits and pieces are still in the box. In case you're wondering, that nasty seam in the rear cockpit bulkhead is completely hidden by the seat when it's in place. So I figured I had better things to do with my time than fix it.   :)

 

Cheers,

Bill

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Another exemplary build Bill. I've spent a happy time reading through from the beginning and admire your research, attention to detail and neat work. A real inspiration.

 

Sending you best wishes for a happy 2018.

 

Edge

 

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Stickers on!   :)

 

Whereas the fluorescent areas of the Rocketeer decal sheet are allegedly impervious to setting solutions and unimaginably thick (according to Rocketeer's own words), the other items on the sheet were very thin, and responded well to my particular process of décalcomanie. Here she is, resplendent in the glow of my photo booth:

 

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Just a few more things to tidy up and she'll be ready. This is always a worrying part of any build since this is when I usually muck something up. And I start worrying about what to build next - is there no end to this madness?

 

I've decided to leave the anti-collision light on the spine, since removing it would most likely result in the aforementioned "mucking up." So we'll have to consider the model as a what-if.

 

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Bill

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Hi mates,

 

I can't find any more parts, so I guess it must be finished. There wasn't a lot left to do, paint the turtle deck and anti-glare panel, put the tyres on, attach an arresting hook, add the windscreen and canopy (including the odd shaped piping at the rear of the canopy - air conditioning or demister perhaps?), paint the navigation lights (I don't like the clear plastic lenses that Hasegawa provide - they stick out and they're just too darned small to sand in order to make them fit), install the ejection seat (remembering to remove the face curtain handles that CMK provided), and pop in the nose pitot probe. And therein lies an interesting story, for I used the Master turned brass probe for an F-105 instead of an F-104. I must have Century Series dyslexia or perhaps I'm just getting old. Either way, I looked at some drawings and the probes are very similar, so I left it in. Besides, the one for the F-104 was bent.

 

I'll add a few shots to the gallery, and I'll also probably do a regular RFI for those folks that don't look at the Group Build forums.

 

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Cheers,

Bill

 

PS. I'm claiming this one as a finished model from 2017. I spent a grand total of 3 hours in 2018 working on this guy, and that doesn't count.   :)

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Very nice.  That's a really clean build, a stunning scheme and a good way to honour Walker.

Regards

Tim

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Very nice finish.

 

I only have one question, and that is:

Is this one of the Luftwaffe F-104G that NASA bought second hand, or is it one of the original F-104N?

I ask this because Hasegawa erroneously specifies the use of bulged main landing gear doors and larger main landing gear wheels since they based the kit on the preserved F-104G with the early colors.

The use of the bulged main landing gear doors would be appropriate for the late white/blue livery used by the F-104G.


306583main_EC63-00221_full.jpg

 

 

Anyway, your finish on the kit is impeccable.

 

Cheers!

Edited by Robertone139
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Thanks.

 

This aircraft is one of the first three F-104s that NASA acquired in 1963. The kit I used has the later blue and white markings, and I used an aftermarket decal sheet. The Hasegawa instruction sheet specifies the bulged doors, which would not be erroneous for that kit. I don't know if Hasegawa ever released a kit in the early fluorescent markings (Scalemates doesn't show one in 1:72), so I can't comment on any instructions in that kit.

 

I used the bulged doors on the model because I read on the NASA web site that these first three F-104N aircraft were pulled off the 104G assembly line, so I built it like a G. In any event, Hasegawa provide both sets of doors and the model can be easily changed (I saved the other doors).

 

The resin main tyres I used have the same wheel hub design as seen in a photo of 812 with her gear down escorting one of the lifting bodies around this same time frame. So I think they're OK for me.

 

Cheers,

Bill

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18 hours ago, Navy Bird said:

I don't know if Hasegawa ever released a kit in the early fluorescent markings (Scalemates doesn't show one in 1:72), so I can't comment on any instructions in that kit.

Hi Bill,

Yes, they did.

NASA-F-1040009.jpg

 

There were three options IIRC: blue & white (the one I built), two-tone blue & white and fluorescent.

I can't recall Hasegawa's recommendations re. u/c doors, but it looks like there were alternative IP decals provided (if that's a clue?).

 

Cliff

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The first three F-104 used by NASA were "G modified" A models and one B model.

The original small tail did not provide sufficient longitudinal (yaw) control and they were retrofitted with the larger tail of the G model.

011,012,013, 819.

They also had two straight As, 820 and one other one, acquired later on.

The rest were bough second hand from the German Air Force, and they were Gs and TF-Gs.

The Rocketeer decal sheet provides for most of the single seaters.

Please refer to the picture above for the early aircraft configuration.

 

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Fantastic model Bill, well done !

 

Regarding the type of doors, the pictures to me show non bulged doors, although other pictures seem to show a small bulge... The hub on the wider wheel is very similar to the thinner one, the difference is noticeable when lookin at the type profile, as the spokes project outside the hub on the wide wheel while projecting towards the hub on the thinner one

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4 hours ago, CliffB said:

Hi Bill,

Yes, they did.

NASA-F-1040009.jpg

 

There were three options IIRC: blue & white (the one I built), two-tone blue & white and fluorescent.

I can't recall Hasegawa's recommendations re. u/c doors, but it looks like there were alternative IP decals provided (if that's a clue?).

 

Cliff

 

Thanks for that Cliff - I'll add it to the Scalemates database. Looks like 2004 was the release date. (Edit - no need, it was already there. I missed it somehow).

 

The model has been updated to include the non-bulged doors, and I also put on the skinny tyres that Hasegawa included with the kit. Now it's back to work on my next project!  :)

 

Cheers,

Bill

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