Over
the years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has operated
no less than 11 Starfighters for flight test purposes. Between August and
October 1963, Lockheed delivered three single-seat F-104G Starfighters to NASA,
these planes being designated F-104N (N for NASA) and were to serve as
high-speed chase aircraft. Those three were the only purpose-built Starfighters
produced by Lockheed for NASA — all other Starfighters operated by NASA were
transferred from the USAF (or Luftwaffe!). Those F-104Ns were initially numbered
011/012/013. A/C 013 was lost on June 8, 1966, when it was involved in a mid-air
collision with the second North American XB-70A Valkyrie during a General
Electric-sponsored publicity photographic flight. The two surviving F-104Ns were
later given the civilian registrations N811NA and N812NA. (found somewhere on
the net)
This
is my Hasegawa F-104 G (N) Starfighter N812NA. It is built out of the box
except of using the Aires Cockpit set for the F-104G. One can do three
different versions out of the Hasegawa box: Number one is N826NA as seen
up to today, an ex-Luftwaffe F-104G in white-darkblue-white without the
NASA-signs on the intakes (as shown on the box), number two is N812NA as
seen around 1980 in
white-darkblue-lightblue with the NASA-signs and third
is "011" around 1970 in BMF with bright orange areas and white
stripes. This would be the only option to use the tiptanks with. |
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on image below to see larger image |
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Well, I
did a fourth version: N812NA as seen ca. 1985 in white-darkblue-white with
the NASA-signs. You can see the original aircraft in the pic at the bottom
of this page. For more pics refer to the site of Dryden Flight Research
Center http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/index.html.
The kit made by Hasegawa is once more very accurate, even the bulged main
wheel doors are right for all four versions. Of course all NASA-Starfighters
had been demilitarized. So the canon has to be closed by sprue and putty. |
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on image below to see larger image |
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The Aires
cockpit set contains both ejection seats, the Lockheed C2 and the Martin Baker
GQ-7. Searching on several sites around the net, the only right seat for all
NASA-Starfighters is the C2. So the Martin Baker went to the spare box. If you
want to have the canopy open to make the cockpit more visible, you have to add
some detail to the inside of the canopy. I added some air hoses made from wire,
some handles and one rear view mirror on the right.
The model was
painted using Tamiya TS-sprays and Gunze Top Coat, weathering was done using
watercolor. Decals came all with the kit and are very good, but the blue stripes
are a bit too thick. The red stripes of the NASA-signs are to be painted over,
as the dark background of the blue stripes shines through. Almost no stenciling
is seen on this aircraft. The kit was a pleasure to built and went together very
well. The cockpit set matched almost perfectly. Of course this was not a cheap
model: kit, cockpit set and spray cans add up to 60 Euro (ca.60 USD).
Dirk
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