Hi everyone!
Okay, here it goes. I'm primarily a prop guy so all this "jet" stuff is new to me. Here is Revell's 1/48 F-104 with aftermarket decals for a bird stationed out of Hamilton AFB in Novato, CA. My dad lived on the base as a kid. My grandfather was a machinist there and my dad and his friends dug ditches to lay electrical wiring for runway lights when he (my dad) was a teenager. My dad tells me stories of watching the F-104s and F-101s taking off. The concussions from their afterburners would knock all the dirt they dug out of the ditches fall right back into them!
This model is going to go to my dad when I visit him in August. It is finished with Model Master gloss white enamel for the wings. The fuselage is a combination of Floquil Old Silver and Silver Mist. Also, just to see how, or even if, it would work, I used some silver decal sheets from which to cut out some small "panels". When you see the pictures, practically all of the differently shaded panels are from the silver decal film.
After all was said and done, I applied a coat of clear metalizer sealer on the kit. Interestingly enough, it actually reduced the contrast between the Floquil silvers and the silver decals.
One last thing, I know I kind of botched up the fuel tanks. Each tank had a strake on it that is supposed to go OVER the wing tips. However, when I glued the tank halves together, I mismatched them. That being said, the strakes are actually under the wing rather than above.
I also know that the leading edge slats should be deployed when the flaps are down but I have a couple of thoughts on that. First, I tried something I've never done before when it comes to cutting out the flaps. I used sewing thread. I looped a length of it across my Flex-i-File and used it like a coping saw. Holy cow! That sewing thread cut through the plastic like a hot knife through butter! As for not dropping the leading edge slats, I have nothing to blame but my own laziness. Next time, I'll score under the slat hinge and droop the slats. I think I just wanted to get the model done at that point.
So have at it, guys! I'd love to hear the constructive criticisms! Don't hold back. I'm new to the jet scene so I'd love to hear what I did right and wrong so I'll know for next time.
Thanks!
Eric
