1/18th F104G

[ernjan]

I just got the Big 1/18th F104G the other day,and just had to take it apart to se what must be done to make a decent model out of it.

I found there were mainly three areas that needed some work to make it look more like a model and not like the toy it was ment to be.

I found that it needed a new cockpit interior,correction and detailing of the landing gear. The canopy also need some work to look right

I have just started work on the cockpit ,made a new panel and consoles.

Here is what it looked like before:

[ernjan]

And this is how it looks now:

[ernjan]

And here is one more:

[EPinniger]

Glad to see another 1/18 aircraft fan here, though WW2 aircraft are more my area of interest!

(Though maybe if 21st Century or BBI made an early Cold War-era jet like the F-86 or Hawker Hunter I might be tempted)

Your F-104 cockpit is certainly starting to look impressive. What did you use to make the dials + instruments?

 

Have you seen my thread on the 1/18 Corsair I'm currently working on? (should be on the second or third page by now, on the "In the Works" forum)

[Pete63]

Dear Ernjan,

 

I saw the 1/18th scale F-104G at Euro Scale Modelling and I must say it's a very nice replica of an F-104...

But, the nose has a strange curve where it should have been molded in a straight line...

This is an item that should be corrected if you want to get the typical looks of the Starfighter.

The hinges of the flaps are so-called piano-hinges; you won't be able to see them on a real Starfighter.

 

Good reference: The Verlinden book on the F-104 Starfighter. If you can't obtain any reference, you can write me here and tell me what info you need...

 

Happy modelling!

 

Piet Bouma

 

P.S. By the way, which aircraft are you going to depict..? A German, Belgian or Early German F-104G..? (The CS-2 ejection seats were replaced for Martin Baker seats soon in their flying career...)

[Jens]

never heart about 1/18 scale starfigther:wub:

[ernjan]

Hello to you all !

First let me try to answer your questions: I made the instrument faces on my computer and printed them on white glossy photopaper.After several attempts I was able to produce on set that was ok.

The bezels was made from thin plasticard,first I drilled a hole for the instrument,then cut it out and trimmed to the right size and shape. As for references ,I have the Verlinden "Lock on" plus my own photos of a CF 104 G preserved at the Aircraft Collection at Oslo airport Gardermoen.

I will try to paint it up as a RNOAF machine from the early sixti`s, that means NMF and a bit of color

I buy all my 1/18th planes online from badcataviationtoys.com as I am very pleased with their service and resonable prices.

Today I have been doing some minor work on the fuselage,making new engine bleed air outlets on the top rear fuselage and make a new well for the arresting hook.

I have also started work on the canopy/windshield which is to high and rounded.

Here is a pic. of the bleed air vents.

[ernjan]

Here is a pic of the canopy and windshield after a 6mm reduction in height,i'm not quite there yet.but it starts to look better

[EPinniger]

Are you in Norway?

If so, what are www.badcataviation.com's postage charges to Europe for one of these 1/18 aircraft? And do

you have to pay tax/import duty when the package arrives?

[Jens]

is it a rebuild

[Jens]

Are you in Norway?

If so, what are www.badcataviation.com's postage charges to Europe for one of these 1/18 aircraft? And do

you have to pay tax/import duty when the package arrives?

i would like to know to (from denmark)

[ernjan]

Hello EPinniger.

Yes I live in Norway,and I live close to Oslo airport Gardermoen with its aircraft collection.

In Norway there is no import dutys on toys,but we have vat.(value added tax) at 25%.

Badcat only use express mail on all foreign orders,so shiping usually cost around 50 us dollars.

So when I get the packet at home it have cost me somwhere around 115 us dollars, I don't think thats

so bad.It takes about one week to get here.

And then to answer your question Jens.

Yes they are more or less ready made,so you could well call it a rebuild.

 

And finally EPinniger : You are the one to blame,that I started this silly project.

When I saw your work on the Corsair, I just could not stop myself I had to try and do something similar

with the Starfighter.

I am starting on the seat today it will be scratchbuilt

Happy BIG modelling Jan Ernestus

[EPinniger]

I visited Norway on holiday last year and was very impressed by the Gardermoen aircraft collection! I also visited

the Akershus military museum in the centre of Oslo, which has a number of aircraft.

 

As a tank/military vehicle enthusiast I was also interested to see a number of M24 Chaffee light tanks (WW2 vintage) displayed in various places, including Gardermoen. I think these were used by the Norwegian army until the 1970s, am I correct?

Akershus also has a German Panzer I tank which is quite rare I think, I've certainly never seen one before in a museum.

 

 

Regarding shipping/postage, here in the UK we get charged "import duty" on any commercial packages over a certain value (I think it's about £20-25), as well as VAT. I don't think this applies to items from Europe, but if you buy anything from the US, Japan etc. you have to pay an outrageous amount.

 

It's usually OK for non-commercial transactions such as eBay, though, as you can get the seller to mark the customs form as a "gift" and with a low value. I've never had any problems with buying things from eBay overseas sellers.

 

Even so, £50-odd is a bit too high for me, £30-35 is the maximum I've ever paid for a model. The P-47 and Stuka cost around £35 each inc.P&P from a German eBay seller, which is probably as cheap as you can get here in Europe.

 

I'd like to get the BBI Zero and the 21st Century Avenger, but to be honest, the ones I already have will keep me busy for quite some time - the Corsair isn't even 50% complete and I also have the P-40B, P-47D, Ju87B and Fw190D to rebuild in the future.

 

It's funny that my Corsair project has started some interest in these 1/18 aircraft. Before I joined LSP I searched high and low on the internet to see if anyone else was doing the same thing, but found absolutely nothing! Not even straightforward repainted "customs". You'd think that with the number of these that have been produced over the years (the first time I saw one was in 2001) at least a few would have found their way into the hands of modellers.

[wingman777]

Ernjan, really like what you're doing with the F-104. Some of my modeling buddies see these as pre-fab

toys but I see them as models. I have 3 or 4 that I plan to take apart and improve just as you and Epinniger are doing. (He's doing the Corsair as I plan to do the FW-190, A6M2 and F4U. Its a great starting point for a truly

Large Scale Plane.