Eduard Eduard F-104C Interior Set for Italeri kit

[One-Oh-Four]

Eduard F-104C Interior Set

Product Number 32 819 for Italeri

Available from many online stores or directly from Eduard for €22,95

 

 

As mentioned in the F-104A Zoom-set review, Eduard also markets sets with more details than just the bare necessities. This is such a set for the F-104C. Although the coloured fret at first looks like it's the same as the one provided in the F-104A set, that isn't the case.

 

 

If you look at the right side of the main IP you see one of the main differences between the F-104A and -C IP's. The F-104A has three small gauges above each other (tachometer, exhaust temperature gauge and exhaust nozzle position indicator) flanked on the right side by one large gauge; the fuel quantity indicator. The F-104C has those same three gauges, but on the right side one can find three small gauges instead of one large: the fuel flow indicator, oil pressure gauge and the automatic pitch control indicator. Eduard copied this admirably.

 

What is probably NOT accurate is part 50; the armament control panel. As in the F-104A set, the part of the gunsight control switches is red, which is not the case on the F-104C in the Air Force Museum; F-104C-5-LO 56-914. BTW, note the triangular shaped ejection handle on this C2 seat, indicative that it's an early C2:

 

militaryfactory.com

 

Michael Benolkin, TacAir Publications

 

 

Michael Benolkin, TacAir Publications

 

 

The second fret contains mainly parts for the walls of the side consoles and the inside of the hatch that was originally used for the downward ejection seat. The set doesn't provide the parts in such a way that you can dispense with the cockpit floor altogether. That would've been the most accurate as the F-104 never had a true cockpt floor. Somewhat like the F4U Corsair...

 

PreservedAC

 

 

 

 

In practice, between the stick, the foot boards and the sidewalls there wasn't much room, so it may not be too noticeable. But since you cannot show the model with it's seat removed, the parts for the inside of the lower hatch are somewhat of a waste of metal... I think that providing sidewalls that go no further than the imaginary floor is a missed opportunity, even if Eduard always claims "only to add detail, not to improve accuracy".

 

Look at Eduard's instructions to see what I mean.

 

Although I REALLY am a bit dissapointed about the floor issue, I still give this set a Highly Recommended as it provides enough other details that really enhance your F-104C Starfighter cockpit.

 

My thanks go to Eduard for providing us with the review sample.