MAQUETTE À MONTER - F-104J Starfighter `J.A.S.D.F.´ Hasegawa | No. 07218 | 1:48 *** IN GIFT SOME eduard & Trues Details ACCESSORIES ***
Prix régulier 35,00 € TTC 6%
Characteristics
| Scale | 1:48 |
| Manufacturer | Hasegawa |
| Size of the box | 36 x 19 x 7 cm |
Description
In February 1954, the prototype Lockheed XF104 fighter flew for the first time and soon became known as the "Missile with a man in it". It was the first interceptor to break the mach 2 speed barrier and in May 1955 established a new world speed record of 2,259km/h, and becoming the fastest fighter in the world. In 1959, Japan decided to produce the Starfighter, under the designation F104J, to replace their aging F86 Sabrejets.
The first Japanese Starfighters were reassembled from Lockheed-supplied F104G kits and an additional 29 from Lockheed supplied sub assemblies. The first F104J flew on 8 March 1962 at Komaki, and all subsequent F104J Starfighters were built by Mitsubishi in Japan. 20 additional F104DJ trainers were imported from the U.S.A.. As the Japanese constitution specifically forbids possession of offensive weapons, including aircraft with that capability, the F104J was operated in the interception role, carrying four AIM-9 sidewinder missiles and two underwing fuel tanks.
The J-79 Engine was manufactured by Ishikawajima Harima and the JM-61 Vulcan cannon was produced by Nittoku Kinzoku Kogyo. A total of 210 F-104J's served with the Japanese Air Self Defense Forces until the mid 1980's, when the last front line Starfighters were replaced by McDonnell-Douglas F-4EJ Phantom II's and F-15J Eagles. Surviving F-104J's went into storage facilities in Gifu, Japan, with some being converted and flown as supersonic drones.
More to read about the KIT here, thanks to scalemates, a Belgian Scale modeling database