1:48 Lockheed F-104J Starfighter LööK

The real subject

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was an American supersonic aircraft with an unusually slender fuselage, short thin wings and a horizontal tail surface carried at the top of the fin. The F-104J version was created for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and was built under license in Japan. On this type the cockpit is narrow and deep, so once the canopy is closed what stays visible from it is above all the instrument panel and the upper part of the side panels.

What the set solves

The injection-molded panel from the kit has the instruments only indicated, and painting them in with a fine brush is thankless work in 1:48 scale. A set from the LööK range deals with precisely this part of the cockpit and brings a finer rendering of the dials and a legible layout of the panel. The result shows above all on a model with an open canopy, where the viewer really does see into the cockpit.

• 1:48 scale, an accessory for the cockpit of the aircraft
• the subject is the instrument panel of the F-104J version
• a finer rendering of the instruments than on the part from the kit
• the extent of the set and the procedure are given in the manufacturer's instructions
• a kit is not part of the delivery

Building tips

First go through the manufacturer's instructions and compare the parts with the kit. Cut the original panel off with a sharp blade and sand the area flat, so that the replacement seats with no gap. The method of attachment differs between sets of this kind, so follow the instructions; for gluing, a small amount of superglue applied to the edges is enough, so that no excess is pushed out onto the visible side. Seat the panel before you glue the fuselage halves together; once the cockpit is closed you can no longer reach it. When you clear coat the canopy, cover the finished panel.

Terms of supply

The kit, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.