Sparrowhyperion

The Starfighter was a slightly older design.  The F-20 was a response to the US Air Force who had not purchased many of the F5 series due to what they thought were underpowered engines, despite the fact that as a pure fighter/interceptor, it could outperform almost every other comparable aircraft they threw up against it.  The F5 was designed after pilots extolled the maneuverability and speed of the little T-38 Talon trainer.  The F5 all the way up to the E model sold mostly to buyers outside the US.  The F20 was simply an F5E, with better avionics, a slightly heavier capacity, and the same engine as an F16 stuck in the rear instead of the smaller twin engines. 

I'm still waiting for the Primer to arrive, so paint on the Sabre is still on hold.  I may be able to get some primer on this bird tomorrow if gap filling doesn't take too long.

I'm going to have to pick up an F5 and a T38 some time in the future so I have a complete set. lol..

Rich

 

 

Bockscar:

 

Rich;

The Tigershark reminds me of the Starfighter, almost like the next design evolution.

Looks great........how's the painting going......?

 

 

Thanks for the info on TigerShark, one sweet bird awrite!

Yeah, I won my first art contest in 1967, I had bought a Freedom Fighter, and glued the two fuselage halves

onto a big collage. I got sent to the Ontario Finals.......never made a dime.......lol.....

Found my Testors Freedom Fighter......yeah...need the Talon and the Tiger.......

The F100 used the P&W J57-P-7 Engine.  Maxing at about 17000lbs of thrust.  The F104 used GE J79-GE-11A turbo Jet engine, which put out only about 15,800lbs of thrust.  But the lesser drag on the aircraft in addition to the difference in weight (Over 7000lbs.) made the F104 seem a lot more powerful, even given it's smaller power plant.

The original F5 series planes used a set of GE J85-GE21 Turbo Jet engines.  Each putting out 5000lbs. of thrust for a total of 10,000lbs with slight improvements until the F5E Tiger II.  There weren't a lot of major differences between the earlier versions.  The F5G also known as the F20 Tigershark, had the F404-GE-100 Turbo Jet Engine which produced a 17,000lbs of thrust and was afterburner capable.  It came out a bit late to survive on US sales only.  While a great little fighter with some light ground attack capabilities, planes like the F16 and F18 had already made it obsolete when it was designed.  The main issue being the small weapons load it was capable of carrying due to it's small light airframe.

I have the canopy hardware installed.  Now all I have to do is install the canopy, fill gaps, prime, paint, and decal.  The landing gear bays on this one are not really accurate, so I am considering doing it wheels up...

I've been a busy bee this last weekend.  My Sister in law is having a baby, and Deb and her mom held her baby shower Sunday.  So I got a lot of quality time with my Daughter and I have started teaching her to airbrush.  She is picking it up faster than I did. lol   I may let her have a crack at the paint on this one.  My one peeve with this kit is that it is molded in that dark OD green you see in the images.  But the paint needs to be Red and White.  So I will probably end up doing two thin primer coats.

I don't know what the deal is on eBay these last couple of weeks.  All of the F5 kits are going for quite a bit, even the R/M ones.. lol

Bockscar

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

The Starfighter was a slightly older design.  The F-20 was a response to the US Air Force who had not purchased many of the F5 series due to what they thought were underpowered engines, despite the fact that as a pure fighter/interceptor, it could outperform almost every other comparable aircraft they threw up against it.  The F5 was designed after pilots extolled the maneuverability and speed of the little T-38 Talon trainer.  The F5 all the way up to the E model sold mostly to buyers outside the US.  The F20 was simply an F5E, with better avionics, a slightly heavier capacity, and the same engine as an F16 stuck in the rear instead of the smaller twin engines. 

I'm still waiting for the Primer to arrive, so paint on the Sabre is still on hold.  I may be able to get some primer on this bird tomorrow if gap filling doesn't take too long.

I'm going to have to pick up an F5 and a T38 some time in the future so I have a complete set. lol..

Rich

 

 

Bockscar:

 

Rich;

The Tigershark reminds me of the Starfighter, almost like the next design evolution.

Looks great........how's the painting going......?

 

 

 

Gosh Rich, imagine an F-104 with an F100 plant???....lol...

 

Thanks for the info on TigerShark, one sweet bird awrite!

Yeah, I won my first art contest in 1967, I had bought a Freedom Fighter, and glued the two fuselage halves

onto a big collage. I got sent to the Ontario Finals.......never made a dime.......lol.....

Found my Testors Freedom Fighter......yeah...need the Talon and the Tiger.......

Sparrowhyperion

The F100 used the P&W J57-P-7 Engine.  Maxing at about 17000lbs of thrust.  The F104 used GE J79-GE-11A turbo Jet engine, which put out only about 15,800lbs of thrust.  But the lesser drag on the aircraft in addition to the difference in weight (Over 7000lbs.) made the F104 seem a lot more powerful, even given it's smaller power plant.

The original F5 series planes used a set of GE J85-GE21 Turbo Jet engines.  Each putting out 5000lbs. of thrust for a total of 10,000lbs with slight improvements until the F5E Tiger II.  There weren't a lot of major differences between the earlier versions.  The F5G also known as the F20 Tigershark, had the F404-GE-100 Turbo Jet Engine which produced a 17,000lbs of thrust and was afterburner capable.  It came out a bit late to survive on US sales only.  While a great little fighter with some light ground attack capabilities, planes like the F16 and F18 had already made it obsolete when it was designed.  The main issue being the small weapons load it was capable of carrying due to it's small light airframe.

I have the canopy hardware installed.  Now all I have to do is install the canopy, fill gaps, prime, paint, and decal.  The landing gear bays on this one are not really accurate, so I am considering doing it wheels up...

I've been a busy bee this last weekend.  My Sister in law is having a baby, and Deb and her mom held her baby shower Sunday.  So I got a lot of quality time with my Daughter and I have started teaching her to airbrush.  She is picking it up faster than I did. lol   I may let her have a crack at the paint on this one.  My one peeve with this kit is that it is molded in that dark OD green you see in the images.  But the paint needs to be Red and White.  So I will probably end up doing two thin primer coats.

I don't know what the deal is on eBay these last couple of weeks.  All of the F5 kits are going for quite a bit, even the R/M ones.. lol

 

 

 

Bockscar:

 

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

The Starfighter was a slightly older design.  The F-20 was a response to the US Air Force who had not purchased many of the F5 series due to what they thought were underpowered engines, despite the fact that as a pure fighter/interceptor, it could outperform almost every other comparable aircraft they threw up against it.  The F5 was designed after pilots extolled the maneuverability and speed of the little T-38 Talon trainer.  The F5 all the way up to the E model sold mostly to buyers outside the US.  The F20 was simply an F5E, with better avionics, a slightly heavier capacity, and the same engine as an F16 stuck in the rear instead of the smaller twin engines. 

I'm still waiting for the Primer to arrive, so paint on the Sabre is still on hold.  I may be able to get some primer on this bird tomorrow if gap filling doesn't take too long.

I'm going to have to pick up an F5 and a T38 some time in the future so I have a complete set. lol..

Rich

 

 

Bockscar:

 

Rich;

The Tigershark reminds me of the Starfighter, almost like the next design evolution.

Looks great........how's the painting going......?

 

 

 

Gosh Rich, imagine an F-104 with an F100 plant???....lol...

 

Thanks for the info on TigerShark, one sweet bird awrite!

Yeah, I won my first art contest in 1967, I had bought a Freedom Fighter, and glued the two fuselage halves

onto a big collage. I got sent to the Ontario Finals.......never made a dime.......lol.....

Found my Testors Freedom Fighter......yeah...need the Talon and the Tiger.......

 

 

I stand corrected......

arf.arf....

The StarFighter is my second favorite airplane......

I always thought J-79 was the big tunnel, 17K+

Annnnd....thks, I didn't realize F-104 was J-79.....

I first saw the F-104 on a packet of colouring pencils back about 1964.

I tried to sweet talk a young girl into a trade,

but I do not blame her......they use likenesses of my face

as pavement all around the globe.

F-104, it really was a 'rocket'.....

luv that plane........

Rich, appreciate the info, that is great.....

Im gonna get hatemail for this i know. But i always thought the F-104 was kinda ugly. I guess my preference has always been for chubby birds rather than skinny ones (take that however you want)

Scorpiomikey

Im gonna get hatemail for this i know. But i always thought the F-104 was kinda ugly. I guess my preference has always been for chubby birds rather than skinny ones (take that however you want)

No hate mail from me Mikey! I wouldn't go as far as to say ugly, but I agree it just does not have the looks that the other century fighter jets have.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

Good news!  I think Russ is going to join us.  I expect to see a post from him pretty soon.

Ken

Ken:

Thanks Ken for introducing us to Russ!

Nice to have Russ here!

-Dom

Dom, no problem.  I like to share info.  Way back when I was a senior in HS, I got more than a cursory acquaintance with an F104..  I think it's one of my favorites too.  Very simple and elegant.  But very scary in the air.  But it was very much a pilot's aircraft.  The F100 and F86 are all on my favorites list.  I think the only few I never cared for would be the F-105 (Thud), and the F-107 (really weird aircraft, and butt ugly.)  I like most of the modern aircraft except for the Typhoon Eurofighter.  That big ugly air intake just makes it look like someone stuck an open cracker box on the air intake.  Another that I simply couldn't stand the look of what the Boeing XF-32.  I am soooo glad the F-35 won that little competition.  They actually had to remove a lot of the farings and such off of the F32 to get it to hover properly...  Not very practical in the field. 

I got the cockpit all buttoned up and ready.  That's the best fitting canopy glass I have ever seen.. lol  Not so much as a noticeable crack at the joins.  So she is ready for masking and gap filling tomorrow.

UPS dropped off the Primer/Microfiller about 3 hours ago.  So I am OK to go on the Sabre as well.  I am going to finish the Tigershark first though.  It will let me get in some practice time with the air brush.  I need to pick up some respirator filters tomorrow anyways.

I'll send up more images of both as they progress.

Oh yeh.. My lovely Daughter found that lost Prop to my Mossie, so I can do some more on them now as well.

Rich

Scorpiomikey

Im gonna get hatemail for this i know. But i always thought the F-104 was kinda ugly. I guess my preference has always been for chubby birds rather than skinny ones (take that however you want)

No hate mail mate!

The F-104's wings wrap around it like my proctologist's  digits as he puts that pitot

tube in a place I block out from the sun!

....EEEEEEEeeeOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

-just means you are almost normal....scorpion 'hedge clippers' aside...ahem.....

.....hey, some guys like chubby.....birds....lol........

HEY DOC!!!!!!

WIPE THAT SMILE OFF'A YOU FACE BEFORE YOU WIPE MY.......

POP POP;;;;POP POP......LOL.............'E was such .....a nice doc..........lol.......

Yes, another Docprologist......going where he belongs....lol.....

Okay, if we are on a subject of ugly aircraft, I think some people have already heard me say this but I think the LTV A-7 Corsair II ranks right up there close to the top.  Don't get me wrong, this plane was a work horse during the Vietnam War and did a fine job.  But to look at it, like the saying goes, "only a mother could love"!

Ken

Ken:

Don't get bent outa' shape pal, this is ugly:

Butt lozenge.

Scorpiomikey

Im gonna get hatemail for this i know. But i always thought the F-104 was kinda ugly. I guess my preference has always been for chubby birds rather than skinny ones (take that however you want)

Ya know I have to agree, I like planes that have you know- wings on 'em.

The F-104 is kinda cool in a rocket sorta way but that's what it looks like to me - a rocket with tiny lil wings stuck on the sides- guess that's why they call it 'the missile with a man in it'

I like a nice pair of wings on a plane- kinda like a nice pair of legs on a woman...

Bockscar

Ken:

Don't get bent outa' shape pal, this is ugly:

Butt lozenge.

Yeh, the Crusader was another ugly cousin. lol  Why did it seem that back then, most of the Navy stuff was butt ugly.  Things didn't really improve looks wise until the F14.  Although the Panther was nice as was the Fury which was just a Naval F86 anyways.

Son Of Medicine Man

Okay, if we are on a subject of ugly aircraft, I think some people have already heard me say this but I think the LTV A-7 Corsair II ranks right up there close to the top.  Don't get me wrong, this plane was a work horse during the Vietnam War and did a fine job.  But to look at it, like the saying goes, "only a mother could love"!

Ken

This is cool:

Yeah, anything uncool about that:

LOL.....

If you ever get the chance, fly in one...  Manned missile is highly accurate.  You can really overlook the looks factor due to the sheer responsiveness.  I just have always been a sucker for those Alpha Wings and the T top elevator/stabilizer.  And I always get a kick out of seeing Godzilla down a couple of dozen of them in my Daughter's old Horror DVDs..... LMAO.

Gamera

 

Scorpiomikey:

 

Im gonna get hatemail for this i know. But i always thought the F-104 was kinda ugly. I guess my preference has always been for chubby birds rather than skinny ones (take that however you want)

 

 

Ya know I have to agree, I like planes that have you know- wings on 'em.

The F-104 is kinda cool in a rocket sorta way but that's what it looks like to me - a rocket with tiny lil wings stuck on the sides- guess that's why they call it 'the missile with a man in it'

I like a nice pair of wings on a plane- kinda like a nice pair of legs on a woman...

Rich:

Thanks for mentioning that...got one parked out the back.....

was waiting to afford gassing 'er up....lol.......

My cousin-in-law flew those........fast f*****....lol.....

Faster than a Hornet.....lol.....ooops, mind a your head, maaaammm.....

Prefer this. Chubby bird with a big booty (im so gonna get banned soon lol)

Repeat

Bockscar

Mikey:

AB FAB:

Doesn't get much better than that.

Those tat's were on your arms man, on your arms!,

Inhale, lay back, relax.........that scorpio was such a nasty critter man.....those claws were way out duuuude....lol...

Sparrowhyperion

Yeh, the Crusader was another ugly cousin. lol  Why did it seem that back then, most of the Navy stuff was butt ugly.  Things didn't really improve looks wise until the F14.  Although the Panther was nice as was the Fury which was just a Naval F86 anyways.

 

 

Son Of Medicine Man:

 

Okay, if we are on a subject of ugly aircraft, I think some people have already heard me say this but I think the LTV A-7 Corsair II ranks right up there close to the top.  Don't get me wrong, this plane was a work horse during the Vietnam War and did a fine job.  But to look at it, like the saying goes, "only a mother could love"!

Ken

 

 

I beg you, the privledge to differ on the ugly scale, Crusader was also AB FAB:

The only thing ugly about that is that the Bear got so close to sovereign U.S. soil.

I like this one:

and this one:

No problems with her either. Must I remind you gents:

With enough lipstick, even a turd can fly!

No offense intended Dom.  But a lot of those early birds proved that looks didn't equate to speed or function. lol

Voodoos!!!  I just love the look of Voodoos.  Okay, it is rather obvious from my avatar.  The RF-101C is my favorite version.  I am uploading photos to Photobucket right now.  As soon as it finishes, I will show you some that my Dad took.

Ken

Okay, here is one my Dad took a picture of getting ready to take off from Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, circa September 1964:

Ken

Ive always preferred the T-bird.

SoMM, Was your old man a grease monkey too?

Scorpiomikey

Ive always preferred the T-bird.

SoMM, Was your old man a grease monkey too?

That avatar I use was his patch. He was a Crew Chief on the RF-101C.  Actually, he was the Crew Chief on the T-33, then he was a crew chief on the base commander's F-105D on Kadena Okinawa before he was transferred to the RF-101C.  After we left Okinawa he was a Crew Chief on the F-101B at Suffolk Air Force Base New York.  Then he went to school to become a Flight Engineer on the C-141A.  He was in that position for quite a while, making it all the way to becoming one of the top instructors for Flight Engineers on the C-141A.  Then he went back to school to become a Flight Engineer on the C-5A Galaxy.

Ken

My dad was a basic grease monkey. Although he worked on a hell of a lot of RNZAF birdies. He never got past corporal i think. Something like that anyway. Certain politics prevented him being promoted any further. Left after 20+ years of service.

Aircraft he worked on included.

DC-3/C-47

Harvard (Texan)

Vampire.

Strikemaster.

Skyhawk

C-130

P3K

etc etc etc lol.

Pretty much everything that served with the RNZAF between 1966 and 1986 (not sure exactly when he got out)

Scorpiomikey

My dad was a basic grease monkey. Although he worked on a hell of a lot of RNZAF birdies. He never got past corporal i think. Something like that anyway. Certain politics prevented him being promoted any further. Left after 20+ years of service.

Aircraft he worked on included.

DC-3/C-47

Harvard (Texan)

Vampire.

Strikemaster.

Skyhawk

C-130

P3K

etc etc etc lol.

Pretty much everything that served with the RNZAF between 1966 and 1986 (not sure exactly when he got out)

Please don't take this the wrong way but get to know the details of your Dad's life while you can.  I thought I had the time to do that but my Dad was taken from me before I was ready.  Now I have to try and find out much on my own and only have fragments of stories that he told me.  Oh how I wish I could have just a few hours of time to spend asking questions of my Dad now, but alas, it is too late.  There is no way I will ever find out all of the answers to questions that I have.

Ken

Oh yeah?

F-100, shot down or injested birds. Oh, a bomber. Destroyed some SAM's, not enough though...next

F-101, an excuse to keep aluminum flying, recon? For Chuck Norris? made great bird shelters...suckered Canada into buying them......next

F-102, so bad, they redesigned it, not even a bomber....next

F-103, fake Regulus, what F-103?....next

F-104, hemmmorroid relief, widow maker, runway flamethrower, destroyer of governments. Kelly still has a red face....and ugly.......lol....mighta' made a good toothpick......

F-105, never dropped nukes, over half the run shot down, oh, a bomber.....dang....shot down a russian by accident, right?....next

F-106, never did nothin', not even a bomber......uhhhh....musta dun sumpin?....next

F-107, what F-107????....next

LOL........what a waste of time, titanium, and aluminum...

Oh yeah, the flying sewer plate, F-4....lol....now there's an airplane!....er...bus.....

How ugly is that? At least Crusader shot commies into the smokin' hole they deserved....lol...

Crusader told the Pres the commies were getting close to vaporizing NY, I hope you love NY,,,,,lol,,,,,,,,

So tell me, why do I have a valid reason to love all that early, slow, dysfunctional junk???????....lol.....

What speed, what function?

Well,truth is, all that dysfunctional aluminum, it kept our a**** safe. And yes, they were indeed fast. But the only reason they made them Rich, wasn't to thwart the proto commies, or waste tax-payor's dollars, no Sir.

It was so i could collect the styrene versions....lol.....

Truth is, IMHO, that was the most exceptional series of aircraft that ever flew. I love 'em.

I dunno, I have a soft spot for the Cold War craft, and the Cold War spirit.

I rant, because commies are cool up here....lol......