The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a supersonic fighter-interceptor- bomber and fourth in line of the iconic Century Series aircraft. Author Jaroslaw Dobrzynski describes the Starfighter evolution and technical history in great detail. Mushroom Model Publications is highly regarded in the modeling world for providing top quality books at a fair market price. Written specifically with the scale modeler in mind, Mushroom Model Publications has released another illustrated masterpiece. Featuring 40 beautiful color profiles including data from the original technical manuals plus photographs of contemporary and surviving examples. The author examines and presents a completely documented, comprehensive coverage from the prototypes to the final export and license-built versions. They are all fully described and beautifully illustrated plus he listed all the changes in specification, equipment and performance records.

The Kit

This automotive model review covers the 1940 Ford Fire Chief Car 1:25 scale MPC kit #815/12. The copyright date on the inside of the body is 2014 although kit has been released before. This is a Skill Level 1 “Snap-It” kit for modelers eight years and older. It includes parts molded in red, tan, and black with chrome, clear and transparent red parts and waterslide decals.

With any jet the most obvious thing about the cockpit is the ejection seat. If you were to do anything to improve the look of your model cockpit then just add an ejection seat or two in this case.

Packaged as usual for Quickboost in a self sealing package with card board backing sheet this protects the parts while still allowing you to see them. This set has two seats with molded on seatbelts. The resin pieces are molded on pour blocks that will be easily removed. They are flawlessly cast in light grey resin. The belts are perfectly draped and look very realistic. I could find no flaws. There was a little bit of resin that will have to be removed from the seatbelt as it is draped realistically, but to cast it there is a very, very thin membrane of resin that will need to be cleaned up. It will take less than a second to do it. It is not a flaw but designed that way.

History

The 056 Class patrol ship replaces the older 037 Class and was first suggested in the 1980’s but did not emerge until 2012. The ship is a thoroughly modern design with a modular hull featuring stealth properties. It weighs 1,400 tons fully loaded and has a length of 89 meters and a beam of 11.6 meters. Power is provided by 2 marine diesel engines giving a maximum speed of 28 knots and a range of 6500 kilometers. A mixed armament is carried consisting of a 76mm gun, 4 x YJ-83 anti-ship missiles, 10 x HQ-10 SAM missiles and 6 torpedo tubes. The rear deck has a helipad to operate small to medium size helicopters. A total of 20 ships have been ordered for the PLAN, and the type has been offered for export with a different hull and armament options.

Master Model continues to “turn” out metal details for the model maker. Here they are offering the static discharge whips that you see on all high performance Eastern Bloc built jets. You know - the ones on the trailing edge of the wings and tail surfaces that, if they are molded, quickly snap off never to be seen again. Plus molded discharge whips are often out of scale. Previously I stretched sprue and then quickly exposed the tip of the rod to heat to cause it to mushroom slightly. This is a good solution except the whips always were too big and quickly snapped of at the slightest touch.