It’s
as hard keeping a blog as it is for me to complete a model. Right now I’m working on two.
The
first is a Lockheed F-104G as used in service by the Federal Republic of
Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland.)
"The
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic
interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force
(USAF) by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it was operated by
the air forces of more than a dozen nations from 1958 to 2004.
The
F-104 served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air
National Guard units until 1975. The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) flew a small mixed fleet of F-104 types in supersonic
flight tests and spaceflight programs until 1994. USAF F-104Cs saw service
during the Vietnam War, and F-104A aircraft were deployed by Pakistan briefly
during the Indo-Pakistani wars. Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) F-104s
also engaged the People's Liberation Army Air Force (China) over the disputed
island of Quemoy. The operational service of the Starfighter ended with its
retirement by the Italian Air Force in May 2004.
A
total of 2,578 Starfighters were eventually produced, mostly by NATO members. A
set of modifications produced the F-104G model, which won a NATO competition
for a new fighter-bomber. Several two-seat trainer versions were also produced,
the most numerous being the TF-104G. The ultimate production version of the
basic fighter model F-104 was the F-104S all-weather interceptor designed by
Aeritalia for the Italian Air Force and equipped with radar-guided AIM-7
Sparrow missiles. An advanced F-104 with a high-mounted wing, known as the
CL-1200 Lancer, did not proceed past the mock-up stage.
The
poor safety record of the Starfighter brought the aircraft into the public eye,
especially in German Air Force service. The subsequent Lockheed bribery
scandals surrounding the original purchase contracts caused considerable
political controversy in Europe and Japan.
F-104G
1,122
aircraft of the main version produced as multi-role fighter-bombers.
Manufactured by Lockheed, and under license by Canadair and a consortium of
European companies which included Messerschmitt/MBB, Dornier, Fiat, Fokker, and
SABCA. The type featured strengthened fuselage and wing structure, increased
internal fuel capacity, an enlarged vertical fin, strengthened landing gear
with larger tires, and revised flaps for improved combat maneuvering. Upgraded
avionics included a new Autonetics NASARR F15A-41B radar with air-to-air and
ground mapping modes, the Litton LN-3 Inertial Navigation System (the first on
a production fighter), and an infrared sight."{1]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-104_Starfighter
TIRPITZ
The
second subject I’m working on is a 1/700th scale DKM Tirpitz
manufactured by Trumpeter. I’ve built a couple of submarines before but this is
my first battleship.
Tirpitz
was the second of two Bismarck-class battleships built for the German
Kriegsmarine (War Navy) during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred
von Tirpitz, the architect of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy), the ship
was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and her
hull was launched two and a half years later. Work was completed in February
1941, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Like her sister ship
Bismarck, Tirpitz was armed with a main battery of eight 38-centimeter (15 in)
guns in four twin turrets. After a series of wartime modifications she was
2,000 metric tons (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons) heavier than Bismarck.
The Tirpitz was the object of five separate operations by the British to attempt to sink her. Finally in November 1944 she was sunk.
