1:48 F-104G Starfighter cockpit set (M.B. GQ-7A ej. seat)

Aires, F-104G Starfighter cockpit in 1:48 scale

This is a resin accessory that replaces the cabin of a model of the F-104G Starfighter fighter in 1:48 scale. It is not an aircraft kit. The execution of the seat is the essential point: the set represents the variant with the Martin-Baker GQ-7A ejection seat, that is the later configuration that some aircraft of this type received when they were re-equipped. That determines which period and which user a finished model declares itself to, and it is the main distinguishing feature against sets with the older type of seat.

The real subject

The F-104G was a multirole development stage of the Starfighter, an aircraft with a thin trapezoidal wing of small span and a slender fuselage built around a powerful jet engine. The G version was the most widespread and it served with a number of European and non-European users. The cabin on this type is narrow and deep, so with the canopy opened what is visible is above all the seat, the side consoles and the instrument panel, exactly the parts that the resin set replaces.

Usage tips

Wash the castings in warm soapy water so that the mold release from the mold disappears. Cut the casting block off with a saw rather than breaking it, and do the sanding wet with respiratory protection. Then comes repeated dry fitting: a resin tub tends to be bulkier than a plastic one, and with the slender fuselage of the Starfighter it is usually necessary to thin the inner walls and to check whether the fuselage can still be closed without a gap. It is glued with super glue, and a gel consistency gives you time to align it. Paint and weather the cabin while it is accessible, and protect the finished assembly with a mask during the rest of the work. A dark wash and a dry brush suit the fine rendering of the instruments and the seat belts.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building a Starfighter with the canopy opened.
• Builders who care about the correct type of ejection seat.
• More experienced modelers used to working with resin and super glue.
• Those finishing a model for a display case or for a competition.

This is an accessory, not an aircraft model. Kits, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.