1/48 Hasegawa NASA F-104N |
Gallery Article by Gene
A. "Gene-o" DiGennaro Jr .
on June 26 2014
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In the early 1960s, NASA ordered 3 F-104 Starfighters to serve as high speed chase and test aircraft. These were built to the F-104N standard, meaning they were built as F-104G's without the NASARR fire control radar. Ejection seats were F-104C standard C-2 models. Vehicles 011, 012, and 013 were initially painted in this flashy dayglo orange and yellow paint scheme with high polished natural aluminum elsewhere. Tragically F-104N 013 was destroyed in a horrific mid air collision with XB-70 #2. The 1966 accident took the life of X-15 pilot Joe Walker and B-70 crewman Carl Cross.
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The model is the 1/48 Hasegawa F-104N with kit decals. Construction was out of the box except for the addition of a Monogram F-106 pilot figure in the front office. The model went together easily and needed little filler. The one beef I have with Hasegawa's 104 are all the tiny countersunk holes used to represent rivets. I'm noticing this is a continuing trend in today's aircraft kits and it needs to stop.
This was my first try at an Alclad finish. I first primed the fuselage with Krylon automotive primer to tone down those pesky rivet holes. This was wet sanded and polished to a glossy sheen. Next a layer of Krylon gloss black was shot onto the bird. This too was polished to a high sheen. Finally a coat of future was applied over the gloss
black. The nose was painted grey and an OD anti glare panel was hand painted onto the nose. I then airbrushed a steel colored acrylic onto the aft fuselage. Next, Gunze orange was airbrushed onto the tail.