Victory Models doesn't produce many decal sheets, but when they do, you can be sure they are exceptional. This one fully meets that criteria. Several years ago, they produced an F-104 sheet for 1/48 modelers that is still considered by many to be the best ever done. In this case, the artwork for that sheet has been upsized to 1/32 scale. The intended kit is the new Italeri version, but it should also fit the Revell or Hasegawa kit. It is rumored that AFV Club will also be doing a 1/32 Starfighter.

For this sheet, most options are F-104A/C variants. There are six different selections and for many of them, you'll need to break out the sunglasses as they will be bright!

First up is an F-104A with the USAF Flight Test Center from 1959. This one is unpainted metal and da-glo orange with white upper and lower wings. Note that the tanks are also in da-glo.

Next is a QF-104A with the 3205th Drone Squadron at Eglin AFB in 1970. This aircraft is mostly da-glo orange with white upper wings and the rest of the airframe in bare metal.

Another QF-104A is the third options with the USAF Flight Test Center. This time it is mostly da-glo red with white upper and lower winds nd the aft fuselage and tanks in unpainted metal.

Option four is an F-104N as assigned to NASA Dryden in 1966. This one has the larger rudder of the F-104G with white wings top and bottom and the rest in unpainted metal. The wing tips are in insignia red and orange-yellow.

The other NASA options is a YF-104A in the 'middle' NASA Starfighter scheme. This has white upper and wings, dark blue band and light blue undersides. All of the gold striping is provided on the sheet, though the blue band will need to be painted. Besides it would be near impossible to affix a big blue decal along the fuselage and intakes.

Finally an F-104C in one of the few units to fly the type while painted in SEAQ camouflage. This plane is with the Puerto Rico ANG in 1972. These planes weathered rather badly in the tropical climate.

The decals themselves are perfectly printed by Cartograf and Victory Models provides outstanding and colorful placement guides and instructions. If you have one of these big Starfighters, now you have no excuse not to build it. Note that I've darkened the sheet images to make the white stand out more.

September 2014

Thanks to Victory Models for the review sheet. You can find this and other products by visiting their website.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and fairly quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note to Contributors.