CD48233 - 1/48 F-104 "Test & Drone Zippers"

[sierrascale]

60735 would be an attractive choice, but it looks like it has a cartoon (bird?) on the lower fin. I can't find any other photos of it, which is surprising.

[Dutch]

Kursad, these two links on QF-104 drones may help. (You may have already seen these.)

 

QF-104 drones - International F-104 Society International F-104 Society (i-f-s.nl)

 

QF-104A drones - the aircraft - International F-104 Society International F-104 Society (i-f-s.nl)

 

They explain that the real purpose of the initial QYF-104 and later QF-104A drones was to specifically refine and test AIM-7 Sparrow and the Bomarc missiles with a high altitude and high speed (Mach 2) capable target.  It is interesting to note that only 20 or so were converted.  So your assumption about the missile silhouette markings is correct. (Blue rectangle) As to the two color wedges on vertical tail and tank fins, I assume them to be dark blue or black (gold squares). Or possibly a combination.

 

I think that the caricature alluded to by sierrascale is nothing more than an irregular patch of missing fluorescent paint (red oval).

 

K/r,

Dutch 

Edited December 6, 2023 by Dutch
add photo

[KursadA]

On 7/11/2023 at 10:55 AM, Dutch said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this option, I interpreted the color of the "Slasher No II" (*) arrow as a dark blue. Any ideas?

Also, is the name "Slosher" or "Slasher"???  "Slosher" makes no sense to me, unless there is a piece of aviation slang that I am not familiar with. Wouldn't "Slasher" make more sense?? The only reference to "Slosher" is the IFS site, and European sites sometimes miss subtleties like this one. Are we sure that the name is indeed "Slosher", because the text looks like Slasher to me. 

[Dutch]

@KursadA, 

After zooming in to the four different photos, I cannot determine one way or the other whether the name is "Slosher" or "Slasher."  The letters appear to be in some kind or roundy cloud font, so either "O" or "A" is plausible.  I have searched the web, but keep coming back to the IFS.nl site.  I do agree that the background for Sl*sher No II is a dark blue, as it is lighter than the U.S. AIR FORCE lettering and seems to correspond to the blue in the US insignia. I am happy with "Slasher" as that is the type of attack developed for the F-104.

 

Here is a quote from the IFS.nl QF-104 page about the apparent reason for the missile markings on 735. This would date the photo prior to 17 June 65 when 735 was shot down by a Navy fired AIM-7.

 

8 July 1964:
Chuck Dildine stated that not all the missions flown were "shoot to kill". Many were programmed misses just to check missile tracking capabilities, contact ranges etc. For example on this day in July QF-104A 55-2971 flew such a type of mission. It had 7 missiles fired at but there were no hits...

 

HTH,

Dutch

Edited December 6, 2023 by Dutch
added link.

[Hertem]

Looks like some of the verbiage on the F-104 site has the name listed as "Slosher" and  "Slosher No II"  after the repair.

[KursadA]

1 hour ago, Hertem said:

Looks like some of the verbiage on the F-104 site has the name listed as "Slosher" and  "Slosher No II"  after the repair.

 

Yes - that is the IFS site that we mentioned in the previous discussion, and it is the only source ever where these names are mentioned. Why anyone would name an aircraft "Slosher" is beyond me, while Slasher actually makes sense.

[Dutch]

@KursadA,

 

After reading thought the various i-f-s pages on the F-104 (see links above, much material is redundant, some new), I discovered several Starfighters had various names applied which make no operational or wartime nose art sense, but obviously had meaning at the time. Some even carried different names at different times. 

 

55-2955 

Lt Simpson is seen here prior a test mission in 55-2955. Here it is clearly seen that this aircraft got nickname "Apple Knocker" around January 1957.

55-2969 nicknamed "Queenie"

55-2969 

This General Electric test aircraft had been returned to the USAF in August 1961 and directly transferred to Lockheed Palmdale in September. In February 1962 it was transported to Lockheed Burbank and in August 1962 it arrived at McClellen for IRAN overhaul but also QF-104A modifications and preparations. It was delivered to Eglin on June 11th, 1964. At Eglin it got nickname "Capt Sassey" due to the fact that it"s engine always made a "Sassling" sound.

 

55-2971
In 1958 the 55-2971 was seen on the static show during the Open House at Edwards Air Force Base. On the fuselage the nickname "Slosher" in white can be clearly seen. (photo: unknown source)

"Slosher No II". This was applied after having received a new life from Lockheed after its major accident in October 1958.

 

So, I recommend that we stay with "Slosher No. II."

 

Kind regards,

Dutch

[hemspilot]

This!

[habu2]

1 hour ago, hemspilot said:

This!

 

Nice find 👍

[KursadA]

I am almost done with this - should be able to post the final draft in a couple of days. 17 options on this one, covering a variety of subjects: Edwards test jets (both single-seaters and the two F-104Ds), markings for all three NF-104 and specific stencilling (also decals to portray the rocket engine ports on the nose, etc.), NASA JF-104, two China Lake Navy jets.. I think this will sell out fast, judging by how popular the NASA F-104 sheet was (reprint coming in 2024). 1/48 and 1/72 at the same time.

[hemspilot]

On 12/19/2023 at 10:50 PM, KursadA said:

I am almost done with this - should be able to post the final draft in a couple of days. 17 options on this one, covering a variety of subjects: Edwards test jets (both single-seaters and the two F-104Ds), markings for all three NF-104 and specific stencilling (also decals to portray the rocket engine ports on the nose, etc.), NASA JF-104, two China Lake Navy jets.. I think this will sell out fast, judging by how popular the NASA F-104 sheet was (reprint coming in 2024). 1/48 and 1/72 at the same time.

Are there any AFFTC Black chevrons?

[sierrascale]

On 12/19/2023 at 10:50 PM, KursadA said:

I am almost done with this - should be able to post the final draft in a couple of days. 17 options on this one, covering a variety of subjects: Edwards test jets (both single-seaters and the two F-104Ds), markings for all three NF-104 and specific stencilling (also decals to portray the rocket engine ports on the nose, etc.), NASA JF-104, two China Lake Navy jets.. I think this will sell out fast, judging by how popular the NASA F-104 sheet was (reprint coming in 2024). 1/48 and 1/72 at the same time.

License to print money. I have the Victory Models sheet, which is probably worth one million dollars by now.

[hemspilot]

9 hours ago, sierrascale said:

License to print money. I have the Victory Models sheet, which is probably worth one million dollars by now.

Not in 1/72 though, they and Cutting Edge missed the boat on those.

[KursadA]

CD48233 (and CD72155) will have 17 marking options for various test, drone, and evaluation aircraft; including markings for NF-104 and JF-104 aerospace research jets. Some stencilling specific to these aircraft are included, and so are decal representation of various thrust ports etc. on the JF-104 and NF-104s. The set comes with the proven early USAF F-104 stencilling and national insignia that I used earlier in CD48202. 

 

Note that the sheet is missing the GE logo on "Queenie" (55-2969), which was used for GE engine tests for a while. I was not able to obtain a licence for the GE logo despite my attempts. This should not stop the determined modeler from building this option, and the reference Web site will have an image of the appropriate GE logo for informational purposes.

 

 

 

[hemspilot]

36 minutes ago, KursadA said:

CD48233 (and CD72155) will have 17 marking options for various test, drone, and evaluation aircraft; including markings for NF-104 and JF-104 aerospace research jets. Some stencilling specific to these aircraft are included, and so are decal representation of various thrust ports etc. on the JF-104 and NF-104s. The set comes with the proven early USAF F-104 stencilling and national insignia that I used earlier in CD48202. 

 

Note that the sheet is missing the GE logo on "Queenie" (55-2969), which was used for GE engine tests for a while. I was not able to obtain a licence for the GE logo despite my attempts. This should not stop the determined modeler from building this option, and the reference Web site will have an image of the appropriate GE logo for informational purposes.

 

 

 

Yes yes yes!

[aircal62]

Kursad, another great 104 sheet and one that is going to sell out very fast.  On the GE logo, might you include the blue disk, and maybe the think white designs, but leave off the GE.  Then you may also somewhere on the sheet have a small white GE without any notation as to what it may be for  

[The Arrowhead]

Yipeeeeee ! Dream come true.

I bet this one will sell out like wooooosh.

[Dutch]

Beautiful, baby! Just beautiful!

[KursadA]

I am going to release a slightly reorganized and improved version of the CD48202 stenciling/national insignia sheet as a Basics item sometime in the next couple of months, so you can build multiple options from this and other F-104 sheets I offer.

Edited December 27, 2023 by KursadA

[sierrascale]

Excellent! There are GE logos on the Cutting Edge F4H-1 Phantom sheet, if you have that unicorn in your decal stash.

[Dutch]

On 12/27/2023 at 10:17 AM, KursadA said:

I am going to release a slightly reorganized and improved version of the CD48202 stenciling/national insignia sheet as a Basics item sometime in the next couple of months, so you can build multiple options from this and other F-104 sheets I offer.

Perfect!  Because I will need several to build multiple options from both sheets. 

[Ghostbase]

On 12/27/2023 at 3:17 PM, KursadA said:

I am going to release a slightly reorganized and improved version of the CD48202 stenciling/national insignia sheet as a Basics item sometime in the next couple of months, so you can build multiple options from this and other F-104 sheets I offer.

I have several old ESCI and Monogram Starfighters in 1/48th scale as well as quite a few of the Hasegawa offerings, they are all crying out for several stencilling/national insignia Basics item sheets 👍

I built an ESCI F-104C just over a year ago and it was hard work resourcing some of the decals from the spares tin to replace the 40 year old kit decals.

 

Michael

 

[Illu]

Are you aware that a lot of QF-104As had black ejection seat warning triangles and black turbine warning stripes?

[KursadA]

1 hour ago, Illu said:

Are you aware that a lot of QF-104As had black ejection seat warning triangles and black turbine warning stripes?

 

No, honestly I have never seen one with black ejection seat warning triangles. I am pretty sure the ones covered on my sheet all have red warning triangles but if photos are available, I am definitely interested in learning more. 

 

 

Edited January 6 by KursadA

[JeffreyK]

...looking forward to this, right up my street! 🙂

The NF-104A conversion parts are in the works at Hypersonic Models, and, who knows, maybe a few other things related to this sheet as well 

Watch out for further announcements!

Jeffrey