1/72 Hasegawa F-104S Starfighter

Gallery Article by Todd Pearson on Mar 22 2012

 

 

This is my Hasegawa 1/72 Starfighter, finished as an “S-model” of the Italian Air Force.  The kit is built mostly out of the box, but I did add a few details in the cockpit, a Pavla ejection seat, Aires afterburner can, Hasegawa missiles, and a Master pitot boom. 

 

Click on images below to see larger images

I learned a lot about Italian Starfighters and got some great references and ideas from the ARC forums!  Accordingly, I modified a few of the kit parts and selected the weapons load out to more realistically reflect an earlier operational F-104S.  I painted the model with Tamiya acrylics, airbrushed with paper masks and Testors Dullcote for the final finish.  I then post-shaded the camouflage to give the jet a more worn look.  Weathering was done with pastel chalk, washes, and oils.  After I dirtied up the belly of the jet, I sprayed the area with a light coat of future to represent the leaking fluids and such.  Finally I used a sharp pencil to deepen the panel lines and a silver pencil to add wear and tear around the jet.  The decals came from the kit and a massive Sky Decals sheet. 

I used AIM-9B Sidewinders from the old Hasegawa weapons set, however I thinned down the fins and drilled out the rocket motor exhaust.  The Sparrow missiles are modified AIM-7Ms from Hasegawa’s newer weapons set.  To make them represent AIM-7Es, I sanded the radomes to more of a point, removed the forward portion of the -7Ms waveguide fairing, and added fairings to the sides of the missiles made from styrene.  Decals for the missiles came from the weapons sets and my spares.  I hope you enjoy the photos! 

Todd 

Click on images below to see larger images

      

Photos and text © by Todd Pearson