Egilman

Get real comfy Ed, someone will come along with the popcorn in a little bit I'm sure...... Thanks...

For those who could master it, it was their go to aircraft and it was truly the "Zipper" they absolutely loved it. First aircraft in the USAF inventory that cruised at mach speed, (first to fly sustained Mach 2 also) for those that couldn't master it, she garnered another nickname, "The Widowmaker" It was an airplane that you had to pay attention while flying, get careless and it would bite you. (sometimes permanently) Nothing beats it's lines and form, a radical departure from aircraft designs of the day built for sheer speed and power. I have no doubt that it would beat out several of today's "exalted" birds... And in my personal opinion second to only the SR-71 in demonstrating what an engineering genius Kelly Johnson was...... Gonna try and do her justice... also just a note, the F-104C was the only Starfighter to actually see combat with the US Air Force, it was also the last F-104 designed at the request of the US government, the F-104G being designed to a West German specification..... One of the most widely recognized aircraft ever built they served worldwide.... The GE J-79 engine served with distinction for over 50 years in various aircraft, the B-58, the F-4 Phantom and several other aircraft..... It was a marvel in itself... Thank you for joining in Lou... I will try my best to make a decent representation of the Airforce's intro to the sustained mach speed club...

Glad to have you along OC...

Nick, Clear isn't going to fix the problem of Monochromatic Photography, it's a silver car it's going to look kinda plain against the chrome trim.... It's not your building skills, which are great btw, A beautiful job in fact, it's the nature of the color itself...... I have been unable to find a resolution to it myself in all my years... Silver cars just do not "Pop" to the camera... that's why you seldom see one used in the movies or television... It's just the nature of the beast... but we as modelers can see what the color/camera tries to hide and it's beautiful... EG

Well, Time for another oldie but goodie... Was rummaging around the stash and spotted this one hiding at the bottom of a stack of 1/32nd scale warplanes... And I've always wanted to try a Natural Metal Finish.... And this has natural metal to spare... But I also like to do specifics also so there is a history.... The Aircraft I wish to build is one of the two that was used to win the 1962 US Air Force William Tell air meet...... Tail Number 57-0914 and 57-0915 of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing which was based at George AFB California... It was the only F-104 unit in the competition.... The meet was flown by Capt. Charles E “Chuck” Tofferi... who in a few years time would lose his life flying this exact same aircraft over Laos.... Here is a film reel of that meet... This aircraft also has another connection I like to model, Star Trek, it is the Famed "Blue Jay Four" of the Original Series episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday" First Season, Episode 19..... in the lead in to that episode, you see a sequence, the same sequence you see in the William Tell film, opening the episode up.... That is Captain Tofferi returning from one of his William Tell runs... As you can see it was US Air Force Stock Footage used as the opening sequence for the Star Trek Episode..... There was stock footage of two other F-104's used in that episode..... 52-0969 and 57-0926 but it's the opening sequence that set which aircraft "was" Blue Jay Four.... 57-0914.... This is what I intend to model, 57-0914 an F-104C of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing circa 1966 during an incident that happened over an undisclosed airbase in Nebraska (probably Offut AFB) where it was thought they had seen a UFO.... For the rest of the story, Capt. Charles E “Chuck” Tofferi went on to fly Skyhawks with the Marines at Cherry Point, NAS, after his return He deployed to Udorn RTAB, Thailand, where he met up with his William Tell winning Airplane old 57-0914... which of course he took back as his own aircraft........ A photo of the Captain returning from a mission over North Vietnam in 57-0914 painted up in SEA camouflage scheme.... On October 20th, 1966, flying a mission over the Plain of Jars in Laos, in the aircraft he loved flying, the same one he won the William Tell Trophy in, Captain Tofferi lost his life.... He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.... This aircraft deserves to be modeled.... Not how it was lost, but how it was a winner, and an unknowing star in an episode of one of the most popular television shows of all time... I give you, Blue Jay Four..... EG

Thank you Denis, the Admiral agrees with you...

yeah I see that brother and as an example of the confusion your having trying to find accurate info, the unit history says they were switched to flying spit 14's during the V-1 defense campaign... and went back to spit IX's when they were shipped over to the continent. Also 29sqn was there during the same period and flew a similar operations profile...

No problem, but the decals are available for that exact bird from Hannants, Eagle Cal EAG48116.... 14 some odd pounds I think...

Yeah they were moving a lot of aircraft and units around once they got to Europe after the invasion.... this is the info I have.... Hurricane Mk.I (April 1941 – May 1941) RAF Digby Hurricane Mk.IIa (May 1941 – April 1942) RAF Digby Hurricane Mk.IIb (June 1941 – April 1942) RAF Digby Spitfire Mk.Vb (April 1942 – May 1942) RAF Colerne Spitfire Mk.IXc (May 1942 – April 1943) RAF Colerne, RAF Kenley & RAF Redhill Spitfire Mk.Vc (April 1943 – June 1944) RAF Digby, RAF Horne & RAF Merston Spitfire Mk.IXc (July 1944 – August 1944) RAF Digby, RAF Horne & RAF Merston Spitfire Mk.XIVe (August 1944 – June 1945) RAF Hawkinge, Forward deployed in Belgium & at Grave in the Netherlands Spitfire XVI (June 1945 – July 1945) Wunstorff Germany, disbanded at RAF Fassberg Germany. During the time period in question it is noted that they flew from many fields in the Digby, Horne and Merston areas as the bomber defence situation required rapid area deployments in the Kent county area. In the early time flying Spit V's and in the later time, (before deploying to Europe) Spit IX's.... It would have to be in that period of time.... Here is a sortable list of old RAF Stations Wikipedia, I hope it helps

It's actually a Royal Canadian Air Force Squadron my friend...

Is that maple leaf on the fuselage cause it's a Canadian squadron? Yep it is a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron currently based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Thank you mike, Thank you for following also... EG

Thank you Mark, Compliments are sincerely appreciated, as far as making the Admiral happy, PRICELESS..... 😉 Thank you very much....

Right now I'm checking on the parts delivery holdup on the Bandit.... will consider another when I've got that sorted out..... Probably some sort of Chopper....... another old classic...

Now that is one I don't have in my stash.... (not really being a diecast builder) Watching with keen interest.....

Yeah, that was an explosive growth industry in Germany back in those days....

Thank you all for following, the comments and likes.... It has been a immense pleasure... EG...

Thank you Lou, according to the Admiral (who agrees with you) it's the only place it can be.... THANK YOU! for following and the comments...

Thank you Ken, I was going to put a glamour girl next to her, (hung up in Chinese mail) but the Admiral thinks she isn't needed and would detract from the real lady.... Thank you for following....

Wow, coming from you Jack it is really appreciated given your artistry... Thank You!...

Thank you OC, it means a lot my friend.... I think the wife will take good care of her... Thank you...

Thank you Yves, I think so, and the most important critic, (the Admiral) thinks so too... Thank you for following and the comments...

Thank you KP... coming from you seeing your work high praise indeed! Thank you....

Thank you Ed, yes she is very pleased, thinks it came out better than the last one..... It was a pleasure on my side also Thank you...

Yes Nick the spare tires have a canvas cover... also they are actually tan to match the bonnet, it's just that the bright flash has brought out the white undercoat needed to paint light colors over dark plastic... Thank you...