The Academy F-104G Starfighter in 1/72 Scale is NOT Terrible . . . Build & Review
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- čas přidán 22. 06. 2024
- The F-104G was a high-speed interceptor which saw service from the late 1950's, with some nations still using them well into the 21st Century.
Join me in this video as I build & review the 1/72 scale plastic model kit of the F-104G Starfighter from Academy, taking a look at the quality of the parts, decals and how they build up into a finished model.
Full unboxing video of the Academy F-104G Starfighter plastic model kit:
• Stunning Starfighter! ...
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This video is intended for adult scale model enthusiasts.
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#Academy #Starfighter #Modelkit #Scalemodel #plasticmodel #f104 - Jak na to + styl
This is perfect timing, I was lucky enough to witness an F-104 fly over my grandmother's house Saturday afternoon. It has been my favorite jet for a long time, and to hear it howl overhead was surreal
Sounds amazing!
Gavinn!!!! There are still Starfighters flying. Incredible. Soooooo special experience
I've just bought this model and this review is fantastic. When I opened the box my first two impressions where that the panel work is too shallow and the instructions had only 6 few detailed steps. I'm a little desappointed because the A-37 and the P-51C in 1/72 scale from Academy are very well built for the same price.
In any case thanks for this magnificent review, it was really helpful!
Yes, even from the same company the kits can vary in quality quite a lot, thanks for watching!
That's awesome. My favorite model kit. I built one in a larger scale. Look's good!
Let the Widow Maker memes begin.... I think you've done a good job on a below par kit Matt. Welldone, useful video. Again!
😂
Nice job ...well done. Thanks for posting.
Nice build. I built this tooling in the late 80s twice and for its time, I enjoyed it. The box art back then was simple. We didn't have many model shops in Namibia, so these Academy kits were great.
Glad you hear you enjoyed it :)
It looks like the original Hasegawa Starfighter that Frog issued in the late 1960's and early 1970's along with a few others. Academy in their early days was not above using other kits as a basis for their efforts. The 1980's Esci kit reissued by Italeri is a much nicer kit and the Hasegawa kit from the 1990's is even better, if you can find one. I have just finished one in Canadian markings.
All the Marineflieger 104s I saw for real and photos in the 70's and 80's had a single colour uppersurfaces, although some may have transferred from the Luftwaffe and retained the two tone scheme for a while. The equipment fits were slightly different.
Yes, I think they copied another kit because there are huge similarities
After watching your video on building this kit, it made me want to build an F104 Starfighter. Thanks Matt. Your kit looks great 👍
Thanks ! I’m not 100% happy with it though due to that silvering on the decals, the Camo is pretty good though 😊
Great build and even better narration. Well done sir.
Glad you liked it!
I built the academy B52 and I had no issues besides the decals
yeah, they aren't the best
Looks great. Good tips in the video. Weathering is awesome. Thanks for sharing. Happy days and model on! 😎🇨🇦
Thanks, you too!
Really nice build 👌
Thanks!
Great work..!
Loves this model kit from Academy..
Million thanks for sharing this great video..
Thanks for watching 😊
Nice build Matt.
Thanks!
Great build I just got 1/72 Vulcan bomber🇬🇧
nice!
Looks superb, you've made a silk purse out of a sow's ear of kit. I am currently fighting with a 1960's Frog boxing of the same kit, which was a more reasonable £3.
Damn! I kinda wish i had that kit, but at the same time didnt lol
WOW only £3 for kit !
The F-104 G of the German Navy were finished in only one color on the upper surfaces. That was "Basaltgrau" (German color standard RAL 7012), the second color "Gelboliv" (RAL 6014), used for Luftwaffe-aircraft, was omitted...
Isn't that interesting, I guess Academy didn't do enough research when they wrote their instructions
I just finished a revell starfighter. A bit more fiddely, but I think it had more detail in the airbrakes and wheel bay. Still seems to be an old tooling as the details are very shallow. I painted mine in light gray and found some Norwegian decals on ebay. This particular one were stationed in my home town and chrashed in the ocean nearby
thanks for the info!
Ohhh wow, so amazed with the model, as well as the color scheme. And I would suggest another dogfight doubles video or starter set ones. I love watching your tutorial videos, Matt sir🙂.
Thanks for the idea!
just built the old 2 seat by matchbox, this is next. thanks!!
Thanks gor watching!
Very well made model. Good job. For your masking tape problem, I would recommend cutting of the edge of the tape with a sharp hobby knife.
that is a good low-cost solution to my problem :D
Solid build mate, well done
Thanks!
Haven't watched this yet
On patreon.
And I can't wait!
Hopefully you enjoy it 😊
Nice to see that you did a proper build again. Have you ever considered pre-shading or black-basing? This will create subtle colour variations that wil make make the paintjob more interesting and realistic. I feel like it's a bit "flat" or "dull" at the moment.
Yes, I'm thinking of doing some pre-shading on an upcoming model. It's not something I do very often but now that I have more experience with my airbrush it is a technique i'd like to get better at
i think its a waste of paint and time to do that. primer in grey or white, fix blemishes, then paint, then post shading and washes is how I do mine. I watch most builders shoot the model black, then try to paint little white squigglies for an hour, then totally obliterate all that work spraying the color layer. I prefer to layers colors base up, and then weather and wash.
@@orbitalair2103 how is it a waste of paint and time?
It's excactly the same steps, in a different order.
I feel like I have more control when I spray a light colour over a dark base then when I spray a dark colour over a light base.
*Not a bad kit but a vintage one, you build it very good MM, 👍👍👏👏!*
Thanks 😊
You should sprey two layers of clear warnish over the decals and then gently sand it down with fine sandpaper to remove clear filter from it.
I forgot but when you sand the warnish down you need to sprey one more layer of warnish
ooooo interesting tip! I might have to try that out in the future
Lovely build I wanna make jet now I love the iron cross on the plane.
:D
Fanastic job on this basic F-104 Starfighter kit Matt. Hope you will tackle an Italeri F-104 kit next time. The biggest draw back to this kit is the lack of wheel well and cockpit detail......its just an a bunch of empty spaces. However looking at your finished model, you would not be able to tell that.
I'm currently make this exact kit as a quick and easy side project. I decided to make in flight model on a stand. And like you I replace the pilot with a trusty Airfix figure. Paint scheme wise , its going to be a Royal Canadian Air Force CF-104.......hopefully it will turn out well like your one!
Sounds good! :D I'd like to do more flying models in the future
@@ModelMinutes hope that we will see a possible video on that.
Fairly certain this is an updated kit based on the early Hasegawa one. Very nice job! These boxings do make halfway decent 'desktop' models if you can get them cheap enough. I've made a couple putting the wheels up and using old AM decals.
Cool, thanks!
Nice one matt
Thanks 👍
A thought for the stubby wings. As you have access to the inside at that point through where the undercarriage will go perhaps glue them together with a length of sprue as a spar between them inside? Once that's dry they /can't/ move.
interesting idea!
little pilot dude came out alright even though he will never walk again 🙏😔😂
haha poor guy
Hey Matt I was on the stream
awesome!
I have Academy's MiG-21, haven't built it yet but its the same as the Starfighter an old rebox of I think FROG paid about what you did for the Starfighter. Only reason I got it was that it was the cheapest MiG 21 readily available from shops and I wasn't in the mood for ebay hunting for the Revell kit
urgh, eBay drives me nuts lol
It’s not a rebox of the FROG kit, as there are some differences in the parts breakdown and sprue layout. However it is a very close copy. A number of early Academy kits follow this pattern and, for a long time you couldn’t get Academy kits in Japan because so many of their 1/35 Armour subjects were unauthorised Tamiya clones. Fortunately, they no longer follow this practice and their newest releases rank with the best in the world; case-in-point the new Airfix “Katy,” designed and tooled by Academy from research provided by Airfix.
Their are much better F-104 kits in 1/72: Revell, Hasegawa, even the old ESCI kit is decent and has recently appeared in an Italeri box.
All that said, Matt’s model is nicely finished. Great result!
@@russelltaylor535 thanks for the correction, maybe it was another kit in my stash that was a rebox of a FROG kit. hard to keep track of it all lol
Thank you for your build of the Academy F-104G Starfighter in 1/72 Scale. Your build and review of is very good. I'm only missing one thig that makes this kit really terrible and that is de dimension of the fuselage. It is much to wide. The real F-104G is much sleeker and had a different shape. For a realistic looking result I would recommend another F-104 kit.
Thanks for sharing 😊
Academy is a bit of a mixed bag. When I was looking for a MiG-23/27, Academy went straight to the bottom of the list. Their Flogger kits include a peculiar raised canopy. Rather than look at Scalemates, I looked at my collection of Observers' Books of Aircraft, around 1967.
1967 was the year in which the MiG-23 was first shown to the public. There is something of a tradition of early Western pictures of Soviet aircraft looking a bit off. This comes from having to piece them together from grainy cine film, or airshow photographs taken by military officers using consumer-grade equipment. If you look at editions of an annual book called "Soviet Military Power", you will see what I mean. This defence did not assist Academy in the least.
I also dismissed Academy out of hand for an F-104 due to the odd looking canopy. There are better options for an F-104.
By contrast, the kits they produce of the F/A-18, F-15, and F-35 look superb.
Some of the choices of markings are a bit dubious. Their 1/144 CH-47D/F/J/HC.1 includes two sets of Royal Air Force markings from Not The Falklands War - in fact both are from the failed intervention in Lebanon in 1983-4. If ever there was an opportunity to provide decals for Bravo November, this was it. One RAF version does have massive Union Jacks, which is appropriate for a Sixties aircraft. Their US Army options were both CH-47Fs - and there is no difference between them other than the serial numbers. There was also no Australian option, but that last point is pure personal bias. Having said that, I am looking forward to building it, and I just went to the aftermarket for Australian markings.
Their box art deserves a mention. They rarely go down the Airfix route of commissioning evocative box art, preferring to use photos. Their CF-47 kit deserves special mention here - the box art is the title picture from the CH-47's Wikipedia page. Based.
thanks for sharing! :D
Does anyone else use MEK for a super thin plastic glue? A pint can is $8.00 US. if you can still find it.
I still use the Tamiya thin bottles to apply it. Holy Douglas Bader! Chopped off your Pilots LEGS!
Didn’t they recently ban methyl ethyl ketone from sale because it was carcinogenic…
Easy way how to fix decals is to add extra layer of varnish around them, or carefuly sand them with realy soft sanding paper, (of course sand it with water) fun note, i may have build same kit or simillar, like 15 years ago, but definitly same plane
thanks for the tip!
@@ModelMinutes just be careful with sanding, i ruined some decals that way, but other modelerers recomend it
The lack of detail in the landing gears' bays , cockpit and air brakes is really bad, there are better kits in the market, thumbs up for your ability to build a decent model from such an old kit, Academy should've retooled it.👍👍👍
Yeah I agree, thanks!
What I see also from the instructions is that this is the old Frog kit (molds)
You can see that the cockpit canopy is not of the specific bubble top as the original is. They were not able to get it out of the mold 🙂
interesting, It looks to me that the frog tooling had raised panels whilst the academy one had recessed. I wonder if Academy got the Frog tooling, and then updated it which is why it is listed as an Academy "New tool" in 1985 on scalemates
Very simply kit but easy to build and fun too, and looks so cool finally. I get a very old Frog kit from Starfighter and is the same kit with rise panels. Maybe this old mould from Frog was retooled in the eighties for Academy.
I get the impression it might be an "updated copy" as it shares many similar features
Looks like a pretty alright kit to me. I'd love to build it. Other kits like the Revell one are probably better (got that one in my stash) but they're more than double the price as well. And the decals .. guess you've got a good point there although I'd use my own decals anyway.
Thanks for the review :)
Thanks! Yes, If I were to do this one again I'd probably get some aftermarket decals
@@ModelMinutes I think that aftermarket decals would give this model a way better finish. The build quality looks awesome as it is :)
@@dpswets thanks!
Did a good job on the manned missile . Academy decals are a right pain in the bottom. Think they thickness is due to the fact of being used on gundam . But top tip for using the extra thin on them.👍
thanks! It's a risk as it could melt them though
I'll be honest, I don't see the link here. Academy are from South Korea and Gundam/Bandai are from Japan, besides Gundam kits do not come with decals, they mostly have stickers or dry transfers.
Saying that, the older Academy kit decals are famously bad. Then again so are the older Hasegawa kit decals as well. If you want to laugh at bad pilot figures look at the melted pilots from the dragon kits! I've heard some people have success with hairdryers melting decals, but it can melt the model as well, so is a double edged sword.
Lovely build there Matt, but it looks likes the burner can/exhaust has dropped in some of the shots... Could be the angle the video camera was at. I've got the Hasegawa F-104J kit that I paid around £4 for, be interesting to compare it to this one.
hi matt good model but the luftwaffe used the grey green colours the kriegsmarine used extra dark sea grey
I tried my best to use the FS numbers (and the paints that matched them) from the instructions, so it is possible that it is still a little inaccurate due to the vague instructions and the paint i had available
it more or less right they just don't use the green its plain grey
@@cliffordturner7664 Ah, so perhaps the instructions are wrong?
15:07 I think this model has quite good level of details and panel lines, but you've bloated the surface with lacquer primer from hardware store.
When you put the gloss coat at the end, the panel lines will almost disappear of wash could not grab onto the recessed lines.
Try to find the finer nozzle for spray can to achieve better atomisation of the paint, or use some of the hobby primers specialised for this purpose. Anyways, very good looking aircraft :)
Regards
thanks for the tip, i might see if there are some 3d printable nozzles that could work in the future
@@ModelMinutes Also, you can decant the paint from spray can and use it with airbrush!
Well done Matt, you made a bad kit into a museum quality example!
thanks! I'm glad you think so
Have you tried a layer of gloss varnish under where you put the decals?
It can help hide the film around the decals and stop silvering.
Then just hit it with a matt varnish to tone it down.
I feel like that's what i Do . . .
Gloss, then decals, then final finish
@@ModelMinutes Maybe those decals are just That Bad. Or the Humbol decal fix is.
Thanks for the extra thin trick, I will try it out soonest.
Interested in this . Then a must listen is : Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters by Robert Calvert . Trust me .
thanks for sharing!
Academy has reissued the Monogram/Revell F-104A/C, in 1/72nd scale under their lable..
Would you be interested in building that one and do a video on it???
Ah, the 1995 tooling of the F-104C, I might consider it in the future but would have to build quite a few of the models in my stash before I get around to it
@@ModelMinutes No Biggie, just wanted to pass it on to you.
Have a good one.
@@thomaslore730 you too 😊
it looks amazing, also i was thinking of getting either the tamiya m48 or m60 patton, which one?
I could be wrong but the M48 looks like a more recent tooling than the m60, so probably the m48
It would be great to review the F-104 from Revell or Italery.
Thanks for the suggestion 👍🏻
very nice airplaine O_o and the model looks very good.
Academy kits scare me! LOL
Great work on building this one up, it looks great!
Why do they scare you?
@@ModelMinutes Bad experiences with them in the past. But lately I've seen some really nice builds come out of Academy Kits, so maybe it's time for me to stop overlooking them when I'm searching for a kit.
@@WhiteGloveModels I think the more expensive ones are better, but it’s their decals I’m not a fan of
@@ModelMinutes I could tell how thick they were when you were applying them.
I'll definitely give them a chance again, but maybe with some aftermarket decals
Great job but saw the same kit recently at my local hobby shop it is now selling for $21.95 in the states ! I was also wondering so you used Tamyia extra thin glue as a decal agent how exactly did you apply it without it spreading everywhare an ruining the kit?
i applied the extra thin using the included brush, but i made sure that there was only the smallest amount of cement on it. The brush needs to be almost completely dry, it is really that small of an amount
Humbrol Poly Cement is good for managing anhedral/dihedral, far better than the Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. The thickness of Humbrol means you need to do a lot less holding. My usual technique is to give it a few moments to get "gummy", then get the position absolutely right.
Thanks for the info!
Bad Kit, but great execution by you :)
Having built the Revell 104 i can safely say that its about 200% better than the academy kit. what a difference a few years can make!
Maybe i'll get that one next :)
@@ModelMinutes I'd like to second the recommendation for the Revell F-104 (Either as a standalone around the 10 Eur price point or as part of the fantastic 60 years of Luftwaffe set), it's a really fun and easy build and despite the low parts count can still look fantastic. Also, at least in the multipack version, the decals were a lot more detailed (from the video it appears that the Academy misses a lot of the technical stencils for the maintenance hatches and control surfaces) and had 0 problems blending into the finished kit
Nice on the nose cone weight , I super glue bbs .
Right on
Have you done a video on the Airfix churchill crocodile or Matilda hedgehog vintage kits? I'm currently building the Matilda and surprisingly the parts have hardly any flash. The only flaw in the kit is the infamous rubber tracks
Airfix Churchill (and Shreman) are featured on my channel - i don't really mind the rubber tracks in 1/72, but larger scales is a problem (because: detail)
academy decals are some of the worst
great job on the camo scheme and i know what you mean with the masking taking forever
honestly i think you have done a great job on a kit that isnt up to modern standards
looking forward to the next build
👍
Thanks so much!
I wonder if the pilot figure supplied was supposed to go in a 144 scale model, it looks half the size of a 72 scale one.
Hmm maybe
Maybe the pilot figure was for a JSDF variant?
🤷♂️
Le Kit référence 4044 de chez REVELL est d'un autre niveau de détail .
Perso ,j'ai eu la chance de l'obtenir dans le coffret des 50 ans de la LUFWAFFE RFA .
Sinon ,le kit ESCI reboité par REVELL est bien aussi .
J'apprécie la présentation des colles et peintures utilisées .
merci pour le partage, j'espère que d'autres trouveront cette information utile
Nice.. I build the Dutch version
Very cool!
I think you can add the single decoration choice to the bad points of this kit. I have checked for other Starfighters at 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale and they offer more options, or at least 1 rather special one such as the "Ferrari" or "Tiger Meet" Starfighters.
good point!
Do all academy kits come with figures or not
I'm not 100% sure, but I feel as though the ones I've built have all had figures so far . . . but then i've only built a handful of academy models and not all their kits might have them
@@ModelMinutes yep because I’m considering buying academy’s ea18g or a ww2 plane ie spitfire or mustang or even a b17 for my little brother
@@brockclark7404 pretty sure the B-17 does not have figures. Most of the figures they do include are pretty horrible, even in 1/48 scale. I had a few of their 1/48 Hughes 500/AH-6 helicopters - the figures were awful.
I know it's an added expense, but after market figures are the best way to go.
@@mh53j yeah I had a mig 27 from them and used the pilot figure but I have a airfix fighterpilot and should have one in my collection but you are right about academy figures
Is the jet engine meant to be at that slight angle
not sure, it could be like that IRL, or there could be a problem with the design of the kit, or I could have glued it in wrong . . .
Мэтт , друг ! Приветствую Вас !! Как Вы считаете , от Академии он по размеру правильный ?
Translated into google:
Я не совсем уверен, что это на 100% правильный размер/масштаб - у них есть некоторый опыт продажи наборов моделей в «достаточно близком» масштабе (например, их Mirage 1/50, который они позже упаковывают как 1/48 - потому что «достаточно близко»)
I'm not entirely sure it is 100% the right size/scale - they do have a bit of a track record of passing off model kits at a "close enough" scale (for example their 1/50 Mirage which they later box as 1/48 - because it's "close enough")
I enjoyed the kit but was disappointed with the lack of detail in the landing gear bays and cockpit.
And yea the pilot figure got tossed.
Very pretty on the shelf but does not stand close examination.
yes, i agree
Can’t wait only 27 mins
:D
@@ModelMinutes :D
You did a good job on this rather lackluster kit, I like the subject matter but this bit of a rough bucket of guts.
thanks!
A fiver should be the price at best.
agreed
In the 1990s this was a very cheap model and already dated. Great job!
Thanks for the info!
I also came across this set. The quality of detailing and jointing is disgusting. All the niches where the landing gear is retracted had to be made independently. The pilot was especially amused. It's some kind of alien!
It’s definitely not the best model out there
You definitely made a mediocre kit look really good.
Thanks! I'm glad you think so :D
Nice job on a pretty poor kit, Matt. The decals really let you down. Well done, sir.
Thanks! Yes, I am forever having trouble with these academy decals
The old joke..."Anybody want a Starfighter? Then buy an acre of ground....and wait". Sad, but not far wrong.
lol!
My goodness, what a poor kit. It only looks rudimentary like a starfighter! In many areas, especially in the cockpit canopy, the shape is not hit. A kit only for nostalgics! At least again well executed. Now you have a model on the shelf of which one can only guess what it is supposed to be. A good reason to build a "real" Starfighter again with a newer kit.
haha yes - maybe in the future I'll get a better example :)
@@ModelMinutes Revell's 1/72 is pretty current these days (Belgian/Dutch AF) and looks really good. Just don't put the Academy one next to it if you do build it 😂
Nothing but disappointment on academy aircraft models here. You did a decent finish on this one.
I've got a couple of other academy kits which look good, but there are others i've built which aren't great
Canopy looks hideously inaccurate and the join lines look bad, good effort on a poor kit 👏
Thanks! It’s certainly not the best kit out there