Witty Sky Guardians (Series 1) WTW72016-04
Lockheed F-104C Starfighter Diecast Model
USAF 479th TFW, "Really George", George Laven Jr., George AFB, CA, 1963 |
| 1:72 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Lockheed F-104C Starfighter | | 9.25" | | 3.75" |
The F-104's razor honed appearance provides a natural invitation for descriptive superlatives. Precisely engineered, the Starfighter's shape is functional - aesthetics notwithstanding. It's built to go! To go high, fast and far with varied offensive payloads. It started in 1952, when the U.S Air Force called for a daylight air superiority fighter subordinating other criteria to flight performance. Lockheed looked at scores of designs: delta wings, swept wings, flush cockpits, wingtip-mounted vertical fins, rocket propulsion, low mounted horizontal stabilizer, vee windshields. Weight went up to about 50.000 pounds, dropped as low as 8.000 pounds. Out of the design, wind tunnel and rocket flight studies came a new wing shape; the trapezoid. Its span - 7 feet on each side of the fuselage - was startling enough. Added to the break from conventional aerodynamics trends was a notable anhedral applied to the wing.
Please note: An optional display stand is available separately if you wish to display this model "in-flight".
Designed to meet a need for an aircraft that could successfully compete against the MiG-15 in Korea, the F-104 Starfighter was first flown on February 20, 1958. American pilots believed that the F-86 Sabre was too large and complex to outmaneuver the lighter MiG, and they wanted a smaller, simpler, high-performance aircraft to replace it. The resulting design was a light, aerodynamic airframe wrapped around a powerful J79 turbojet engine. The F-104C was used by the USAF from 1958 until 1967, but most of the 2,578 production Starfighters were built and flown by members of NATO, including the Italian Air Force, which didn't retire it until 2004. © Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
Witty's 1:72 scale F-104 Starfighter is constructed with an intelligent mix of diecast metal and plastic, with plastic used only in areas requiring the finest detail, such as the engine intakes and exhaust. Other details, such as small antennas and air data sensors, are constructed of metal—something not generally seen in similar models of this scale. The subtle panel lines that are typical of all Witty models can be seen on the fuselage, solid metal wings and empennage, and the clear plastic canopy reveals cockpit details, detailed pilot figure and an ejection seat.
© Copyright 2003-2013 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Witty "Wings" range presents detailed, ready-made diecast models of military aircraft. Witty have earned a reputation for producing high-quality models that can be displayed right out of the box.
Witty "Wings" (Series 1) diecast airplanes feature:
- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
- Permanently extended landing gear with rotating wheels.
- Authentic fixed ordnance loads complete with placards.
- Selected moving parts such as canopies, control surfaces and swing-wings.
- Detailed, hand-painted pilot and crew member figures.
© Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
