HI Steve,
I've been checking in occasionally to watch your progress. Your details look great.

For me, every kit has an expiration date or an I've-had-enough point. Adding or repairing detail is all well and good until I've reached either of the two points. It's probably the same with all but the most dedicated to a perfect finish.

Best of luck on this one. I was really happy to cross the finish line with mine.

Gaz

Steve,
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and it certainly saves you from having to describe that array of pipework you have started in the wheel bay. Looks great so far.

cheers
Michael

Steve,
The copper lines in the wheel well looks great. But they seam to end all of a sudden. Is there a bulkhead or a closed gear door there to fool our eye?
Joel

Hi guys

Great to have you looking in.

Gaz, nice to see you, and yes I know what you mean about motivation. Mine's on an up right now, so all that fiddling about is rewarding. I wonder if I'll be saying that next week???

Michael, too true! And, thanks for the encouragement.

Joel, yes there's a pair of big doors that are almost fully closed when the Starfighter is on the ground so I'm stopping where my little test fit tells me the darkness will be. I might add a few sketchy details just in case but there's nothing really visible. You can see the barely open forward door here:



Thanks again for dropping in guys, and happy modelling.

Steve.

And, there are more pipes and cables going in. I dry fitted the forward doors again to check the amount that’s visible and I think I’ll be OK. Nearly finished!





Happy modelling guys.

wow, your work is mind-blowing !

Merci beaucoup Franck. It's a labour of love, and sometimes perseverance.

Thanks for looking in :-)

Steve,
the amount of detail you're adding to the wheel well really is making a huge difference.
Joel

I have access to a pair of Starfighters, so shoot me a PM if you need any photos taken.

Brilliant!

Hi guys,

Thanks very much for the continuing encouragement.

Matt, I have a vision of two F-104's parked on your drive. I could do with as much reference as I can get so I will pm.

Joel and Gaz, you are gentlemen.

Happy modelling folks.

Sorry Steve

Wouldn't you know it, THE day I offered to grab photos for you the museum finally masked (specifically the areas you needed photos you needed) off for paint, after the project being neglected for most of this year!!!! Arrrgh. They were literally finishing up the air brake masking as I signed in.

I'll go back to get the nosewheel photos on the other one soon - it's outside and it was POURING rain today.

Hi Matt

No worries at all. Thanks for trying and also thanks for the great shots you posted. Even covered up and ready for paint she's a lovely bird.

Have a great day,

Steve.

Round two - I don't mind crawling around on my back when it's not pouring rain out.










Top is front.


*Bolt might not be original... hahaha




Top is front again




From the first airframe - this hatch is behind the main gear bay on the left side and hinges downwards from center.



Looking up through that opening. Interior colours are original.

Wow Matt, it's Christmas come early. Thanks so much for getting these photos.
What's your role at the museum?
With a big thank you,
Steve.

No problem Steve.

I volunteer at the museum as member of the Lancaster Crew and spend many hours there to keep our Lancaster flying.

Hey Matt,

That sounds like a very special experience. More power to you.

Have a great day.

When I was a boy it was common knowledge that too much time spent on a particular activity would make you go blind. Well, it’s taken a few years but I realise that the activity in question is not what I imagined. It is actually scratch building. Thankfully I’ve finished the rear landing gear bay with my eyesight largely in tact. Here it is in all its glory - finished off with the big struts and pistons from the kit.





I need a bit of a rest from hoses, pipes and hydraulics so next up is the gun bay.

Happy modelling guys.

Steve,
The wheel Well looks fantastic. With some paint, and weathering it could easily pass for the real thing.
Joel

Joel,
Thanks a million. It's going to be tricky to paint I think, but fingers crossed.
Have a great day,
Steve.

The F-104’s main armament is the famous M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Italeri gives us the option to have the gun bay open, and they made an attempt at the M61 too. After cleaning up we’re left with a passable impression, however a quick look at photos of the real thing shows up the limitations in the kit parts; the details are vague and a good deal is missing. Really it would be best to replace it with an aftermarket option, but I don’t want to hold things up so I’m going to try and enhance what is in the kit.



I’m emphasising some the detail by adding stretched sprue and small pieces of plastic card. Basically using the techniques described earlier. The Eduard set for the gun bay also gives a little panel. The shot below is an early work in progress view showing stretched sprue being attached. I’ll upload again more when there’s more progress.



Happy modelling guys.

It’s hard to see the changes made to the M61A1, but changes there are. A combination of small pieces of evergreen strip, stretched sprue, parts cut from spares, and some pin holes has added some of the missing details. At the same time I’ve been building up the interior of the gun bay using Eduard’s lovely photo etch. It’s all a bit fiddly and painstaking but there’s a much more authentic interior coming together.

Either construction errors on my part or a little bit of optimism on Eduard’s part means the photo etch interior is just a bit too big to fit into the area left when kit parts are removed. Sanding way the interior edges of the PE did the job. Here’s how it all looks now. Not finished yet but its coming along.





Happy modelling,

Steve.

Steve,
You certainly succeeded in making the M61 look a lot more detailed and thus closer to a replica then a model kit part.

Honestly. I much rather see bits & pieces then just bought AM, as modelers at your skill level can turn those home made pieces into something very special, that is truly a one of a kind.


Joel

Don't forget to unload the gun before assembly

Hi Joel

I have to agree. There's something very satisfying about a DIY approach.

Franck, I'll be careful! I don't want a 1/32 scale 20mm shell in the finger. Ouch. :-)

Have a great day,

Steve.