1/32 Revell F-104S ASA-M

by Christian Villa

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Hi every body, I'm Christian from Italy, this is my first attempt at a model after a pause of more than 10 years from modelling.
After having read lot of information and techniques over the net, I decided to retrieve my "sleeping passion".
In a hobby shop I saw this Revell kit representing an old Revell F-104 Starfighters in Italian markings who was a special color of Ferrari 4 Stormo (wing).  The price was very attractive and I decided to buy it.  But I didn't want represent the G version of the F-104, I decided to represent the last one operating in AMI Aeronautica Militare Italiana, the ASA-M version who was the last, after having withdrawn from service in 2004 after about of 40 years of service.
The model is basically OOB, but I bought the resin ejection seat MBIQ7A, instead of the originally Lockheed C2 that equipped the first version of the G version, included in the kit.  I also scratch built the tail stabilizer wings.
The canopy glass was a one piece, and this was a very bad thing....so I had to cut the wind screen, and the rear part of the glass, this is due to my will to represent the model with an open cockpit.  And because the dimensions of the upper part of MBIQ7A didn't allow to close the canopy, as I discovered later..... :-(((((
The model has positive and recessed panel lines, the rivets are in positive, and are not as accurate as the Hasegawa model in 1/48 scale, but it's turned out very fine.

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PAINTING

I primed the model with light ghost gray Model Master, and then I pre-shaded with flat black acryl Life Color.  Then I painted the model with light ghost gray Life Color with a very few drop of flat white.
When finished, I faded the single panel with a mix of 70 % light ghost gray and 30 % flat white, always Life Color acrylics.

The wheel well bays were painted in alluminium Alclad, but before I sprayed a thin layer of gloss black enamel to put in evidence the nice ALCLAD metal aluminium characteristics.

Weathering

I choose to use pastel chalks to let the model become dirty, as they were at the end of their careers.  I choose pastel chalks due to the fact the positive panel line of the model.
I didn't want to rescribe all the panel lines, because of the huge dimension of the kit, and because it was a tedious work, but that turned out well.

Decals

I sprayed the model with gloss acrylic transparent to settle the pastel chalks and to prepare the model for the decal.
Decals are from Tauromodel, which are fantastic, but are a lot, too much...
I choose to represent the 5-36 who were based at Cervia (Ravenna), making parts of 23 Gruppo Caccia, now operating the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Best regards from Milano, Italy
Christian

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Photos and text © by Christian Villa