RAAF F-104

[david sMiGielski]

I haven't had the opportunity to finish my EF-2000 (bad weather, illness, etc). However, I did find some time this afternoon to start a project I've had  on the drawing board for awhile: a 1/48 Hasegawa TF-104G built as an RAAF F-104AS during Wild Weasel (Star Weasel?) trials circa 1980. So far all I've done is modify the rear instrument panel with new radar screens. Still trying to decide if I'm going to include a crew in this one. Anyone know what RAAF flight suits from the late 1970s-early 1980s looked like?

More as things progress.

[Captain Canada]

Right on....104s would make an awesome weasel......fast and low ! I built a CDN one years ago. Looked so good with that big missile under the little wing.

Cheers !

[K5054NZ]

Sounds fantastic David! Wild Weasel has to be one of the coolest jet roles in history, in my mind at least.

Anyone for an RAAF twin-stick F-104 group build? How many others are underway? 

[bluntie]

Hello David ,
                i like the sound of this one!..will be watching with great intrest...
                as for the flight suits ,pretty sure they were olive drab with light grey helmets.
                pretty close to USAF Issue,but if you pop over to aussie modeler some one should be
                able to help you out.
                                                  Cheers.

[Radish]

Well I thought RAAF Flying Suits were all PINK, but I could be mistaken.
And Squadron Leaders always wore a boa as a sign of rank.
Did you know that the G-suit was designed after a man saw his wife wearing stockings and suspenders?

[K5054NZ]

Did you know that the G-suit was designed after a man saw his wife wearing stockings and suspenders?

Have you any pics of the incident in question? I'm inclined to demand them.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Psssst, David.... wanna buy some (slightly) used Shrikes ?

Ian

[david sMiGielski]

Heh heh, you read my mind. I've got a pair of Shrikes on standby. I'm just trying to decide if I want to put AIM-9s on the wingtips instead of tanks. I think this plane will be really fast and really deadly but only out to about 300 miles. Which means it needs in flight refueling...hmm....another idea...

Psssst, David.... wanna buy some (slightly) used Shrikes ?

Ian

[GTX]

Looking forward to seeing the final result of this one.

Regards,

Greg

[david sMiGielski]

Cockpit is pretty much finished and the fuselage is together.

I didn't really like Hasegawa's GQ-7 seats, so I decided to use a pair of resin Mk. H-7s that should really go in an F-4. I'm really happy with how they turned out. I've also included a shot of the painted rear instrument panel with the photoetched radar screens.

[John Howling Mouse]

Those seats sure look fantastic.  I keep looking for updates on this build....thanks for this latest.

[BlackOps]

David, this looks fantastic! Those seats look better than many I've had in my 1/1 vehicles 

[david sMiGielski]

I need to hear people's thoughts. I'm planning on putting a refueling probe on the fuselage and Shrikes under the wings, but I'm not sure about wing tanks. I'm considering two options: wingtip tanks with dual AIM-9s on the belly of the airframe, or AIM-9s on the wingtips, with no tanks.

But I'm torn. What does everyone think?

[Captain Canada]

Oh you gotta have the wingtip tanks. 104s are pretty much useless without them ! I think they look much cooler that way as well. The 'winders would look pretty cool, tho. But so would another tank and or a pod or something.....or some of those skinny AIM-120s.

Cheers !

[John Howling Mouse]

Keep the tip-tanks, Luuuuuuke.

Makes me wonder: why do so few a/c have wingtop-mounted missile pylons?  Like the Jaguar and (I think) the Lightning can carry missiles and/or fueltanks above their wings but I don't know of any other a/c that feature this capability.  Could the Starfighter use this?  It's not like its wing generated a lot of lift via airfoil, anyhow, right? 

Maybe it would look too goofy, though.