Victory Productions

1/48 USAF & NASA Starfighters decal sheet

Product # VPD48005

Product Article by Steve Bamford Mar 9  2005

 

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Wow....this decal sheet made me need to sit down to absorb the whole package.....42 different American F-104 Starfighters!!!  Not 3 or 5 or 8.......42!!!  These include both USAF and NASA F-104's and you get enough markings to  make almost any US F-104. 

The F-104's on this sheet include:

  • single and dual seat pre-Vietnam War baremetal F-104's 
  • Single and dual seat Vietnam era F-104's in Jungle camo.
  • F-104's from the AF Flight Test Center
  • F-104 from the NOTS at China Lake
  • F-104 from the AF Special Weapons School
  • F-104 from the 3205th Drone Squadron
  • F-104 from the Aerospace Research Pilot School
  • F-104's from the NASA Dryden Fit Research Center
  • And a pile of F-104's from Various Squadrons I'll mention below.....

It's amazing the massive selection of American F-104's on this decal sheet!!!

Scroll down...look at all 34 one of them....sit back and feast your eyes......this could very well be the last F-104 sheet you will need to buy.

Starfighter #1 is a F-104B with the 337th Ftr-Intcp Sq in 1960.
Starfighter #2 is a F-104C with the 436th Ftr-Intcp Sq, 479th Tac Ftr Wing in 1960. 
Starfighter #3 is a  F-104D with the 479th Tac Ftr Wing in 1963

Starfighter #4  is a F-104D with the 198th Tac Ftr sq, with the Puerto Rico ANG in 1974.
Starfighter #5 is a NF-104A with the Aerospace Research Pilot School in 1964.
Starfighter #6 is a QF-104A with the 3205th Drone Sq, ADTC in 1970.
Starfighter #7 is a F-104D with the AF Special Weapons Center in 1965.
Starfighter #8 is a YF-104A with NASA Dryden Flt Research Center in 1971.
Starfighter #9 is a F-104A with the 358th Ftr-Intcp Sq in 1958. 
Starfighter #10 is a F-104A with the 4760th Combat Crew Training Sq in 1967.
Starfighter #11 is a F-104C with the 435th Tac Ftr Sq, 6252nd Tac Ftr Wing in 1965. 
Starfighter #12 is a F-104C with the 435th Tac Ftr Sq, 8th Tac Ftr Wing in 1966. 
Starfighter #13 is a F-104A with the AF Flight Test Center in 1959.
Starfighter #14 is a QF-104A with the AF Flight Test Center in 1961.
Starfighter #15 is a F-104A with the NOTS China Lake in 1960.
Starfighter #16 is a F-104N with the NASA Dryden Flt Research Ctr in 1966.
Starfighter #17 is a F-104A with the 56th Ftr Intcp Sq in 1958.
Starfighter #18 is a F-104A with the 337th Ftr-Intcp Sq in 1959.
Starfighter #19 is a F-104A with the 331st Ftr-Intcp Sq in 1964.
Starfighter #20 is a F-104A with the 151st Ftr-Intcp Sq with the tennessee ANG in 1960. 
Starfighter #21 is a F-104A with the 157th Ftr Intcp Sq with the South Carolina ANG in 1961.
Starfighter #22 is a F-104A with the 157th Ftr Intcp Sq with the South Carolina ANG in 1963.
Starfighter #23 is a F-104A with the Sacramento ALC in 1970.
Starfighter #24 is a F-104C with the 435th Tac Ftr Sq with the 479th Tac Ftr Wing in 1959. 
Starfighter #25 is a F-104C with the 476th Tac Ftr Sq with the 479th Tac Ftr Wing in 1960.
Starfighter #26 is a F-104A with the 83rd Ftr-Intcp Sq in 1959.
Starfighter #27 is a F-104A with the 319th Ftr-Intcp Sq in 1964.
Starfighter #28 is a F-104B with the 538th Ftr-Intcp Sq in 1958.
Starfighter #29 is a F-104A with the 4750th Test Sq in 1959.
Starfighter #30 is a F-104 A with the 151st Ftr-Intcp Sq with the Tennessee ANG in 1961.
Starfighter #31 is a F-104B with the 197th Ftr-Intcp Sq with the arizona ANG in 1960.
Starfighter #32  is a F-104C with the 434th Tac Ftr Sq with the 479th Tac Ftr Wing in 1959.
Starfighter #33  is a F-104C with the 476th Tac Ftr Sq with the 479th Tac Ftr Wing in 1959.
Starfighter #34 is a F-104D with the AF test Flight Center in 1959. 
Starfighter #35 is a YF-104A-1-LO 55-2969 with the 83rd FIS out of Hamilton AFB, CA in 1958. 
Starfighter #36 is a F-104A-20-LO 56-824 with the 331st FIS out of Webb AFB in Texas in 1964. 
Starfighter #37 is a QF-104A-5-LO 56-741 with the 3205th Drone Sq out of Eglin AFB in Florida in 1967. 
Starfighter #38 is a F-104N 811 with the NASA DRyden Flight Test Center out of Edwards AFB California in 1979. 
Starfighter #39 is a F-104A-20-LO 56-769 with the 83rd FIS out of Hamilton AFB California in 1959. 
Starfighter #40 is a F-104C-5-LO 56-929 with the 198th FIS out of Nuniz ANGB San Juan PR in 1972.  
Starfighter #41 is a F-104N 812 with the NASA Dryden Flight Test Center out of Edwards AFB in California in 1966. 
Starfighter #42 is a F-104N 825 with the NASA Dryden Flight Test Center out of Edwards AFB California in 1987.   

As for quality?  Well the decals themselves are beautifully printed and perfectly in register.  These decals are thick enough to provide good coverage of colours, but thin enough to conform nicely.  You get enough national insignias to do 5 aircraft (that doesn't count the NASA jets) of the 42 featured.  If you break down the cost per model...these are the cheapest decals you will find.  

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The instruction sheets are full of data.  Note details such as the selection of multiple styles of ejection seat warning triangles, rescue arrows and armament placards.  There is a huge assortment of stencil numbers etc, so with this set, a modeler could build practically ANY operational F-104 that operated in the service of the United States.  

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Instruction sheets

If you want a huge selection of Starfighters in US markings....then this is the sheet for you.  I recommend this decal set to anyone interested in this huge and varied selection of Starfighters. 

I'd like to thank Paul at Victory Models for bringing this sheet to my attention by sending me a review sample.

Steve Bamford

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford