RAAF RF-104 Finished!!!!

[FAR148]

So one day, I was borrowing through the older post in the Aircraft, Armor and Ships by Topics board. Started looking through the F-104 tread and came across this beauty by Greg AKA GTX.



As soon as I saw it, the gears started spinning. Hasagawa makes a 104 but how to make the recon nose? I thought maybe use the nose from AFV's RF-5 but I did not want to but a new kit (a pretty nice one at that) just to use the nose. I toyed with different ideas for about a week and almost got the AFV RF-5 kit. Was playing around in photoshop one night and it came to me. Use the kits nose and just cut the damn thing. Here's a line drawing of what I want my RF-104 to look like.



The build is going to be the easy part but the paint job.... will be based on Richard AKA Gekko_1 awesome profile.  



I'll be use using Hasagawa's F-104C kit for this build.



Here a pics of the color test done on an A-10 tail   I think I can darken the tan just alittle.



The resin seat is from CMK and I started to paint the instrument panel.



Since this is a photo recon bird, that means the gun got to go.



With my Dremel I remove just the gun and the bulge behind it.



Now I need to add a stripe of styrene to support the putty thats going to fill the hole. I got to be careful where to place it. It can not block the placement of the cockpit tub and it can not prevent the nose gear bay from fitting properly.




No gun, means no gun vents. The areas outline in red needs to be filled.



I then careful masked off each area and using my favorite putty(Super glue & baby powder), I filled all the vents.



Here's the new fuselage halve and the no vent nose tub.



Using tamiya flat black as a spot primer, not too bad.



I also got her wings on and again shoot a little flat black to check the surface quality. Got to rescribe a few panel lines on her spine but thats easy.



Now, Back to my Canadian Air Force F-4 Phantom FGR.4
Steven L  

[MilitaryAircraft101]

You're bloody crazy! If this is half as good as that Hunter it deserves a gold medal,  sitting tight on this one   
This is gonna be AWESOME 

[Captain Canada]

Great job so far. Your attention to detail is impressive !

[bearmatt]

"Double Trouble"? 

F-4 & F-104 at the same time?!

Nice ! 

[Firefox]

Looks really great! 

[NARSES2]

Impressive

[FAR148]

Thanks guys

 
F-4 & F-104 at the same time?!

Well not at the same time. I work on one for alittle, take a few pics, post an update then do the same for the other. It's funny now I'm back on the F-4, I keep looking at her wanting to keep going.

Until later,
Steven L 

[Sauragnmon]

Another one to pull up a seat for... a true Master at work.

[AeroplaneDriver]

Beautiful work!   

[FAR148]

Thanks guys 
It maybe a week or so before the next update, back to long hours at work.

Until later,
Steven L 

[FAR148]

Like my CAF F-4, it's been a while since I last posted anything about my RAAF Starfighter. The only work I have done to her is, I managed to get her intakes on and did some panel line rescribing. Wing tanks and tail are not glued.




Until later,
Steven L  

[McColm]

Wow!!
That's got me thinking about the Airfix 1/48 RB-57.

[nebnoswal]

That looks impressive already, even without the paint.  Great work

[Captain Canada]

What he said !

If you slapped some Italian markings she's look just like one of those dirty old birds right before their retirement party.

Great modelling there, for sure.

[FAR148]

Thanks Guys
Here's another small update.
I got my girl a nose job! I cut the nose off and have been slowly sanding it to shape. I somehow manage to scribe a new panel line around it. Still needs a little more work.



I also have been working on her tanks. After sanding and rescribing lines, I felt that the tips of the tanks looked too round and slow. So, I drilled them out and super glued a small nail into them. Now just got to sand them to a faster and more pointed shape.



Still more to come,
Steven L