Egilman

Ok, starting out on the cockpit... Right off the bat, we have three different sets of parts to correlate with each other representing three different models.... I have the Hasegawa base kit from the '70's and an Eduard resin set from the early 2000's and two Eduard photoetch sets from the late 2010's.... All represent a "C" model F-104.... The photoetch sets are designed for two different Italeri models.... Problem, I need to fit them all together into a presentable arrangement that looks sorta like the real thing..... These are the parts that make up the kit cockpit and the first part from the resin seat kit..... Adding the kits rear cockpit bulkhead and fitting them into the fuselage side shows where the cockpit sits in relation to the rest of the parts. and yes the nose wheelwell locates the cockpit.... (also note that the upper portion of the ejection seat rails is molded onto the fuselage sides easy to remove but that make the locator reference for the aftermarket parts) the rail section in the above photo has to sit in the same place as the molded on part.... The rail section positioned over the fuselage side lining up the upper support section to find out where the floor needs to be located... And the upper rail support structure looks to be in scale meaning that the rest of it is probably in scale also.... With this pic being taken at a slight angle the floor, wheelwell, (which locates fore and aft the cockpit floor) and the rear bulkhead in place, we line up the seat slide tracks and see where the end comes out.... It clearly appears to be longer than the kit parts so, the floor needs to be lowered. While the side panels remain at the current height in the cockpit... First step will be to cut off the cockpit floor and find out just how much we need to add to the sides to get the correct height for the ejection seat kit to fit.... Looks like Hasegawa took a little designers license back in the 70's when they created the kit.... (they did mold the seat cushion into the floor though probably to make the manufacturing process easier) I suppose back in the '70's this was considered acceptable and it was the only game in town, but today, it just doesn't cut it.... So I will be cutting it.... Next up fitting up a new, rerranged cockpit....

Moving quickly there denis.... The first act is over before I even get here.... I'm in, squeezing a seat in somewhere......

Yeah there's plenty pf photographic evidence of what those marking were... the two letters "DF" were the wing/squadron identification code the "A" was the specific aircraft... They are read from the front of the airplane to the back.... It wasn't the first B-17 to make 25 missions, it was the first to do it and return to the US.... (Suzy-Q was the first) Major Wyler probably had a lot to do with convincing the brass for it's return to do a bond tour.... Beautiful work dennis, I didn't know that the vertical stabilize paint patch was covering over a different marking, I thought it was a battle damage repair.. It's one of the things I love about doing research, you always learn something new and you never know where you'r going to learn it...

Thank you Ken. Historical research is another passion of mine, I like digging for the facts and reading about history also..... The next one I don't know about yet, but I have a feeling it's going to be a chopper of some type..... (I've got this zipper to finish and get the bandit rolling as well) I'm going to be busy for a while especially since the F-104 has taken a serious turn towards kitbashing and alterations which I hadn't planned for....

ok three part mold. A shaft that is cut like threads except rounded like the inside of your spring. and an upper and lower half of the mold... The shaft moves in and out just like a rod would except it rotates at a certain pitch as it does, like it is threaded into the mold. So the two halves close, the side insert screws it's way into the mold, the plastic is pushed into the mold. When it has cooled a bit, the insert threads itself out and the mold halves separate.... The only Idea I can come up with... where and how the parts were located on the sprue would give some indication of how it was molded...

Yeah, that does pose an interesting problem.....

Slide molding has a lot of advantages, the two halves of the die come together, (leaving a seam mark down the rings) and a rod slides in from the side down the center of the coil to keep the center from filling..... This is the current state of plastic injection molding... Resin casting has something to worry about.....

Thank you OC, not going to buy it from evilbay uk but at least I know what I'm looking for locally... Thanks..

Just a suggestion brother, don't forget the starboard 20mm cannon, will look kinda strange with only one....

Been cookin long enough to know you only handle one boiling pot at a time.....

I hope it turns out well, that's a lot of tiny tiny parts......

Well it was kinda like christmas in June brother... Now comes the hard part.... (some of those parts are microscopic)

Thank You Mark, I do try and research thoroughly when I'm doing a specific theme..... It's appreciated...

And another present in the mail today..... The rest of my truck parts.... the Tires and hubs for the trailer, the hubs for the tractor, gladhands and diamond plate..... So I'm pretty well set to continue my Bandit build as well....... EG

Well lookie what showed up in the mail today.... My cockpit parts! ....... And the Eduard Lockheed C-2 ejection seat.... look like I'm going to have plenty of PE to go in the parts box I didn't realize that they gave you a harness along with the seat... but anyway the seatbelt/harness set is a full complete set of harnesses than the set that came in the Brassin seat package. I'm going to have to figure out what I'm going to use and from where.... I should come out of this with a pretty complete detailed rocking chair for this bird.... Restarting this after a bit more research.... EG

I know, I'm looking at one of them Cannon camera kits they are advertising all over the place... keep this one for the day trips and use the new one for the serious photography.... Cameras are a whole world unto themselves....

I don't doubt their existence, three little parts turn any Glock pistol into a select fire machine gun.... (true story) I found them on evilbay in Australia, and yeah the crew is available from China if you want to wait a month of sundays..... As far as crew in scale goes, a 6' man in 1/32 scale is 2.25 inches, in 1.35 scale he is 2.058 inches just shy of 5'6" in 1/32nd scale, (the average man is 5'8") the two scales cross over on many things figures are one of them... I don't know if I'm ready to do a crew yet.... when I do it will probably be South Pacific WWII era one of the various invasions.... And Thanks Brother....

Thank You Ed, I do try and get accurate information, and artillery has all it's little bits needed for it to function that one seldom sees in the usual photos... It's appreciated my friend...

Thank you Lou.... Yep when they landed in the Elmira mission, they brought 24 guns with them, when they were finally able to collect equipment after the landing under fire, (after dusk) they were only able to get 6 operable guns together to send to the MLR.... They eventually recovered most of them after the service personnel got there, but they used what they had and fought like hell... I tried to represent that.... Gradually as I find my modeling muse restarting, I'm getting closer and closer to doing one from the heart..... memorializing a battle my father was in..... he saw a lot of situations like this.... desperate deadly times..... and lived to not tell the tales..... Each one I'm doing opens a door so to speak allows me to touch on more...... You know where I'm eventually headed brother, I believe that a "Slick" has landed on my door step, and the ordnance department has aquired an XM-23 setup to add to the vignette..... Yes Helicopters eliminated the Glider troops, made combat insertions much faster, but also brought their own heartache and miseries.... I will be modeling one in the future.... After so many years out of the hobby I'm finding that my muse has changed from building neat pretty hardware and filling shelves to telling a story...... I enjoy it more this way.... Thank you brother, Greatly appreciated.... EG

Thanks brother Yeah I thought it would bridge the gap between ordering parts and them getting here..... and besides, I's kinda fond of drabby green with target markers..... especially when they illustrate some of the hurculean acts our boys perform in service to our country.... Like landing in enemy controlled LZ's having to dig your weapons out of the wreckage and then fix them before you can use them..... Glider troops don't ever seem to get mentioned in the same statement about jumping troops... but they both had their special kind of bravery..... Any way, this is my D-Day tribute to those who served just as hard, but seldom get mentioned....... Thank you...

Thank you Jack, As far as the camera, it is really old, takes nice general pictures but really doesn't do details well, 2.2mpx. Focal length just isn't there for real sharp closeups. Todays basic standard is 30 mpx using a macro...... It's a great little camera I'm still going to use it I just need something with a little bit more capability for the fine shots... Thank you...

So, where do you get this "Blue Tack"? that type of soft edge effect I used to do with sponges or elevated stencils...... this method looks so much easier....

I'm sure, if your dad was there, he would give you a hug..... Beautiful tribute....... Beautiful job my friend...

We get a great opportunity to see what excellent molding and thoughtful design does for painting and shading..... It really looks the part..... Nice work...

Ok, Time to finish this up.... This is where I last left it... Basic assembly complete..... And, After adding the necessary mundane equipment that a howitzer needs to operate on the battle field and giving it something to shoot when it get where it going, I wind up with this........ Well the closeups didn't quite come out as sharp as I would have liked, I still need to get a better camera. (or learn how to actually use it) Anyway she is off to her next firing position, as soon as the crew shows up..... I call it finished... Howzitzer #4, Battery "B" 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. The evening of June 6th 1944....... two miles northeast of St Mere Eglise, France..... 76 years ago, two days from now.... I hope you all enjoyed the journey..... EG Thank you for the discussion, comments and likes.... They are always appreciated..... Next up, resuming Blue Jay 4..... (assuming the parts arrive in the next day or two)