Beyond The Sprues

Modelling => Group and Themed Builds => Canadian GB => Topic started by: MAT on August 03, 2026, 07:04:31 PM

Title: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on August 03, 2026, 07:04:31 PM
This F-104G will be finished in the weathered all-green SM67 danish paint.
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: Old Wombat on August 04, 2026, 01:58:57 AM
Looking forward to this! I really like the look of those highly faded & weathered green aircraft.  :smiley:
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: Kerick on August 04, 2026, 03:52:05 AM
Canadian built Starfighter. I like it!
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: apophenia on August 04, 2026, 04:48:36 AM
Looking forward to this! I really like the look of those highly faded & weathered green aircraft.  :smiley:

Moi aussi! For an all-over olive paint job, it is truly amazing how many different colours come through once faded  :smiley:
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: Kerick on August 04, 2026, 08:40:50 AM
Did they repaint the panel lines with spray cans from the hardware store? It looks like it and probably lasted longer!
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: Old Wombat on August 04, 2026, 09:29:57 AM
Same paint but, with the scheme flaking away like it did, corrosion control was a major effort, & all the rivet lines were frequently resprayed to reduce oxidisation of those rather important bits.
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on August 04, 2026, 04:40:29 PM
This is how a danish TF-104G looked (almost) newly painted
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on August 04, 2026, 04:42:17 PM
But only for a while !!!
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: apophenia on August 05, 2026, 09:00:56 AM
Can't wait to see how you tackle the paint work  :smiley:
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on August 05, 2026, 04:13:42 PM
Can't wait to see how you tackle the paint work  :smiley:
Neither can I.
Here is one of my earlier efforts

Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: apophenia on August 06, 2026, 07:38:25 AM
... Here is one of my earlier efforts

That is very cool! It really catches the patch-and-make-do approach ("Hey Mikkel, you missed a bit over there!")  ;D
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: Kerick on August 06, 2026, 01:20:04 PM
I can't help thinking that whatever savings there was buying cheaper paint was more than wasted on manhours constantly touchup painting. Just one of my rusty thoughts.
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: apophenia on August 07, 2026, 07:26:20 AM
I can't help thinking that whatever savings there was buying cheaper paint was more than wasted on manhours constantly touchup painting. Just one of my rusty thoughts.

Yup! But, once you've taken the plunge ...  ;D

Of course, the on-going touch-up jobs may have also been a way of holding the procurement officers' feet to the fire  ;)
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: Kerick on August 07, 2026, 08:16:21 AM
Yeah, hand him the spray gun!
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on August 07, 2026, 05:29:10 PM
I can't help thinking that whatever savings there was buying cheaper paint was more than wasted on manhours constantly touchup painting. Just one of my rusty thoughts.

It was not a question about cheap paint. The SM/67 (SM means "standard maling"= standard paint. 67 the year of introduction)) paint was developed to minimize the IR-reflection and had a very matt and coarse surface. I don't know how effective it worked against IR, but the matt and coarse surface was realy no good against the danish climate.
All military vehicles were painted with this SM/67 - with the same results. The danish forces of that time looked like something straight out of a scrapyard. But the camouflage effect was really good.
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on August 07, 2026, 05:41:48 PM
And the grunts looked like a bunch of hobos
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: Old Wombat on August 07, 2026, 06:18:22 PM
Looks like you bought your equipment at a military disposal store!  :icon_surprised:

British pattern webbing, M1 Garands, US M1 helmets, don't know where the parkas came from ...  :-\


Other than that, they (you?) all look cold, wet & miserable ... Like soldiers inevitably do ... Unless they're hot, wet & miserable. ;)
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: apophenia on August 08, 2026, 09:27:29 AM
And the grunts looked like a bunch of hobos

Which can work for you. Less time spent 'pounding square' on the parade ground and more practice at slopping about in the mire to find a good firing position. And once half-frozen and covered in muck, attitudes tend to harden towards an invader even more  ;)
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on August 08, 2026, 04:18:35 PM
And the grunts looked like a bunch of hobos

Which can work for you. Less time spent 'pounding square' on the parade ground and more practice at slopping about in the mire to find a good firing position. And once half-frozen and covered in muck, attitudes tend to harden towards an invader even more  ;)
We never did spent a single second parading. But we lived for days in the danish mud. The year was 1972 and we were in the middle of an ABC-exercise (ABC=Atomic, Biological and Chemical Warfare) somewhere in the southern part of Jutland (In danish Jylland). I'm number three from the right.
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: apophenia on August 09, 2026, 10:36:02 AM
We never did spent a single second parading. But we lived for days in the danish mud. The year was 1972 and we were in the middle of an ABC-exercise (ABC=Atomic, Biological and Atomic Warfare) somewhere in the southern part of Jutland (In danish Jylland). I'm number three from the right.

Oh fun! "It's freezing cold so let's practice our NBC shower techniques on the 'hobos'"   :o

No wonder you were so well bundled up!

BTW, I was remiss in not thanking you for your SM67 history - great stuff  :smiley:
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on August 11, 2026, 02:15:26 AM
If it was not freezing cold and wet it was sweltering hot - and wet.
On very hot summer day the brass decided, that our truck had been "contaminated" with some nasty stuff, and it had to be washed down with some kind of soapwater.
As the brass was very concerned with the wellbeing of the grunts, we had to do it in a full NBC protection suit.
My rubber boots were filled with sweat after that.
Oh, those fond memories.
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: apophenia on August 11, 2026, 04:05:09 AM
... Oh, those fond memories.

Just one of life's little joys ...  ;D
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: Kerick on August 11, 2026, 12:51:41 PM
If it was not freezing cold and wet it was sweltering hot - and wet.
On very hot summer day the brass decided, that our truck had been "contaminated" with some nasty stuff, and it had to be washed down with some kind of soapwater.
As the brass was very concerned with the wellbeing of the grunts, we had to do it in a full NBC protection suit.
My rubber boots were filled with sweat after that.
Oh, those fond memories.

Oh, the good times we had!
Savanna, GA.  90F and 90% humidity and chem gear. The medics stopped counting the number of people who dropped out. Including me!
Title: Re: CF-104 RDAF R-754
Post by: MAT on September 11, 2026, 08:25:17 PM
The build has started. It is based on a Hasegawa F-104G kit