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• Model Aircraft 2015-07 • 2015-07-01
• SAMI July 2015 • 2015-06-27
• IPMS USA website • 2015-05-23
• Cybermodeler.com • 2015-05-14
• Model Aiplane International 05/2015 • 2015-05-11
• Hyperscale.com • 2015-05-11
• Skrzydlata Polska 04/2015 • 2015-04-28
• SAMI 04/2015 • 2015-04-07
• IPMS USA website • 2015-04-07
• Aeroplane 05/2015 • 2015-04-07

• Model Aircraft 2015-07 • 2015-07-01
  
• SAMI July 2015 • 2015-06-27
  
• IPMS USA website • 2015-05-23
  
• Cybermodeler.com • 2015-05-14

  By David L. Veres

  Review

  Looking for a handy, lavishly illustrated history of the F-104 jet fighter? Look no further than MMP's latest!

  Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – 6136 in the publisher's enlarged "Yellow Series" titles – follows the publisher's proven prescription. Contents commence with design, development and deployment details. Author Jaroslaw Dobrzynski helpfully recaps production and experimental variants – as well as license manufacturing and service.

  Coverage then segues to "combat" use. F-104s proved principal players during the Cold War's iciest days. And over 40 years, Starfighters served in:

  • 1958's Quemoy Crisis between mainland China and Taiwan
  • 1961's Berlin Crisis
  • 1965's Pakistan-India War over Kashmir
  • 1971's Bangladesh War
  • the Vietnam War
  • 1991's Operation Desert Storm against Iraq
  • 1999's Operation Allied Force against Serbia

  Accidents also plagued the Starfighter throughout its international career. And "Operators" sections dutifully detail these. Canada, for instance, lost 46% of its F-104s. Belgium lost nearly 2 in 5 machines. And West Germany – where F-104 calamities achieved international notoriety – lost 298 Starfighters over 28 years. Nevertheless, MMP reminds readers, German Starfighter attrition "was similar to that of the [Luftwaffe's] Republic F-84F Thunderstreak" – "which amounted to 36%".

  Modelers will love this book. Color and B&W photos support the study. Technical-manual excerpts, close-up shots and 1:72-scale plans delineate Starfighter details. And MMP's excellent selection of color profiles – many with official color specs – offer plenty of project inspiration.

  But how about US Federal Standard matches or approximates for those Belgian "SEA-type" camouflage colors? And given the Starfighter's size, why weren't those lovely profiles to 1:72 scale, as well?

  Enough carping! What a cool, colorful, convenient compendium. Make MMP's Starfighter study part of your Cold War reference library!

  With thanks to Casemate for the review copy.

• Model Aiplane International 05/2015 • 2015-05-11
  
• Hyperscale.com • 2015-05-11

  Reviewed by Mick Evans

  FirstRead

  This new publication from Mushroom Models Publications is in A4 size format and contains 176 pages packed with detail. The quality of paper, photographs and printing is excellent. The publication is a softcover publication and has gloss paper pages throughout.

  The publication is an illustrated history of Lockheed’s dart shaped supersonic interceptor and fighter-bomber. One of the Century Series of aircraft, the Starfighter was operated the air forces of more than a dozen nations from 1958 to amazingly 2004.

  The author has covered and described all the different versions of the aircraft, from the prototype versions through to the final export and license built versions including all the changes in specification, equipment and performance. The publication contains drawings and data from the manufacturer’s original technical manuals, full dimensional details and photographs of surviving examples preserved in aviation museums illustrate all aspects of the airframe, inside and out.

  There are hundreds of photographs including some rare early black and white archive photographs of the prototype and F-104A model.

  The publication has many illustrations and features 40 superb colour profiles of camouflage and markings as well as walk-around colour photographs. Included are some of the more striking schemes applied to the Starfighter throughout its service life including some of the colourful tiger schemes and the amazing Mount Olympus scheme of the Hellenic Air force.

  There are some excellent 1/72 scale line drawings of the different versions along with line drawings of the different weapons pylon, drop tanks and weapons that could be carried by the Starfighter in its various roles.

  Highly Recommended

• Skrzydlata Polska 04/2015 • 2015-04-28
  
• SAMI 04/2015 • 2015-04-07
  
• IPMS USA website • 2015-04-07

  Reviewed by: Greg Wise, IPMS# 44378

  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 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was operated by the air forces of more than a dozen nations with a career spanning from 1958 to 2004. As a modeler, I found lots of cool and interesting paint schemes and different versions of the plane. It’s all here; the color illustrations, the color walk around photographs and rare b&w archive photographs that all modelers love. If you’re looking for unusual European camouflage or bare metal airframes chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for and more.

  Table of Contents

  The birth of a Starfighter

  The Starfighter for NATO

  The Ultimate

  The Ultimate Starfighter- F104S

  Operators

  the F-104 in Combat

  Special versions

  F-104G and F-104S technical description

  Specifications

  Flying the F-104

  In Detail

  Bibliography

  The book itself is a large 11.75 X 8.5 inches and is very well made. Featuring a glossy soft-cover with a corded-gum binding with very nice opaque pages.

  The Bottom Line

  It’s a great read with great information and illustrations. I highly recommend it to the F-104 modeler enthusiast. I would like to thank Mushroom Model Publishing, Casemate Publishing and IPMS for the opportunity to present this excellent book.

• Aeroplane 05/2015 • 2015-04-07