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

[Don Boose]

Beautiful work on the air brake and undercarriage.

What did you use for a mandrel for turning the wheels? I have used the turning technique on balsa wheels and will use it for the FJ-1 wheels eventually. Most of the models I build are 1/60 or 1/48 and, for that size, I just sand the blanks down by hand - looks okay from a distance. I have thought of using very small bolts as mandrels for turning smaller wheels, but have not yet tried this out.

Don

[Isaac]

Originally Posted by Don Boose

Beautiful work on the air brake and undercarriage.

What did you use for a mandrel for turning the wheels? I have used the turning technique on balsa wheels and will use it for the FJ-1 wheels eventually. Most of the models I build are 1/60 or 1/48 and, for that size, I just sand the blanks down by hand - looks okay from a distance. I have thought of using very small bolts as mandrels for turning smaller wheels, but have not yet tried this out.

Don

Don

I use the Dremel mandrel 402 which comes in most of their kits and accessories.



https://www.dremel.com/en_US/product...y-tool-mandrel

you can also order it online from many outlets or go to Home Depot , Loews etc..

Also, my suggestion is to use laminated card stock for the wheels instead of balsa ( which is too soft and may break off if the rotary tool goes too fast ). I also used plywood in the past, but find card stock lamination so much better


Isaac

[Isaac]

Nice video taken back in 1984 that shows details of the plane cockpit and actuation of the flaps and airbreaks as well


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyiDzKu29Mg


Isaac

[Don Boose]

Thanks for the mandrel advice, Isaac! You are always very helpful and supportive.

I agree about card for the wheels. What I meant to say was that I used to turn balsa wheels for 1/24 stick and tissue free flight scale flying models. I use laminated card for paper models.

Don

[Isaac]

No need for too many words. Here is the completed ejection seat.



and installed



There is a bit more work in the cockpit



Isaac

[YOAVHOZMI]

good looking ejection seat

Shabat Shalom

YOAV

[Erik Zwaan]

The ejection seat is looking good! I remember enjoying making it and adding a few more details in the cockpit. At e-cards.com is a model of a similar Martin-Baker ejection seat, scale 1:12, which I used and downscaled. I presume you will leave the canopy open? So it will be very clearly visible. Interesting video by the way - there's another one which is very informative. A German instruction movie for aircraft mechanics. Nearly every panel that can be opened during a check-out is opened, which gives very good insight to the F104G.

Enjoy you modeling vacation!!

Erik

[Isaac]

Originally Posted by YOAVHOZMI

good looking ejection seat

Shabat Shalom

YOAV

Yoav


Thank you and a relaxing shabat to you as well.


Isaac

[Isaac]

Originally Posted by Erik Zwaan

The ejection seat is looking good! I remember enjoying making it and adding a few more details in the cockpit. At e-cards.com is a model of a similar Martin-Baker ejection seat, scale 1:12, which I used and downscaled. I presume you will leave the canopy open? So it will be very clearly visible. Interesting video by the way - there's another one which is very informative. A German instruction movie for aircraft mechanics. Nearly every panel that can be opened during a check-out is opened, which gives very good insight to the F104G.

Enjoy you modeling vacation!!

Erik

Erik

Yes, the canopy will be displayed in the open position. But, I will not add additional seat details like your beautiful work.
I enjoy adding functional details more and more especially since I also like the landing gears, doors, control surfaces, flaps, air brakes to all be separated and deployed. It is more work, but lots of fun ( except the stuff that I build and then it is all covered up and no one can see it ). Another thing I like is to add as much external load as possible. Sometimes almost too much. I am looking into adding the 2 Sidewinder missiles under the forward fuselage ( but I need details of the actual pylon ).

I would also love to build a photo realistic jet engine for any plane showing it installed or next to an opened up model.

For this F-104, it would have been nice to separate the aft fuselage and display the J-79 jet engine installed in the forward fuselage and the tail on a maintenance cart.Our hobby is certainly ready for lots of detailing and I'm OK with 3D printed material ( it can even be liquefied paper that is 3D printed ).


More pictures of my progress soon.


Isaac

[Isaac]

a little editorial as an engineer:

The F-104 was designed as a mach 2 interceptor. To that end, the Lockheed engineers utilized the area rule concept ( which gives the fuselage a thinner waist line common to other planes like the F-4, F-105, F-5 etc.. ). In addition they sacrificed frontal cross section and wing lift to achieve this speed goal. So they got what they wanted using a single J-79 engine. Unfortunately, the plane had no stamina nor endurance, so they loaded this "prima Donna" with four external fuel tanks which basically created so much drag, the plane could not achieve the supersonic speed it needed.
The concept was then that the aircraft will loiter with those huge tanks and then when it entered combat , it would drop all those tanks. In reality it would be too late if the F-104 needed to speed up and especially if it encountered any enemy fighters as it could barely maneuver with those tiny wings.

editorial over, lets build.

OK, here are the kit tip tank main assemblies



center section with its frames



and a channel for attaching to the wing tips




tank assembled


dry fit first



fins are on



and both tanks on dry fitted



Note that the fuel tanks are left and right handed and not interchangeable ( another design waste for the sake of aerodynamics ).

At this point the tip tanks are not glued.


In a strange way, I like all the externals since I like a loaded plane.

More to come.


Isaac