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RF-104G Starfighter "Marineflieger"


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Hi everybody :wave:

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Starting from "the classic" Hasegawa 1/72 kit, I chose to make the tactical reconnaissance version of the Starfighter.

The German Navy colours can be "unoriginal" for a F-104 model kit, but : this reco version is rarely seen !

Fuselage Preparation :

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With help of a needle in a pen, and a Hasegawa Temple set, I start to engrave more panel lines.

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A Side Oblique Camera KS-87B goes in a window in the side of the fuselage (cannon armament was deleted)

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I used (and abused) Micromesh 6000, 8000 to 12000 to prepare the fuselage.

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Remarks and comments are welcome if you want !

I'll be back soon, I just have a little work to finish for Canadian friends :thumbsup:

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Edited by faab104
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Excellent you beat me to it!! I was about to complain about all these 48th guys hogging the show! I'll add (if you, faab104, don't mind) 2 Canadian Zipp.....oh oh, I mean CF-104Gs ooops, dam keyboard, CF-104s to this thread.

One in the all red anny scheme for 421 Sqn, and 12833 the original CF Tiger.

Will add cockpit shots soon.

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Hi Flyboy, keep the control on your keyboard ! ... hope I'll see your Zipper soon of course !!! :thumbsup:

The J-79-GE-11A :

On late Germans F-104, a new type of variable exhaust was installed (larger "petals").

This one is an Aires exhaust for F-4 Phantom, it looks good for my little starfighter.

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Your F-104 is very interesting can you give us some background on this version?

OK, here is next pic for the CF-104s;

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The orange sticks in the cockpit are the added throttles, just grabbed some handy stretched sprue. The instrument panels are front & back to show how the background for the large screen is done, just green on the back of the clear panel. Am now working on the seats.

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I'll be back soon, I just have a little work to finish for Canadian friends :coolio:

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That's an absolutely beautiful late 1 CAG CF-104!

I'll be watching your progress.

ALF

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Wow, this looks great. Very good job Fabien ! I look forward to seeing this build progress

Ivan

Fabien,

Hear, Hear!

Your CF-104 is gorgeous and I'm looking forward to more progress on your RF-104G. Will you use the Daco/Astra markings? Thanks also for the explanation about the J-79 upgrade for German F-104s. I had heard about this in the past, but it remained completely forgotten until I read your thread. Is there any chance you could illustrate the difference between early and upgraded engines? Please keep us updated with your build(s).

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Thank you all for your interest in my work :)

Now I try to answer your questions :

ALF, I think you're in love with CF104's :whistle:

Perhaps I should open a new thread for this one ...

thanks for your comment !

Andrew, thanks for your support!

I already made other German 104G but I could not fail to produce a new one here with the great Daco/Astra decals !

This decal sheet is so beautiful, with all the stencils and all German versions you always dreamed.

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We have the chance that the same work is now available for Belgium (and Italy as a project for a future release !!!)

Concerning the early exhaust (always 1/72) Aires made one :

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but I think the most beautiful goes to eduard photoetched parts. See it in my 104J model kit :

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Flyboy : I won't forget to speak later of the RF background !

concerning the cockpit, let's see my first steps :

The cockpit :

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the cockpit of Hasegawa is rather well detailed OOB in this kit.

Pilot's side control panels in relief, I painted e few touch of humbrol colors.

I used the Eduard main instrument panel.

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In this step you must pay attention in anticipation of good height of the seat, because in starfighters the top of the seat

comes near the canopy when closed.

hoping that my English is understandable, I'll be back soon !

thank you again

Edited by faab104
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Thanks for your response, Fabien.

The progress on your cockpit is impressive - great painting. Good illustration as well of the differences between the early and late J-79s. Hope all continues well for your build.

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Fabien

Great job on the small-scale cockpit. Although you mention that some of the Luftwaffe schemes may look mundane, I still have always like their colours. One day I might tackle one, but I hesitate largely based on how to do a proper job on the faded orange on the in-service tip tanks, and other details.

Et en passant, ton anglais est excellent - très compréhensible!

ALF

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Thanks Andrew, Merci ALF.

The instrument panel has received the last points of color

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Tamiya XF-19 inside the fuselage, I add the canopy locking lever.

I think the fuselage is now ready to be assembled.

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faab that's looking really good!

Here are some more progress shots;

I do a little surgery to the kit seat, original part on the right

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some of the belts added

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I usually find better ways to do things as I progress so this seat a prototype is going into the green 104

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you can just see the shoulder harness strap coming thru the seat, this is why I cut the head rest from the lower part

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this is the improved version and now I have to dig out another to start on

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Thanks Flyboy !

Great work with the Hasegawa seat !

Your work deserves an entire subject, CF104 junkies could miss it ! lost with my widow maker !

You must go for a New Post :rofl:

we will not be beaten by 1/48 :rofl:

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Thanks for your comments VG and Deon !

The Camera System :

The Starfighter found favour among Marineflieger as a short-range reconnaissance platform.

Downward-looking cameras (three KS-67A) or infra-red linescan are mounted in a bump behind the nosewheel.

I did it with two sections of missiles.

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We can't see the camera windows caus'of screens which are sliding away in flight.

Cameras are operated by the pilot through the gun trigger.

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Nice progress, Fabien.

Can I ask what you've used to depict the camera fairing? It would be good to think that there's a set of these fairings available for the various recce Starfighters ..... nevertheless, it seems to be a straightforward shape to scratchbuild. Do you still have to add the forward part of the fairing that sits on the nosegear doors? Here's some Airliners shots to illustrate what I mean: Aircraft 2124 and 2121.

Thanks very much for your updates and info.

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Hi Andrew,

yes I'm gonna make scratchbuild doors with the fairing that protect the bump.

the bump is made from a half section of a missile or bomb, perhaps an AGM or stuff like that, taken in "my box for old parts" (don'know how you call this box in English).

How can I say ? ... I made it with two tops of bombs "glued back to back".

A few sanding and it looks good for 1/72 !

Thanks for the question, cheers :)

Edited by faab104
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The Martin Baker -7Q ejection seat :

The Haseg seat is replaced by a resin one (it might be the Verlinden model). The face blind seat firing is added (scratchbuild).

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Then : applying Black XF-1 Tamiya on the seat and Grey XF-19 on the seat rail support ... and Humbrol Olive green.

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As the real seat is full of accessories, with a very complicated harness system, I try to enrich my seat whith strips of Tamiya masking.

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the close-up shot is so cruel ... seeing it, I dont't like some details... but I will have time to change.

But a human scale is more acceptable !

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One more photo for a test with the seat in position

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Fuselage :

Assembly is delicate in this Hasegawa kit for /forward fuselage/rear fuselage/Air intakes/ but all can be OK without putty or surfacer. Just a soft sanding.

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The landing gear hatch is almost OOB.

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Nosewheel doors and main undercarriage doors, are now in position :

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The nosewheel door was cut in an evergreen sheet styren, because the Hasagawa one is too thick.

The Fairing on this door was made from a piece of missile (protection for the Recco system in the bump).

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