The crowds favorite F-104

sledgehammer · Post by **sledgehammer** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 8:51 pm

Awhile back I posted 2 seperate polls asking what everyones favorite P-51 was as well as the 109. Now I am wondering about the F-104 Starfighter. I think this is certainly one of 21st finest pieces and with 5 paintschemes out, there is fun for all. I would have to say mine is Smoke II. Wished they could have gotten around to that bavarian scheme, for that would have been a pleaser.

cornbreadfred · Post by **cornbreadfred** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:00 pm

Yes the F-104s are sweet. I really like the Canadian scheme.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:55 pm

The F-104 is one plane that 21c simply did absolutely right

Large size, lots of detail & function, great paint schemes, few QC issues, and all at the right price point.

My favorite is the S1 "Silver USAF" scheme, depicting a plane from the 479th TWF in the late 1950s. It is flashy without being too overdone and simply looks classic. Actually, that version is one of my favorite 21c planes of all time.

That is seconded by the S2 "German Marineflieger" F-104G and then "Smoke II."

Smoke II currently has the distinction of being our only proper Vietnam era fighterplane in 1:18 scale

STARMAN 352 · Post by **STARMAN 352** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 11:15 pm

tmanthegreat wrote:
My favorite is the S1 "Silver USAF" scheme, depicting a plane from the 479th TWF in the late 1950s. It is flashy without being too overdone and simply looks classic.

I agree this is my favorite version as well.
I was lucky to pick up mine at Wallmart for 39.94 back in the good ole days.
JP

STARMAN 352 · Post by **STARMAN 352** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 11:16 pm

delete

ExC17load · Post by **ExC17load** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 3:19 am

The Marineflieger version is my favorite. My dad used to be in charge of ground radar sites in Germany in the early seventies and told me about working with the Germans while they flew them. He said he always hated how they flew them because they tried to fly them low level when they were not designed to do that. Too many crashed he said.

Dauntless · Post by **Dauntless** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:37 am

I'm partial to camouflage paint schemes, so I'm going with Smoke II

Plus it being the only F-104 that had combat duty helps in my decision.

Grilledcheese · Post by **Grilledcheese** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:23 am

Agreed. Camo Smoke II is a fine piece of aeroplane.

Jeffrey

pcoughran · Post by **pcoughran** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:56 am

I really like the Silver S1 version as well. I have the Smoke II but it is still in the box so guess I haven't gotten the "full appreciation" of it all put together - it sure looks good in the box though.

Tinman · Post by **Tinman** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 am

S1 is my favorite.

AMERICAN_GRENADIER · Post by **AMERICAN_GRENADIER** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:24 am

german version & canadian

YT · Post by YT » Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:27 pm

The build and variety of schemes are great, the subject matter leaves much to be desired in my opinion. The F-104 was a bizarre choice for production.

sledgehammer · Post by **sledgehammer** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:23 pm

I didn't even relalize it, but yep Tman is right. Smoke ll is the only Vietnam era jet out there.

I just hung mine up today in front of my giant american flag in the garage; I mean hangar. I thought I heard taps in the background when I got down off the ladder to have a looksy. The series 1 is a very very close second too, it just has that el natural look. I think even a USAF plane jane aluminum bare metal standard scheme of the late 50s and early 60s would have looked good too.

snake · Post by **snake** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:49 pm

I have the "George" version,and really like the NMF look.
The Luftwaffe version looks great as well.
Did they do a RCAF version.If so,I will have to look for one of these.

normandy · Post by **normandy** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:19 pm

Never was able to score one but if I had an F-104 It'd be a West German Marinefliger.

grockwood · Post by **grockwood** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:25 pm

The Smoke II is my favorite also.

King O' Fools · Post by **King O' Fools** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 6:42 am

snake wrote:I have the "George" version,and really like the NMF look.
The Luftwaffe version looks great as well.
Did they do a RCAF version.If so,I will have to look for one of these.

Yep. The Tiger Meet thingy. Ya know, the one that looks like a bee suppository? It is clearly a tribute to Buck Owens, the greatest performer in the history of country music, who had previously scored a tremendous hit with "Tiger by the tail" years before, or so I've been told. Yeah, that's it!

"I've got a tiger by the tail, it's plane to see..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcS0Gp-Z5oA

BTW, the Bavarian paint scheme that was "in the works!" but got discarded just the same, was really impressive (and with lots of potential to botch the paint job, if you know what I mean)

So mine has to be the Marineflieger (which is also the only one I own so far). TKO did an awesome custom paint job a while back. Very flashy. (Maybe they should have put him in charge of choosing the paint schemes.)

snake · Post by **snake** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 2:08 pm

That RCAF version is butt ugly.
I was hoping for a NMF version.

DocTodd · Post by **DocTodd** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:05 pm

Definitely one of their better efforts. I have all of them and I like the German, then S-1 versions.
T