F-104G Starfighter- Kartonowa Kolekcia 1/33 scale

[Isaac]

The aircraft has a familiar bifurcated ( that means the inlet is in two sides joined together ) engine air inlet with side cheeks. The kit does a good job with the external parts, but the internal are shallow and should have been deeper. However, unlike the exhaust which I made internally longer, I decided not to bother and make the intakes deeper, so it is as designed.

here are the assemblies and internal frames



ready to install



but, I added a joining tab to the last frame to assist in mating with the center fuselage section.



and the cheek is on



now add the area sliding cone in the inlet ( did you know that by sliding the half cone in and out, it changed the throat area of the intake and allowing for better efficiency at different Mach numbers ? )



Isaac

[YOAVHOZMI]

nice work on the air intake

Shabat Shalom

YOAV

[Isaac]

The upper small spine fairing is relatively thin and I as usual use a rounded dowel to keep the shape and make it easy to install.


here is is



and also the small ventral fin under the rear fuselage


Isaac

[Erik Zwaan]

Good progress, Isaac. I found mating the side air intakes to the centre fuselage section the toughest part of the build. You managed the job well!

Erik

[Isaac]

Originally Posted by Erik Zwaan

Good progress, Isaac. I found mating the side air intakes to the centre fuselage section the toughest part of the build. You managed the job well!

Erik

Erik


Thanks to you for the heads up. That is why I added the joining strips to the rear frame of the side intake.


also, and it is a bit later on

please look at your model's main landing gear doors. I checked photos of actual planes and on the ground, those doors are always closed. The kit designer and everyone else that built it has the doors fully open which is incorrect on the ground ( except for maintenance ). The sequence of retraction in the air will open the doors first, then the gear retracts and then the doors close up flush.
here is a picture I took at the Canadian Warplane Heritage museum.


and
here is a good video of a model showing the gear retract and extension sequence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=969FGu92X6I


so all the good work under those doors will be unseen ( again ) if you are to build it correctly. I will show the wrong and the correct door positions later on when I post the landing gear build.


Isaac

[Isaac]

Vertical fi


vertical fin parts


glued on


and glued to the fuselage.



Note that the vertical fin has a part that encloses a small fairing undern the tail to protect it from the engine exhaust.




Isaac

[Isaac]

Here is what the fuselage looks like at this point.





Isaac

[smithdr]

Beauty Isaac...neat and clean!

Dan

[busoramas]

this is taking shape!! good one

regards

[Isaac]

The kit provides a separate rudder which I like.

here it is


the receiving fin


and on centered



showing left and right rudder positions ( I used soft bendable wires for hinges )




Isaac