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Christian Bruer
Christian Bruer
DE

Da Nang Starfighter

Comments

68 26 September 2020, 06:48
Christian Bruer
The old Italeri scale 1/72 F-104C is still a kit with a good basic fuselage and wings. The overall dimensions are ok, but there is a misshap with the position of the wingtip tanks. They are to much forward and have to be corrected in postion if required. The cockpit and wheel bays lack a lot of details and the clear parts does not fit very well. But all in all it is the only available F-104C to built an early Starfighter that saw service in Vietnam. So up we go and modifie all the necessary details with aftermarket and scratch built techniques using styrene in variuse sizes and profiles.
Cheers, Christian
26 September 2020, 07:15
Hanno Kleinecke
Cockpit and wheelbay/wheelstrut details are fantastic Christian, leaving me speechless.......
26 September 2020, 09:48
Patrick Hagelstein
Again, a Christian Bruer masterpiece in the making! 👍
26 September 2020, 12:14
Spanjaard
Simply stunning, as we are accustomed with your builds. 🙂
26 September 2020, 12:47
Bernd Korte
Tolles Projekt!
26 September 2020, 12:47
Thomas Kolb
Beautiful, really nice build!
26 September 2020, 13:41
Christian Bruer
Thank you all for your very kind comments 🙂
Cheers, Christian
26 September 2020, 17:27
Łukasz Gliński
Joining this inspiring build 👍
26 September 2020, 17:56
Maciej Bellos
As usual, top work from Christian. Pure eye candy!
26 September 2020, 18:46
Christian Bruer
Thank you Łukasz and Maciej 🙂
27 September 2020, 17:53
Christian Bruer
Meanwhile the paint is on! I used Vallejo Metal Color, based on their high gloss primer, for the NMF.
4 November 2021, 17:07
Wiedereinsteige
Wahnsinn. Und das in dem Maßstab.
4 November 2021, 17:30
Oliver Zwiener
Das wird ja noch spannend !!!
4 November 2021, 18:09
Bruce Huxtable
Another master class in going the extra mile, and what amazing results. In awe, as always.... Congratulations on this superb creation 👍🙂
4 November 2021, 19:27
Roland Sachsenhofer
Perfection.... in perfection! Hats off, once again!
4 November 2021, 19:34
Dave Flitton
Excellent
4 November 2021, 20:25
Christian Bruer
Thank you all so much for your kind comments 🙂
4 November 2021, 21:49
Piotr Sarniński-Górecki
Real pleasure to watch 🙂
4 November 2021, 22:34
John Thomas
Very nice work
4 November 2021, 23:58
Clifford Keesler
That is looking very nice Christian.
5 November 2021, 00:19
Maxim Malparte
How did you manage to re-scribe those round panels without making mistakes, not even the slightest? Just amazing! Wondering if you had your hands insured too lol
5 November 2021, 07:43
Christian Bruer
Thank you all so much 🙂

Maxthe, even old, but luckily the kit is provided with engraved panel lines. So I only had to rescribe some areas where I had to fill and sand and along the longitudal seam line. But anhyhow, I always use a fixing pin and a tool holder for re-scribing panel lines. As a template I use differents PE stencils provided by the after market as well as Dymo Tape. Here you find a totorial, text is German but I think the photos are self explaining.

modellversium.de/tip..aillieren/8000-.html

Happy Modelling, Christian
5 November 2021, 08:00
Maxim Malparte
Many thanks, Christian. For the patience and the knowledge. It is a very detailed and reader-friendly tutorial indeed. Got multiple new tricks from it. 👍
5 November 2021, 10:24
Sergej I
Excellent cockpit and the details in gear bay and on struts are just crazy for the scale. Master modelling! 👍
5 November 2021, 10:51
Christian Bruer
You're most welcome Maxthe.

Thank you Sergej for your much appreciated and kind comment.
5 November 2021, 19:40
Patrick Hagelstein
Nuh Uh! He didn't just install single instruments in the dashboard, did he??? 😮
8 November 2021, 20:16
Eduardo Arguijo
Following this one. Excellent detail! Awsome work.
9 November 2021, 01:11
Christian Bruer
Hi Patrick, jess I did 😄 I used the excellent Mike Grant instrument decals and IMHO this was the best way to get a perfect fit for them inside of each of the instruments. Compare photo #14 and 17.

Thank you very much Eduardo🙂
9 November 2021, 08:07
Marius
Very Impressive!!
9 November 2021, 10:13
Bas Tonn
Following
9 November 2021, 10:18
Christian Bruer
Thank you Marius and Bas 🙂
9 November 2021, 12:52
Patrick Hagelstein
😄 👍
10 November 2021, 11:48
Bernd Grün
Outstanding build, Gongratulations!
28 October 2022, 08:57
Michael Kohl
My kind of modelling. Beautiful detailling. Following for sure.
28 October 2022, 09:30
Maciej Bellos
Turning the now humble but mega in its day ESCI kit into a stunner!
28 October 2022, 10:43
Clifford Keesler
I see another master piece in the making.
28 October 2022, 20:20
Thomas Bischoff
Another masterpiece - love the scratched details 👍
28 October 2022, 20:33
Christian Bruer
Thank you all for your interest and kind comments. You remind me also to come back to some of my WIP, as the F-104C, as soon as possibel, but unfortunately 2022 was not that modelmaking year fro me.
Happy Modellin to you all 🙂
29 October 2022, 16:25
Palo M
I don't understand how you get such beautiful metallic surfaces.
30 October 2022, 07:01
S M
Awesome cockpit! Following! XO
30 October 2022, 09:22
Christian Bruer
@Palo M, it is easier than it maybe looks. I used different metalic colours so far, like SNJ, Alclad and Vellejo Metal Color. For the metalic surface on the F-104 I used Vallejo Metal Color. Anyhow what brand you use it is always important to use the brands own primer. The basic surface must be clean. Use the primer in thinn layers and build the paint up to get a regular and nice glossy finish. The same with the Metalic Color, thinn layers to build up a nice surface finish.

@S M thank you 🙂
30 October 2022, 20:13
Michael Kohl
I can only second Christian. Be aware that some Alclad II colors are very "hot". So if you apply it in layers too thick it dissolves the primer again, resulting in a messed up finish. Guess how I know. So: thin layers and slow build up is key.
30 October 2022, 20:47
Palo M
I only use alclads. They end up with a texture, maybe even tiny flakes, rather than a beautiful smooth surface. I polish it before, but either it's still not polished enough, or it's "hot" like you said. Thank you for the advice!
30 October 2022, 23:15
Michael Kohl
Alclads occasionally go bad. Check whether the pigments suspend evenly when shaking the bottle. Sometimes they clump. Then you gotta discard them.
The texture of various Alclads differ. Airframe Aluminum e.g. levels nice and smooth, others appear more rough. Polishing is a good idea - but the base paint not the Alclad-layer. A perfectly smooth gloss base increases the chances for success significantly.
31 October 2022, 08:10
Palo M
Thank you, Michael and Christian, will check and retry. Apologies for detailing the conversation - back to central Vietnam and the F-104.
31 October 2022, 09:39
Christian Bruer
Thank you Michael for the extra information. I often used Alclad but I never ever had a rough surface texture with them. The paint out of the bottle was always highly fluid. By the way, the same with Vallejo Metal Color.

@Palo, don't worry, this is why we share our work and information to help each other to have the most fun with our hobby 😉
31 October 2022, 13:17
Palo M
Thanks Christian! One more comment about the metallics - in your Photo 39, the texture below the cockpit is what I usually get. The exhaust part, however, is incredible - that's what I would like to achieve 🙂 .
31 October 2022, 16:06
Finn
Nice build, will follow
31 October 2022, 16:17
Christian Bruer
Thx a lot Finn 🙂
31 October 2022, 17:35
Christian Bruer
@Palo, keep the direction of light and the scale of the model in your mind. On the photos the model looks approx. 1,5 - 2 times larger than in reality. I painted the model in one session, so the area below the cockpit and at the read have exactly the same surface finish.
31 October 2022, 17:45
Dave Flitton
Wow! Excellent work!
1 November 2022, 17:08
Christian Bruer
Thank you very much Dave 🙂
1 November 2022, 19:28
Vincent
Very impressive building here. Great work until now.
2 November 2022, 08:58
Christian Bruer
Thx a lot for your interest and kind comment Vincent 🙂
2 November 2022, 20:06
Matthew A
Neat
12 November 2022, 11:51
Christian Bruer
Thx 🙂
12 November 2022, 12:44

Album info

Italeri F-104C Starfighter, Quickboost ejection seat, MASTER pitot tube, ResKit weehl set, Aires nozzle set, Carcal Model decals and Mike Grant instrument decals. The model will present the F-104C 56-0892 Da Nang AB, Vietnam 1965. All NMF with white upper wings, gray lower wings and gray tailplane.

39 images
1:72
In progress
1:72 F-104 A/C Starfighter (Italeri 1359)1:72 F-104 Starfighter - Exhaust Nozzle (Aires 7114)1:72 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter - Pitot Tube (Master AM-72-027)3+

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