Ghostbase Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 As usual I can't help myself, am going to try to assemble this blast from the past - the 1/48th scale ESCI F-104C Starfighter. This kit was first released in 1978. I am hoping to use the kit decals to show a 436th TFS example out of George AFB in silver. I have the Caracal Models 'F-104 in Vietnam' decal set as a reliable colour reference (and decal source if needed) and a half set of the Eduard TF-104G cockpit detail set to make the cockpit slightly more colourful (if not accurate!) I have built a couple of these in the past, with some care a fair result is possible. Michael 20220615_111959 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20220615_112038 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20220615_112126 by Michael Baldock, on Flickr 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 Its a '104 so what's not to like or encourage ;). Good luck!!!! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 Haven't seen one of these in ages ! When I was a kid these kits were something I looked at in awe. For someone starting on 1/72 Matchbox kits these large 1/48 boxes were a dream and I remember how an Esci 104 was one of my first modelling related B'day present, Looking forward to seeing this built ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 welcome michael. ✌️ nice idea recycling half of the tf eduard set. good luck with the build. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 Welcome to the GB Michael. I don't think we have another of these classics in the GB so it will be interesting to see how it turns out. Good idea to have some back up decals just in case.👍 🇺🇦 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 Oooh! Cool! I didn't know ESCI made a zipper in 48th. I'm very curious to see how this goes together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted June 17, 2022 Author Share Posted June 17, 2022 Got started properly today having applied (cheap) grey primer to the two main sprues yesterday. I have detached all the parts from one of the two sprues and all the main parts from the second. This is what they look like:- 20220617_150531 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Here we have five of the seven total cockpit parts, as well as half an Eduard TF-104G Starfighter cockpit etch detail set. The first challenge was decide what colour grey the cockpit should be painted. The ESCI instructions say FS36373 which is now referred to as 'Gripen Grey', I think they meant to say FS36231 Dark Gull Grey which is the usual for USAF cockpits and that is what I have manually brushed here, Vallejo Model Air acrylic 71.277. The other issue is the ejection seat. I have previously built many years ago both the 1/48th ESCI F-104G and F-104C kits which share the same very basic and generic ejection seat. In reality the F-104G was fitted with the Martin-Baker Mk. GQ-7(A) seat whereas I think the F-104C had the Lockheed C-2 seat. Probably irrelevent here unless I want to source a replacement seat for this build, which I don't. 20220617_162453 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The Eduard cockpit detail etch made the afternoon fun, I love trying to upgrade these old kits and this went quite well. Quite well until I realised that the source kit was the Hasegawa TF-104G kit which has a much more detailed panel and the Eduard etch does not cover the central radar panel yet this has no panel of any sort! Need to think about this but happy with the result so far:- 20220617_171210 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I have started to assemble the cockpit prior to joining the two fuselage halves. This shows the generic ejction seat in place and the Eduard etch added to the pilots side panels. I'm happy so far. Michael. 20220617_210734 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 I like your mixing of the old ESCI kit and some more modern Eduard etch parts, it really does make a big difference to the look of the cockpit. 🇺🇦 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted June 19, 2022 Author Share Posted June 19, 2022 On 6/18/2022 at 9:21 AM, modelling minion said: I like your mixing of the old ESCI kit and some more modern Eduard etch parts, it really does make a big difference to the look of the cockpit. 🇺🇦 Thanks. I used the other half of the Eduard etch a while back on a Monogram F-104G and it worked well. I think I will paint the centre of the instrument panel black and look in the decals spares box, see if I can find anything there. Photo of the Monogram F-104G cockpit below. IMGP3171size by Ghostbase, on Flickr Michael 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted June 20, 2022 Author Share Posted June 20, 2022 Have made good progress on the F-104C today. First problem to be overcome was the pilots instrument panel which was completely blank in the centre of the console. I took a look in the decals spares box and found this old panel from an Italeri F-4S, I decided to use part of it to fill in the blank. 20220620_133327 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I used a sharp knife to cut out the portion that I wanted and then attached it with superglue. I am happy with the result 🙂 20220620_134053 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The next stage is to start to put the main componets together. The tail section is a simple part of four items: L and R rear fuselage and fin, tailplane, and the afterburner / jet exhaust. According to the instructions the jet exhaust is secured between the two fuselage halves, held in place by four raised areas. In reality the jet exhaust is too large and has to be sanded down, also the inside of the two fuselage has to be sanded smooth as well. The aim is to cement the fuselage halves together and then drop the jet exhaust part in from the opposite end. 20220620_174136 by Ghostbase, on Flickr As the aim is to assemble all the main parts prior to sanding and filling I need to paint the jet air intakes. I am building an F-104C flown out of Da Nang AB in 1965 and many of these had their air intake shock cones painted ADC Grey FS16473, this was intended to reduce reflections which might alert NVAF MiGs to the fighters position. I didn't want to use the airbrush for this and I remembered I purchased a Hataka USAF Paint Set (acrylic) in their Blue Line range which is optimised for brush. The acrylic paint brushed on perfectly first time and I will definitely use this set of paints again! 20220620_181020 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I then started to cement the main parts together and things are going well. I have also added the wings and, being such an old kit, there clearly will be much filling and sanding required before painting can start. One oddity is the inside of the undercarriage doors and the speed brakes; the kit instructions say these should be FS33481 yellow however I have used Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green as zinc chromate which I believe was used on USAF aircraft around this time. 20220620_181303 by Ghostbase, on Flickr A photo of the wings attached and yep, much filling and sanding tomorrow! 20220620_182822 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Finally, I went home at the weekend and unearthed a copy of 'F-104 Starfighter Units in Combat' by Peter E Davies so now I have some decent reference material to hand 👍 20220620_182042 by Ghostbase, on Flickr This kit has really given me my mojo back and I have enjoyed today. Sometimes I need to go back to when scale modelling was more straight forward and my expectations were not so high. Michael 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 9 hours ago, Ghostbase said: This kit has really given me my mojo back and I have enjoyed today. That is really good news Michael, exactly what the hobby is supposed to be about.👍 You're doing a great job on her too, the IP has turned out very well with the use of the etch and decals. 🇺🇦 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted June 21, 2022 Author Share Posted June 21, 2022 Broke out the Perfect Plastic Putty this afternoon and have filled the worst joins, these being the wings to fuselage, the nose cone, the jet air intake fairings, and the underside of the rear fuselage / tail. I am hoping that the old trick of using Liquid Poly on the other joins works, just have to wait for it to dry and start with a light sanding. One of the problems with these really old kits is the raised surface detail, even the lightest sanding risks removing much detail. 😵 Michael 20220621_161024 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Certainly looking more Starfighter shaped Michael.👍 🇺🇦 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted July 6, 2022 Author Share Posted July 6, 2022 Back at the mancave and resumed this build today. Good progress, have sanded down all the joins and where I applied filler and am reasonably happy with the results. Then air brushed Hataka Blue Line Air Defence Grey and that went on very well indeed - underside of the wings, nose cone, tail fin and jet air intakes. This was mixed as 12 drops acrylic paint, 1 of medium retarder, 1 of flow improver and 9 of acrylic thinner. Then Halfords Appliance Gloss White on the top surface of the wings. I have sorted most of the kit parts into two trays, those to be used and those which are not needed. I am intending to build her with AIM-9B Sidewinders mounted on wingtip launchers and external fuel tanks under the wings IF I can find any! Michael 🙂 20220706_162510 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20220706_165159 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 Looking very good Michael, really nice paint finish for brush painting.👍 🇺🇦 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted July 6, 2022 Author Share Posted July 6, 2022 25 minutes ago, modelling minion said: Looking very good Michael, really nice paint finish for brush painting.👍 🇺🇦 Thanks. In fact the ADC grey was airbrushed, the appliance white was from an aerosol can. I wish I could manually brush to that standard! The white upper wings are interesting. I always thought that the Starfighter had gloss white upper wings and the instructions that I have for the Hasegawa TF-104G quote FS17875. However the Caracal instructions quote FS37875 which is flat white. The original ESCI instructions just say to paint everything silver 😊 Michael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 Well the wing upper surfaces were definitely white, whether they were gloss or flat I am unsure. 🇺🇦 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 Good work michael. Not the most detailed main gear bays on this kit are they? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntPhillips Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 That's coming along quite nicely 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 Excellent work so far 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted July 8, 2022 Author Share Posted July 8, 2022 "There may be trouble ahead But while there's moonlight And music, and love, and romance Let's face the music and dance." Which might be a realistic solution to a small problem which has cropped up! I decided to mask the rear fuselage and tail fin in order to apply Lifecolor UA794 Dark Aluminium with my airbrush. The acrylic paint went on well however when I peeled the masking tape off it also pulled off the primer leaving patches of the original shiny plastic. I am going to airbrush UA793 White Aluminium next, masking the areas that I have painted today and hope that the masking tape does not remove today's paint. Fingers crossed! I have never had this problem before and there could be two explanations: 1) I didn't wash the kit pieces in soapy water first. 2) I used a cheap primer which didn't seem to go on too well. TBH I think it is the primer. I normally use Halfords automotive Grey Primer and have never had a problem with it. Oh well, back to Irving Berlin... Michael 20220708_175412 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 Does look like the primer hadn't adhered correctly. I think even heavily de-tacked tape could have damaged that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 9, 2022 Share Posted July 9, 2022 I agree with Paul, the primer is the most likely culprit here. I have taken to applying a coat of varnish over whichever paint I am masking before applying the tape and always use pre-used tape with less tack. 🇺🇦 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted July 11, 2022 Author Share Posted July 11, 2022 On 7/8/2022 at 11:08 PM, Dansk said: Does look like the primer hadn't adhered correctly. I think even heavily de-tacked tape could have damaged that. On 7/9/2022 at 9:10 AM, modelling minion said: I agree with Paul, the primer is the most likely culprit here. I have taken to applying a coat of varnish over whichever paint I am masking before applying the tape and always use pre-used tape with less tack. 🇺🇦 Thanks, serve me right for purchasing cheap primer! This gave me two choices: use some of my precious Fairy Power Spray and strip off all the paint and primer and start again, or, continue as planned and be more careful with masking using de-tacked tape. I went for the second option then realised I didn't know how to "de-tack" tape 😉 In the end I cut several lengths of tape and stuck them on to my cutting mat then pulled them off, repeat several times so they became more pre-used. I also applied the masking tape more lightly than before and when I removed it made sure that the tape was very slowly pulled back at as near 180 degrees as possible. It worked! I masked the rear fuselage and airbrushed Lifecolor UA793 White Aluminium and this was the result:- 20220711_152152 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I am happy with the result and the degrees of contrast between the ADC Grey on the tail fin and the two metallic acrylic paints on the fuselage. I did think about applying a coat of varnish over the metallic paint however in my experience this changes the lustre of the metallc area so I decided not to do that. The next step was to airbrush the forward fuselage in silver. I applied masking tape as outlined above and this was the view prior to applying the paint. 20220711_152102 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Well, I bottled it! I was going to airbrush Lifecolor UA792 Polished Aluminium and I had the kitchen all set up for action but at the last moment I decided to apply Halfords Aluminium spray paint out of a 'rattlecan'. The result was as follows:- 20220711_160808 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The masking advice really helped, I have just a couple of small areas where the ADC Grey has lifted off but they can be easily remedied using a brush. No biggie. The Halfords Appliance White on the wing upper surfaces did not lift anywhere. I am very pleased with how the Halfords Aluminium paint has taken to the Starfighter and she is going to look like a very sleek silver bird when finished. Critique? The joins between the jet air intakes and the mid fuselage are quite poor, I think I should have made a second application of Perfect Putty. ☹️ Am happy with the progress made so far, one more photo showing the underside. Michael. 20220711_160912 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 Good job on the painting Michael, the rattle cans have worked well. Good to know that you have got the hang of de-tacking the tape.👍 🇺🇦 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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