An then it hit me... a Thunderbirds starfighter...

[red arrow jag]

Sitting here eating a pack of cadburys chocy fingers and looking over photos from last years riat...

"Oooh an F104 Starfighter in Thunderbirds guise.... NICE 

What kit should I look into (1:72) and does anyone have a spare set of Thunderbirds decals in 1:72 (any kit)

[upnorth]

The Monogram 1/72 F-104C id quite a nice kit if you can find it, though I believe its OOP right now.

That it is a C version is good for the Thunderbirds because I don't think USAF used any later F-104 variant than that.

[B777LR]

The Revell 1/72 F-104C is very nice, and comes with a few extra bits. I would suggest you use that one Its OOP at the moment, but im sure you can find it lots of places

[Shasper]

Avoid the Monogram offering if you intend to do an in-flight bird, I built one eons ago & had a heck of a time getting the main l/g doors on. Also I think its a tad underscaled (when compared to my AMT kit). If you can find the old AMT/Ertle kit for a decent price you should do OK

So, BMF or gloss white?


Shas

[kitnut617]

The Italeri boxing of the 1/72 F-104 is from the old Esci moulds and is quite good

[Chris707]

Chris
--------------------------------
http://aviationheritage.blogspot.com

[upnorth]

The Italeri boxing of the 1/72 F-104 is from the old Esci moulds and is quite good

Are the Esci/Italeri/AMT F-104s not all the same kit?

[Mossie]

I wouldn't bother with the Academy kit, way over scale & holes for the wheel wells.

[kitnut617]

The Italeri boxing of the 1/72 F-104 is from the old Esci moulds and is quite good

Are the Esci/Italeri/AMT F-104s not all the same kit?

I don't think so, I seem to remember reading in SAMI when the Italeri F-104A was released that it was from the old Esci moulds (but I could be wrong), but in my PAK-20 book (Plastic Aircraft Kits of the 20th Century) it doesn't show a connection between any Esci and AMT kits.  It shows that there was one version of the F-104 in 1/72 that AMT boxed was from the Hasegawa mould and Frog, Minicraft and Revell also used that mould, then there's another Italeri one which Revell then used, Matchbox did one which was then used by AMT.  Lastly it shows that Revell did one which wasn't used by anyone else.  Mind you keep in mind that this book is always being corrected but I don't have any of the addemdums to look at.  Just a note though, the Italeri F-104A came out after this book was published and I've just spotted that AMT made a 1/72 F-104 which no one else used so this could also be the new Italeri boxing.  I'll have to check the other half of the book which lists all the kit manufacturers listings to find out which version was made by who as it doesn't say in the first half of the book, which just shows if a real aircraft has been made in kit form by someone.

[Shasper]

The AMT kit I speak of is more or less a G model since the decal options it comes with include mkgs for a CF-104 & a anniversary Luftwaffa scheme.

Shas b)

[RotorheadTX]

This AMT kit has the same plastic as the current Italeri release; originally ESCI, I am told.

[philp]

For some odd reason I was thinking more "Thunderbirds Are Go" when I saw this thread instead of the aerobatic team.

Think the F-104 could be made to fit right in Gerry Anderson's universe, maybe the personal mount for Lady Penelope (pink, of course).

[Mossie]

Gerry Anderson felt the same way!  Most of the fighters that appeared on the shows weere kitbashes of F-104's & parts of Starfighters found their ways into other builds.  The Draken was another staple.  Have a look at these pages:

http://www.tvcentury21.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=212:gerry-anderson-and-the-f-104-starfighter&catid=111:model-usage&Itemid=180

http://www.tvcentury21.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=5&Itemid=180