Hobby Master HA1056 1:72 TF-104G Spanish Air Force

Hobby Master HA1056 1:72 Lockheed TF-104G 104-22, Spanish Air Force, late 1960s.

The F-104G was known as the Super Starfighter, with the G standing for Germany, because they were among the first foreign orders for the Lockheed plane and they placed the largest order. Depending on the source there were between 1,122 and 1,700 G models built under license by 4 European companies, Canadair and Lockheed. The G was a multi-role all weather single seat fighter-bomber with a new upward firing ejection seat, a strengthened fuselage and wings, increased internal fuel capacity, new improved full length flaps added to the wings leading edge for better combat maneuvering, a larger vertical fin, a new radar system with air-air and air- ground modes, inertial navigation that made the F-104G the first production fighter to receive this new equipment,  new infrared sight, an additional hard-point under each wing, improved weapons capability now was 4,000 lbs and beefed up landing gear and larger wheels to carry all the added weight of the improvements. The larger gear and wheels made it necessary to create a bulge in the fuselage to accommodate them. The G even received a new engine, though it didn’t deliver any more power it was a much more reliable engine. The G was considered the best version of the F-104.

In 1965 the Spanish Air Force Ejercito del Aire  (EdA) received 18 Canadair–built F-104Gs and 3 Lockheed built dual-seat TF-104G. The single-seat F-104Gs were designated C.8 with serials running from C.8-1 to C.8-18. The 3 dual-seat TF-104Gs were designated CE.8 and had serials 21, 22, 23. The F-104 flew with the EdA for 7 years accumulating 17,000 operational hours without the loss of a single Starfighter. Perhaps this was due to the skill of the pilots or the fact that they Spanish used the F-104 to do the role of interceptor that it was designed for. Or perhaps it was a combination of both factors. In 1972 they were replaced by F-4C Phantoms and
returned to the USAF where they were transferred to Greece and Turkey.