F-104c - gpm - 1/33 - Page 7

**Tino** · #61 02-27-2018, 09:53 AM

Everything its so perfect... your your is amazing Ricardo!

A joy to watch.

**Don Boose** · #62 02-27-2018, 11:21 AM

Yes. Flawless craftsmanship, as always, Ricardo.

Don

**Erik Zwaan** · #63 02-28-2018, 08:59 AM

Nice detail Ricardo, this refueling connection. It seems like that the shape of the C-version (e.g. the canopy, vertical tail fin) differs from the G-version. Interesting, to observe these differences.

Cheers,
Erik

**ricleite** · #64 03-01-2018, 07:36 AM

Thanks for the comments

@ Paúl - for the riskier parts, I always test first. Nevertheless, sometimes, mishaps occur and it is necessary to unglue. Not very often, fortunately.
@ Erik - it is also interesting to note how fast new versions arrived and how short the frontline lifetime of some planes was. Well, they were cheaper to develop and much simpler than today's planes...

The main gear legs have a peculiar “square” cross section. I put a rolled paper bit inside to fix the thickness and serve as a spacer between the front and rear faces. Bits of card, not visible in the pictures, were glued at some points to serve as gluing and shaping surfaces for the upper and lower faces.
There is a big amount of detail and some parts are so small that they can only be hold by the very tip of fine tweezers! The wires are made of rolled paper. Thin paper, as you might guess!...

**MichaelS** · #65 03-01-2018, 07:42 AM

Just amazing detail work!!

**Erik Zwaan** · #66 03-01-2018, 09:19 AM

The landing gear is very fragile. When I made the KK F104G landing gear I studied the retraction mechanism and your version is similar. Rods along the main struts that tilt the wheels during the process and let's call them pulling rods along the main reinforcement bar that move forward to pull up the struts. All because of the limited wheel well space. Well done, beautiful and clean details!

Erik

**smithdr** · #67 03-01-2018, 11:29 AM

Jets aren't my thing but you, YOAV and Isaac may have changed my mind. You are the King of Seamless Seams.

Just lovely,
Dan

**ricleite** · #68 03-02-2018, 07:51 AM

Thanks for the comments

@ Erik - on my early scratchbuilt planes, I tried to make the landing gears rectractable. On some cases, it was feasible but on others, like the F-104, the real thing has lots of hydraulics and hinges that are basically impossible to reproduce in paper...
@ Dan - I would add quite a few names to your list, starting with Erik

With an apology to Isaac, I glued the gear doors in the “maintenance position”, which is not the same as the takeoff and landing position. Some interesting detail keeps visible.
The last construction pictures show the pylon and tank positioning. The tanks are not glued. So, the “completed model” pictures will include an almost clean configuration.

**Isaac** · #69 03-02-2018, 08:50 AM

Ricardo

Great work on the landing gear. I like the wheel rotation rods that are used when the gear is retracted into the belly.

Remember that the main doors are mostly closed on the ground when the aircraft is operational and only open for maintenance on the ground. You are the artist though.

Love it.

Isaac

**dhanners** · #70 03-02-2018, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaac

Ricardo

Great work on the landing gear. I like the wheel rotation rods that are used when the gear is retracted into the belly.

Remember that the main doors are mostly closed on the ground when the aircraft is operational and only open for maintenance on the ground. You are the artist though.

Love it.

Isaac

His previous post says he glued the doors in the "maintenance position." It would be a shame to hide that detail. Modelers are often doing things at the expense of total accuracy. For example, we often see models with inspection panels open (to show off interior detail) and live ordnance on the pylons. You never see that on the flightline.

Excellent modeling.