Lockheed Starfighter F.Mk2

[AeroplaneDriver]

Well fellas, after staring at an A-4 and Jaguar debating which to build last weekend, I packed them both up and went with an F-104.  I had hoped to post this earlier today, but the dear wife, who is getting over knee surgery was hit by a car while crossing hte street on her crutches today.  We were crossing infront ofa car stopped at a red light, the light changed and the driver took off, oblivious to the fact that two people, one on crutches were four feet in front of him!

So just as she was getting over the surgery she is now back on the couch taking more painkillers than she did for the surgery, looking at a knee the size of a melon.  She goes back to her orthopedic surgeon on Monday, and according the the trauma doc she saw today may need a bone scan or MRI to rule out a hairline fracture of her pelvis.  Poor girl has had a rough week.

Anyway, enough of the drama, the model for today is an Italeri F-104A in 1/72...



Gutersloh, West Germany
October 1982



As Cental America gradually fell to communist insurgents in the early 1970s, the US military found itself called upon to defend the US/Mexico border.  When Mexico's civil war errupted in 1975 US forces raced to reinforce the border, giving the communists something to think about before crossing into Texas.  US Special FOrces and air assets assisted the Mexican government fight the marxist rebels for the remainder of the decade.

The withdrawal of some US assets from Europe to defend the US borders left a gap in European defence.  Fearing that the Soviets would exploit any weakness, the US was eager to provide mothballed aircraft to other NATO air forces in an effort to keep the bear at bay.  

In 1973 the RAF received 36 F-104A Starfighters from the US.  These were deisgnated Starfighter F.Mk 1 in RAF service and joined RAF Lightings in the air defence of Germany.  By 1976 31 Starfighters were upgraded to F.Mk2 standard (5 had been lost in accidents, reinforcing the Starfighter's well earned reputation as an unforgiving aircraft).  

The F.2 upgrade involved bringing the aircraft up to a standard close to the F-104Gs used by other European air forces.  Ventral strakes and a refueling probe were added externally.  Internally new avionics were fitted, and the wing was strengthened to extend the fatigue life of the aircraft.

In 1979 a second minor upgrade program produced the F.2A.  this program saw a new HUD fitted and the unpopular downward ejecting seat from the original F-104A relaced with a new Martin-Baker Mk10 seat, ejecting in a more appropriate upward direction.

Starfighters served in the RAF alongside Lightnings and Phantoms until 1987 when the type was retired.  Starfighters served in 11 Sqn and 56 Sqn in RAF Germany, with 11 Sqn based at Gutersloh and 56 Sqn at Laarbruch.  The normal mission profile for the Starfighter was as a point defence fighter.   Due to the limited fuel capacity, this strategy saw Phantoms, and even Lighnings heading out to intercept threats at long range while the Starfighters were tasked with defending the airfields and intercepting Soviet cruise missiles at low altitude/high speed.  In this role the Starfighter would sit at 5 minute scramble readiness (known as "Battle Flight" in RAF Germany, QRA in the UK), armed with four Sidewinder missiles and carrying two external fuel tanks.  Occasionally the Starfighters would sit alert with 2 Sidewinders and 2 Sparrows.  The M61 cannon was retained by the RAF and was always fully loaded.

The aircraft shown is depicted in October 1982, on Battle Flight status at RAF Gutersloh.  It is shown in the new all over medium sea grey low altitude interceptor scheme.  It carries full color squadron markings worn during the previous airshow season when it toured as the RAF's Starfighter display aircraft.  It is armed with four new "Lima" versions of the venerable AIM-9 Sidewinder, proven in combat earlier in 1982 over the South Atlantic.

[AeroplaneDriver]

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[AeroplaneDriver]

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[Eddie M.]

That is one very cool Starfighter! I'm sorry to hear about your wife. Did the person who hit her have their seeing eye dog with them at the time, cuz he had to be blind!
   Eddie

[AeroplaneDriver]

That is one very cool Starfighter! I'm sorry to hear about your wife. Did the person who hit her have their seeing eye dog with them at the time, cuz he had to be blind!
    Eddie

Thanks.  He claimed he didnt see us when the light turned green.  I personally dont think the light did turn green.  He was signaling to turn right and I think he was probably looking off to the left, saw nobody coming and pulled out without even looking in front of the car.  Regardless, he smacked a woman on crutches square in the middle of the knee she had surgery on 7 days ago .  

The lovely wife is working through the pain by thinking about the insurance-funded shopping she will be doing when she recovers.  I've been promised a trip to the hobby shop if I take good care of her and do my "Woman's Work" while she's off her feet.

[Tophe]

Wishing recovery to your poor wife...
And clapping hands for the F-104 mk.2, pleasantly different...  

[nev]

Thats a way cool 104  

Hope the missus gets better, and you get a nice payout from the moron who hit her    

[NARSES2]

Looks good in that scheme - so what's the planned insurance spend then ? or are you carefully balancing the need for models against the necessity of ironing ?

Hope the lady wife recovers soon.

Chris

[Hobbes]

Cool Starfighter.
(hint for next time you take pictures of a model: try doing them in daylight. These are a bit dark)

[anthonyp]

Sweet Starfighter!  Gives me an idea of what to do with mine.

[retro_seventies]

Sorry to hear about your wife mate - hope she recovers soon.

great starfighter - looks especially dainty in RAF service, and good job with finding a reason why we would use the type.  nice weathering too...nothing better than a dirty bird    

[Leigh]

Well that looks different, good job mate. Love the backstory and fighting the Cold War on two fronts opens up all kinds of scenarios and possibilities. All the latin and central American countries flying Migs. R.A.F and Luftwaffe Crusaders, Thuds, Vietnam surplus Super Sabres.

Sorry about the Missus, that's so ridiculous it has to be real, hopes for a speedy recovery I know knee surgery alone is really painful, let alone some plonker whacking it with a car. My doctor told me when my ankle was busted up last year that lots and lots of sex was the best thing for repairing joints, well that's what I told the Girlfriend, maybe you could share that with your wife  

[John Howling Mouse]

Intense wishes for a speedy recovery for your poor wife and sue the fuzzy bunny for all he's worth-----she deserves it.

This kind of BS "accident" is so completely preventable that the responsible party should pay dearly for what they have done to a completely innocent bystander.  

Sorry, rant mode off.

Nice Starfighter and a backstory I only dream that I could come up with, someday.

Maybe this will be a great op for you and your Missus to bond.  Get her building models with you while she's less than mobile (oops, was that out loud?).

[Patrick H]

Great Starfighter, one of the best I've seen lately.

Best wishes to your wife. Hope she'll recover soon.



Patrick

[Ollie]

Oh my god.  This sucks buddy!        

But re- your F-104, it's my favorite jet ever, so...