1/48 Hasegawa CF-104 Starfighter part 4

by Shawn Phantom Weiler

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I love group builds.  Really helps me decide what to build next......Why oh why is there no VFA-31 or F-18E build yet???  Anyway, this time on the continuing Starfighter parade are a couple operational birds.  The first (silver) is one of the original ones delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force back in the day.  They stayed with AETE at Cold Lake until they were at long last retired to make way for the Hornet.  This Starfighter, 104704 is one of the most photographed Starfighters out there.  I really liked the partly cammed tip tank.  This plane also received a standard cam nose cone.

The model itself lost its pitot tube during the build....Not able to find it I found a MUCH superior replacement.  A sewing needle. Going to use this little option for now on.  Also putty filed the main gun as 104704 did not have a gun. (well as far as I could find out)

The decals are from Leading edge, a great sheet which came with lots of options, in fact both models shown here used the same sheet.

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The second model is a TF-104G.  Modified to become a CF-104D Mk2.  New aftermarket seats, filed down landing gear doors.  Use of the "wrong" wheels and tires according to instructions.  Addition of tip tanks from a stash Starfighter, filed down to look like underwing tanks. Painted in the middle cam of 1970's style green with full colour markings.

The neat thing about this model is the way it was removed from service.  There is a multi thousand word story in the Canadian Starfighter book.  Makes me laugh every time.  But I am not going to repeat the entire tail here.

Short version. 2, 441 squadron pilots took the life long hanger queen up. Wheel disintegrated during take off.  Plane going to fast. Hit the cable....but a wing tank BLEW UP.  The only thing that saved the crew was their speed.  Unfortunately the other tank started to leak.....causing the fire ball to follow.

Welllllllll...somehow they got away from that, landing gear breaks.  Skids to a stop, and the pilots bail out.....Lucky they did, cause AETE found if they ejected at 0 knots....the canopy would have gone straight up and then straight down...chopping the pilot in half. (two seater only) Luckily both crew bailed out safely, but not before the pilot forgot to unhook himself from the seat, where he promptly fell face down in the dirt still attached to his bang seat.

Shawn

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Photos and text © by Shawn Phantom Weiler