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In-Box Review
Photo Gallery & Profiles Vol. 1 - F-104 Starfighter

by: Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]

Softbound and printed on high quality paper, authors Alexandros Anestis and George Papadimitriou have got the balance just right for a modelling reference; a short history to whet the appetite, scale plans of several versions, descriptions of colour schemes accompanied by a set of attractive profiles... but, above all, photos! 170 detailed walkaround photos covering every aspect of the aircraft.

The photo coverage breaks down into the following sections:
Forward fuselage (including the cockpit)
Landing gear
Rear fuselage (and engine)
Wing
Armament

The detail and quality of the photos is excellent. All in colour, they are well printed and an excellent size for easy reference on the workbench. Each photo is accompanied by a detailed caption highlighting points of interestCoverage of each section is excellent; for instance, there are approximately 30 photos devoted to the cockpit area and ejector seat, 20 views of the undercarriage and wheel wells, 4 pages devoted to armament - the list goes on. As you'd expect from this publisher, many of the shots are of Greek aircraft (I even recognise the exhibit outside Athens' War Museum featured in our own walkaround), but Starfighters from other airforces are featured too.

Following the photos is a handy list of all the F-104 operators, with details of which versions they used and a service history, plus a quick reference table showing all the squadrons of the various airforces which have flown the type. Next come 2 pages of scale drawings by Richard Caruana for the F-104C, G and S, along with the cockpit section of the TF-104G.

If the photos of the ejector seats don't satisfy you, the book contains 2 pages of colour artwork by Vincenzo Auletta showing the notorious early C-1 downward-firing ejector seat and it's more conventional replacement, the C-2, plus the Martin Baker seat installed in most European 'Gs. The artwork is excellent, well captioned and will be a real boon to modellers in combination with the earlier photos.

Last of all comes a colour section. The various schemes worn by Starfighters over the years are described, along with FS references for the colours and then illustrated by 27 colour profiles by Richard Caruana and Mihalis Solanakis. There's a real variety of schemes shown, from standard service aircraft of many airforces through to spectacular Mount Olympus and Tiger schemes on a pair of Greek 'Gs towards the end of their careers. 3 aircraft are treated to full 4-view treatment - it's a shame there aren't more, but they give a good idea of the camouflage carried on the other aircraft.

Conclusion
It's really hard to fault Periscopio's F-104 Starfighter volume. At 12 Euros it represents very good value for money and they've got the balance just right for modellers, with excellent colour photos and helpful background history, plans and profiles. Highly recommended for all fans of the "missile with a man in it".

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SUMMARY
Periscopio Publications have released an excellent all-in-one modellers' guide to what must surely rate as the most exciting of the Century Series fighters - the F-104 Starfighter.
Percentage Rating
95%
  Scale: Other
  Mfg. ID: 960-8345-54-5
  Suggested Retail: 12,00 €
  PUBLISHED: Jan 07, 2007
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.37%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 87.56%

Our Thanks to Periscopio Publications!
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About Rowan Baylis (Merlin)
FROM: NO REGIONAL SELECTED, UNITED KINGDOM

I've been modelling for about 40 years, on and off. While I'm happy to build anything, my interests lie primarily in 1/48 scale aircraft. I mostly concentrate on WW2 subjects, although I'm also interested in WW1, Golden Age aviation and the early Jet Age - and have even been known to build the occas...

Copyright ©2021 text by Rowan Baylis [ MERLIN ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

I have to agree with you Rowan, it sure does look like one of the best modelers publication guide. From the photos you posted it sure has some great detail shots with color references. How about the section on the ejection seat, that alone is A’ plus. I hope to see other releases soon, like the Prowler/Intruder or the Phantom. Great review! Joe
JAN 07, 2007 - 10:57 AM
   
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Photos
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  • MX_F-104_Cover
  • MX_F-104_Rear
  • MX_F-104_Colour_1
  • MX_F-104_Colour_2
  • MX_F-104_Plans
  • MX_F-104_Colour_Plate
  • MX_F-104_Profiles
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