F-104 ejection seat?

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:19 pm

I just got my 21st Century F-104 "Smoke 2" and have two questions about the ejection seat which appears to be missing.

1. Anyone have a spare ejection seat?
2. Does the ejection come installed in the cockpit or is it supposed to be installed by the owner?

(I assume it's too late to get a replacement spare seat from 21st Century)

pcsguy88 · Post by **pcsguy88** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:30 pm

I don't remember the seat being removable like the bbi ones. Both of my f-104's look like they are missing a part that covers the top of the seat.

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:02 pm

PCSGUY88:

My F-104 is missing the entire ejection seat...there's only a hole in the floorboard for the ejection seat peg to fit into.

mountian-man · Post by **mountian-man** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:21 pm

Must've had engine trouble...

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:26 am

MOUNTIAN-MAN:

Thanks for your helpful and insightful comment. I hope you never have the misfortune of buying a discontinued model online with a missing part from a company that just went under.

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:29 am

I looked into the F-104 cockpit with a flashlight---the glue imprint where the ejection used to be is there. I then looked at the box---it has a double layer of tape on it. ToysRUs.com sold me an F-104 that's been opened and the ejection seat was removed.

pcsguy88 · Post by **pcsguy88** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:03 am

That really sucks and is one of the reasons the 1/18th market is dead according to badcat aviation. Atleast you can return it, but I'm sure they are soldout now and the shipping will be over $10. I hope you can find a replacement.

King O' Fools · Post by **King O' Fools** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:30 am

Sorry to hear that. It's always a bummer when your model is kaput or missing something.

Somehow, I don't think it would have made much of a difference if they were still afloat. Their customer service was a joke.

Killerf6 · Post by **Killerf6** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:51 am

I may have a 104 seat for you. If I can get it out of the plane without breaking it. I'll work on it this weekend and see how easy it comes out.

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:56 am

KILLERF6:

Thanks. I greatly appreciate that. I emailed 21st Century's Customer Service---but I don't know if anyone's still there.
As for how easy the ejection seat can be removed, I'll check with the guy who removed the ejection seat from my F-104.

ExC17load · Post by **ExC17load** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:37 am

I got a Mig-15 like that as well. It was missing the seat. My wife had gotten all three of them for me for christmas from badcat. It wasnt her fault and it wasnt badcat, it was simply bad production from the company.

I wonder why they went out of business...

dragon53 · Post by **dragon53** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:41 am

EXC17LOAD:

My F-104 has a glue imprint on the cockpit floor where the ejection seat used to be. The box has 2 layers of tape on one flap---apparently ToysRUs.com sold me an F-104 that was opened up and the ejection seat was removed.
I bought 5 P-51 Big Beautiful Dolls at Wal-Mart and all 5 had scrapes, gouges, gobs of glue and/or missing pieces--obviously 1 of them had been opened before and parts removed. It's one thing for 21st's bad quality control, but it's another thing for someone to buy a model to keep one piece and return it and pass the now-cursed model on to someone else.

ExC17load · Post by **ExC17load** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:29 am

Dragon - Im sorry to hear that. Yeah, mine was from the factory like that. What you describe is simply unacceptable. Im sorry to hear that.