CF-104D Hasegawa 1/48

[ALF18]

First of all, time to apportion blame. I had already opened the box and started to sort through parts and browse the instructions of another kit, the big 1/32 T-33A.

Then Faab104 had to post a challenge (being French, I can imagine him throwing down the gauntlet and looking for a reaction from me)...

Fabien, you convinced me! I am back in for another build; this one will be a natural metal CF-104D (D for Dual in Canadian parlance).

It will be in 417 Squadron colours, natural metal. First, the subject:

It will look like a bit like this one, but in the modern symettrical era markings with NMF.

The one outside the Hamilton museum has red tip tanks. Mine will have silver tanks, but the tailplane will be red as it was at 417 late in its life. Or I might do one without tip tanks - it looks totally awesome without them. For about 25 minutes before it runs out of fuel...

ALF

Edited August 21, 2010 by ALF18

[ALF18]

Did I mention I had a bit of a bias? My favourite CF-104 squadron is 439. Not only because it has the coolest mascot on the planet:

This real tiger was given to 439 squadron when they were in France (before moving to Germany) in the Sabre era. His name is Fang, and he was presented to the squadron by an Indian maharrajah. Fang now sits in the Bagotville Air Defence Museum, at 3 Wing Bagotville Quebec. 439 is a helicopter squadron now, but they are proud of their tiger heritage.

Why tell you about tigers? Because my father flew for this squadron. I built a tiger CF-104 as part of this GB, at the following link:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....howtopic=210677

Sorry I didn't think about adding Fang to it while it was still relatively active, so here he is for those faithful readers who have so kindly supported me in the other build.

This build, though, will represent an aircraft that is more personally related to me. It is from 417 Squadron in Cold Lake Alberta, and will sport the tail number of the first CF-104 I flew in. I strapped in 3 times to fly in a Starfighter; the first two times with 417 in Cold Lake in 1978 and 1979, and the third time for a test flight in 1984 in Baden (but that time we didn't get airborne). The aborted test flight was exciting in itself; I have never since felt an aircraft engine vibrate that much on start with the possible exception of a T-33 I started in central British Columbia... But I get ahead of myself.

I have to look in my log book to see what tail number it was, which date, and with whom. The two pilots who took me up in the Starfighter were close friends of my father's.

In the meantime, here is the kit (showing the Leading Edge decals to be used):

And here is the cockpit and other bits started:

I plan to do the build in natural metal, using kitchen foil. I have done a P-47 in 1/32 in kitchen foil, and this will be my second attempt at this method. The silver finish on the CF-104 was often very shiny and absolutely gorgeous - highly polished and looking fast sitting still.

The challenge will be to tint the foil to convincing colours for the tail section, where it has several darker-hued panels. On the positive side, this build will be mostly OOB, so I won't have the hassles with ill-fitting resin cockpit that I had on the previous tiger bird build. Finally, having just done essentially the same kit, it should be a quick build (less research and more familiarity with the parts and the colours they need).

More soon!

ALF

Edited August 21, 2010 by ALF18

[Charlie Cheetah]

Woot, I cant wait to see this one. I have the same kit and decals in the stash. I've been experimenting with Alclads, Ill be using that when the time comes.

[faab104]

Bonjour Alf !

I LOVE that Canadian Attitude to jump in the ice hockey rink

And for the pleasure of all starf'addicts, you are back ! You're great Alf !

This My cold lake CF, made a few years ago, Hasegawa 1/72 OOB.

I know I should top up with some corrections ... (No infra-red sight, No cartridge link ejector ...)

Good luck for this duo ALf ! I'm very interested in how you will proceed with kitchen foil.

[ALF18]

Bonjour Alf !

I LOVE that Canadian Attitude to jump in the ice hockey rink

And for the pleasure of all starf'addicts, you are back ! You're great Alf !

This My cold lake CF, made a few years ago, Hasegawa 1/72 OOB.

I know I should top up with some corrections ... (No infra-red sight, No cartridge link ejector ...)

Good luck for this duo ALf ! I'm very interested in how you will proceed with kitchen foil.

Fabien

Merci!

Your silver dual looks good. Hope mine turns out as nice. I have a question - on the tail, in front of the flag, there is a different-coloured polygon. Is it an aluminum colour, or is it more of a biege like the dielectric panel on the keel? Also, I have conflicting references for the keel itself - some show a beige panel on the keel, others show it all metal. Do you (or anyone else) have any insight into that?

ALF

[ALF18]

Woot, I cant wait to see this one. I have the same kit and decals in the stash. I've been experimenting with Alclads, Ill be using that when the time comes.

Thanks Charlie! Alclad usually looks pretty good on a 104. My silver single-seater was done in Alclad. Any idea what colour to use for the darker panels in the tail area? I used white aluminum and it looked off, but to sit on a shelf and be looked at by non-experts, it still looks OK. Here is my Alclad effort with its cousins.

ALF

[ALF18]

I checked some references I had, starting with Dave Bashow's Starfighter book. There are some excellent colour shots in there showing the tail panel colours. The front will be easy - it's all very shiny aluminum. It's when you get back around the speed brake area that the colours come into it.

Now some history around my flights in the 104. The first one was during a break following my primary flying training on the Beechcraft Musketeer after my second year at Military College in Kingston. At the time, my father was just back from Germany, where he had flown the CF-104 for 5 years. He was assigned to the CF-5 as an instructor:

I had a month off after my Musketeer course, and went to Cold Lake to visit my family. While there, I got 2 rides in the CF-5 with my father (that's his helmet up front):

This guy was on our wing, going to the academic bombing range at Jimmy Lake on a solo. He was a 2nd Lieutenant, who later became Snowbird Lead (Bob Stephan).

That was also the summer I got my first Starfighter ride. When I see my log book at work this week, I will put in more detail.

After a year at 419, my father was promoted to Major and became Base Flight Safety Officer in Cold Lake. You can see the Flight Safety badge on his breast. Sorry for the poor quality - there was a chemical spill on the prints:

He continued to instruct on the CF-5, and of course was responsible for Flight Safety for all aircraft at Cold Lake. Whenever he talked with his old Starfighter buddies at 417, he made sure to ask how many flying hours they were getting. At the time, instructors at 419 on the CF-5 were flying 2 to 3 times more hours per month that the CF-104 guys were!

ALF

[ALF18]

Here are some pics I took in the summer of 1979 in Cold Lake, during the best military course I ever took.

The first part of the summer was filled with Land and Sea survival courses. Land survival was in the foothills of the Rockies, near Hinton Alberta. Here is a pic from the beginning of the course, with one of my buddies making a frame for a snare from some wood. We are in a tent made of parachute silk.

After the survival course finished up in Comox, BC (on Vancouver Island), we went on the fun course. It no longer exists, of course - having fun is not allowed. The course was called the Air Operations Branch Orientation (AOBO), and started with a few days of classes in Comox. We learned about Canada's Air Force history for a few days, then we went to some flying units on the base and got some rides. Luckily, the Argus broke (after we sat for 45 minutes on the ground with engines running, scared by the huge quantities of smoke that it kicked up as they started), so we were saved from a 12-hour patrol in it.

Some of the lucky guys got a Voodoo ride in Comox. Not me. I was starting to feel like I wouldn't get any flying in...

We then flew to Edmonton, and visited the tactical helicopter unit there. Bus to Cold Lake, to see the CF-104s and CF-5s, where some of us got rides. I was very lucky - at 419 on the CF-5, my father showed up and we flew together (for the 3rd CF-5 flight I had with him). And during the tour of 417, I have to admit that I felt no guilt when the pilot who briefed us about the aircraft and the squadron (Dave Bashow, who wrote the book on the aircraft later), said that there were three back seats available to us that day. He pointed at me and said "OK, Danny - you're up flying first with me... then we need to figure out who else gets to fly." Needless to say I got some ribbing, but when it comes to snagging a back seat in one of the coolest fighters ever to fly, I have little shame!

Here is a pic of a 417 dual taken that summer. The panel at the front of the nose looks more light grey like the radome, and I can't see the keel (the rear avionics bay door is open and hiding it).

Here's one of my coursemates admiring a CF-5D when it visited Portage la Prairie Manitoba, while we were taking our Musketeer course.

For the remainder of that summer, it was all anti-climactic. Nothing could live up to the fighter rides, especially the Starfighter. I did get to fly in the Buffalo in Comox, Twin Huey in Gagetown, Hercules in Trenton, and Tracker in Summerside, then finally in a T-33 in Shearwater (Halifax, Nova Scotia).

At the end of the summer, it was back to RMC in Kingston for my 4th year, after which I finally went to Moose Jaw for wings training on the Tutor.

I strapped into the CF-104 one more time in 1984 (when visiting my Uncle at Baden for Christmas - I went skiing in Gstaad Switzerland with his family, and he as Base Commander arranged for me to fly in a test flight). Unfortunately, that flight ended up being a ground abort. So I got two memorable flights in the CF-104, which have shown me why my father loved it so much.

ALF

Edited August 22, 2010 by ALF18

[ALF18]

Wait - I almost forgot. This is supposed to be about modeling! Must be age... I got sidetracked.

So progress is pretty fast, given that I am using kit parts. The cockpits went together quite quickly. I didn't fuss over detail or accuracy too much. Comparison of the kit parts with the references show that Hasegawa has done an excellent job with the cockpit detail, especially stuff like the seat rails.

One final nod to the late 70s in Cold Lake. Here is my father (at left) with another pilot (he was the first one I flew in the Starfighter with - Dave Jurkowski). They are in the back yard of the military married quarters, assembling a TV antenna. The woods in the background were well-known for bears and other big wildlife.

With that fancy antenna, our family was able to pull in a semi-clear picture of CBC English and French, and a fuzzy CTV. All 3 channels featured a beep and fuzz at 12-second intervals (each time the Air Defence Radar at 42 Radar swept past). When you think Cold Lake in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, think austere. People were there for one thing only - to maintain and fly fighters.

I assembled the wings and nose cone - almost ready for the light grey (nose and underside of wings) and the white (top of wings). For the ejection handle black striping I used my usual technique of yellow paint, followed by hand-drawn stripes using a black fine-tipped felt pen.

One thing about this Hasegawa kit - the fit is fantastic. The speed brake goes on so nicely, it's almost invisible. I build them closed, as they usually are when the aircraft was shut down.

The panels behind each seat fit beautifully as well, as did the glare shield on the front cockpit. After the fighting I had to do with the resin on the Tiger Bird, this was a piece of cake!

ALF

[HOLMES]

ALF18

What a lovely collection of biographical photos..and the story behind your build.

I think this is going to be FABULOUS project look forward as always to your build.

Good start....nice work on the cockpit.

By the way I LOVE the INDIAN TIGER too..{The Tiger must hae been donated way befoe the MAHARAJAH had their titles and land and property taken away .}

[phantom]

Wow, when I was army I think I have around a total of 3 photos. Also my Dad was not a pilot. He was a finance officer. Not as much fun riding shotgun in the back desk of the finance office while you wait for permission to switch to medical training.

[Tilt]

Alf,

Once again you do not fail to engage the viewer. You seriously need to write a book about your experiences. The model looks like it's coming along already. I know when I get back to my models, I'll be tackling my Hasegawa 104.

[Charlie Cheetah]

Thanks Charlie! Alclad usually looks pretty good on a 104. My silver single-seater was done in Alclad. Any idea what colour to use for the darker panels in the tail area? I used white aluminum and it looked off, but to sit on a shelf and be looked at by non-experts, it still looks OK. Here is my Alclad effort with its cousins.

ALF

I saw that pic before during your Tigermeet build, impressive trio.

Like I said, I am experimenting with Alclads now, I havent even done a whole aircraft yet, just the odd section here and there. I was thinking of using Alclad Chrome for the highly reflective panels below the vertical stab, as for the darker panels, I will probably use either MM Metalizers or Tamiya custom mixes, same for the tail itself. Sorry I couldnt be a better help.

[D_IcarUS_]

Very nice build so far and a nice piece of History! Keep it coming, friend!

[AX 365]

Outstanding thread ALF! In that photo of your dad and Mr. Jurkowski being attacked by the antenna, you don't look like your dad at all! B) No denying parentage there buddy. And you're welcome for the offer of the room. Plenty of kits, supplies and space to keep everyone happy.

Look forward to the progress my friend.

Mike

[Tomcat Fan]

Cool stuff. How will you atach alu foil to the plastick? what kind of glue will you use.. interesting stuff.. very interesting..

[ALF18]

ALF18

What a lovely collection of biographical photos..and the story behind your build.

I think this is going to be FABULOUS project look forward as always to your build.

Good start....nice work on the cockpit.

By the way I LOVE the INDIAN TIGER too..{The Tiger must hae been donated way befoe the MAHARAJAH had their titles and land and property taken away .}

HOLMES

Thanks for the comments. The stuffed tiger was donated in the late 50s, or early 60s. I can only imagine how that would be impossible today!

ALF

[ALF18]

Wow, when I was army I think I have around a total of 3 photos. Also my Dad was not a pilot. He was a finance officer. Not as much fun riding shotgun in the back desk of the finance office while you wait for permission to switch to medical training. :(

Shawn

I know how you feel - my Grandfather was in the Army during WW II. My son got all excited - 'what did he do?' 'did he see much action?'

He was quite let down when I said he was a logistics officer, and the closest he got to the front lines was Kingston Ontario...

Doesn't stop me from being proud of him for volunteering and doing his part for the war effort!

ALF

[ALF18]

Alf,

Once again you do not fail to engage the viewer. You seriously need to write a book about your experiences. The model looks like it's coming along already. I know when I get back to my models, I'll be tackling my Hasegawa 104.

Tilt

Thanks man! Maybe when I become a famous author I can finally retire and make models more hours each week... Hmmmmm.

ALF

[ALF18]

I saw that pic before during your Tigermeet build, impressive trio.

Like I said, I am experimenting with Alclads now, I havent even done a whole aircraft yet, just the odd section here and there. I was thinking of using Alclad Chrome for the highly reflective panels below the vertical stab, as for the darker panels, I will probably use either MM Metalizers or Tamiya custom mixes, same for the tail itself. Sorry I couldnt be a better help.

Charlie

I used either polished aluminum or chrome - can't remember. I considered Alclad foor this, and I was going to use something else like MM Metalizers for the darker colours.

ALF

[Flyboyf18]

Different colour aluminum foil;

Tip Warning - this is no drill - tip warning;

ALF do you like hard boiled eggs? If so or if you need to make a bunch of egg salad sandwiches toss some of the foil into the pot and experiment with the shade by varying the length of time in water. Adding a bit of salt to the water may also cahnge the colour.

Another great thread, we are going to have to ask Steve to create a History Build section.

As an aside what year did you go thru Portage?

[ALF18]

Very nice build so far and a nice piece of History! Keep it coming, friend!

Thanks! Love your avatar, by the way...

ALF

[ALF18]

Outstanding thread ALF! In that photo of your dad and Mr. Jurkowski being attacked by the antenna, you don't look like your dad at all! No denying parentage there buddy. And you're welcome for the offer of the room. Plenty of kits, supplies and space to keep everyone happy.

Look forward to the progress my friend.

Mike

Mike

So there's one name you will never call me (starts with a ... sweet! And yet that somehow conflicts with what I often heard from Senior NCOs - 'no, I can't be an officer - my parents were married!'

Thanks for the comments. And your big 104 is looking good too. Amazingly low level of detail in that kit, but it's turning out well as far as fit and finish go.

ALF

[ALF18]

Cool stuff. How will you atach alu foil to the plastick? what kind of glue will you use.. interesting stuff.. very interesting..

I will be using this type of glue. The bottle on the left is what I used on my big P-47 in the Big Jugs GB, but I spilled most of it on my bench resulting in a sticky mess that took weeks to finally clean up. I went to the hobby craft shop yesterday and they told me that glue has been taken off the market by Health Canada; it's apparently toxic. Wonderful. Having spilled a bunch, and continually getting it on my hands for weeks while I worked at my bench, that was not something I was happy to hear.

The bottle on the right (white glue in clear bottle) is what they had.

In the store I went to, they refer to it as 'Gold Leaf adhesive'. Gold Leaf is quite fragile, so they say to spread the glue on the surface to which the leaf will be attached. This is what i did with the P-47, but I found that it is not a good idea to put the adhesive on the model first. This build, here's what I have planned:

-Cut a piece of foil about the right size and shape for the panel

-Fold a small piece over so there will be an edge with no glue (helps to handle it)

-Spread the glue on the foil with a brush (side opposite to the one you want to show)

-Clean the brush with water soon after application to the foil

-Let glue dry for about 15 minutes (it will remain tacky)

-Spread carefully onto the model, burnish in place, and trim.

I will attempt to capture some in-progress pics of some panels, but there is already a really good article here on ARC:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....28&hl=larry

ALF

[ALF18]

Different colour aluminum foil;

Tip Warning - this is no drill - tip warning;

ALF do you like hard boiled eggs? If so or if you need to make a bunch of egg salad sandwiches toss some of the foil into the pot and experiment with the shade by varying the length of time in water. Adding a bit of salt to the water may also cahnge the colour.

Another great thread, we are going to have to ask Steve to create a History Build section.

As an aside what year did you go thru Portage?

Flyboy

Way ahead of you buddy!

For my P-47 build, I tinted some foil with eggshells. Here is a pic of various strips I have left over from that. I will do some more to get the shades I want.

In answer to your other query - summer of 1978. Grease was on in theatres. I bought a 1965 Plymouth Fury (roughly the size of a battleship) for $150 from a Dutch pilot in Cold Lake who had finished his F-5 course and was going back to Holland. We called them 'Dutchmobiles' at the time, because those guys often would buy the biggest car they could find when they arrived in Canada for training, so they could fit a dozen friends into them. They drove them for a couple years, then sold them off cheap. My father put me on to the deal. Insurance cost me $165 for 6 months, and it ran on only 6 of 8 cylinders.

My Dutchmobile made many return trips to Winnipeg with about 6 friends on board; just like the old joke where the kid has a steak around his neck so the dog would play with him, I managed to ensure I had some friends in Portage by having one of the few cars around.

ALF