1:32 Lockheed F-104C Starfighter cockpit set

Aires 1:32 – cockpit equipment for the Lockheed F-104C Starfighter

What is on offer is a resin cockpit set that replaces the simply treated interior parts from a plastic kit. In 1:32 scale the cockpit is large enough for the viewer to study even small details, and this is exactly where a cast rendition shows most. Behind the set stands Aires, a specialist in accessories for aircraft modeling.

The real subject

The Starfighter came about as an answer to the experience of the Korean conflict, when pilots called for a machine with exceptional climb and speed. The result was an aircraft built around a powerful engine, with a fuselage resembling a rocket and with unusually short, thin and sharp flying surfaces. The leading edges were so keen that they were covered with protective strips on the ground. The C version served with the US Air Force as a form able to carry out attack tasks as well and could carry stores under the wing and the fuselage. The type earned a reputation as a machine that forgives few mistakes but rewards with performance.

Building and painting tips

Work from the back forward: seat the floor and the side walls first, and only then add the small controls. Check the exact shape of the opening in the fuselage dry, because once the cyanoacrylate has set a correction is usually no longer possible. Choose muted shades and bring out the relief with a dark wash into the recesses and a fine dry brush along the edges.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who build large aircraft models with an open cockpit
• Builders of American supersonic vehicles of the Cold War
• Those who want the interior worked up beyond the level of an ordinary box

The item is an improvement for a model already obtained, not a starting point for a build in its own right.