By: José Luis Orgeira

Tiger Meet is the name of the event where they meet, once to the year, the air forces of the NATO. The units air and terrestrial participants are adorned with allusive outlines to tigers, most of them true works of art that, at the end of the encounter, they compete to be taken to house the valuable prize to the best artistic outline. In the event of 1988 Italy it surprised with an outline that even today one of the most spectacular of all the Tiger is considered carried out Meet. So much was this way that later the squadron to which belonged the machine that shone this reason (the 21 Gruppo of the 53º Stormo), it adopted the same outline to identify their unit. In commemoration to this outline Tiger Meet, in 1991 put on makeup a second machine with the same outline, to exception of some small differences. The most remarkable differences between both airplanes resided in that the first one presented the tank of combustible eaves with the legend "Tiger Meet '88" and the other one with the legend "21 Gruppo Tiger". In this last one, another notable differs it is the presence of the number II red in the drift, surely to indicate that it is the second colored airplane with the old reason of 1988 and to which commemorates. This second decoration is the reason of this note.

The model.
The chosen scale model was the F-104J/G of Hasegawa 1:32. As I have read in internet, in spite of being some 35 years old, many consider this kit like the best in any F-104 up to now carried out. I chose the reason Tiger Meet for two reasons. One, because the F-104 Starfighter is perhaps the airplane that more artistic decorations have received in its long career in the different European air forces. Two, because I already possess by hand another colored F-104 with the reason Tiger Meet '88 in scale 1:48, and I thought that if this shone well, then it should shine better if it even reproduced it to a scale bigger. The modifications carried out to adapt it to the Italian version were minimum: a couple of ventral fins in the line, different antennas in the fuselage and other smaller details. It is necessary to be careful in the construction of the main board of instruments and in the seat, since there is an included lot of variations inside the same copies of the Italian Air force, that which is reasonable considering the long operational life of this machine in Italy. The only modifications that I made to the scale model were the production of the eolic generator of emergency (on the right side of the fuselage) and the one lowered of flaps, since this way he/she observes it to him in numerous pictures when the machine is in earth. I decided not to open more panels neither to carry out more modifications for not breaking the beautiful profile of the airplane and for not blocking the appreciation of the outline of painting that was what I wanted to highlight.
 

The painting.
The central reason of the decoration of the airplane consisted on the colored of the heads from the tigers to both sides of the fuselage. First aerografié the ventral surface of white. Then the dorsal surfaces that you/they should go in yellow and in black. Working with internet pictures, I printed in scale 1:32 the contour of the head of the tigers to copy this contour then on the surface of the kit. This way I made sure that the proportion of the head and body of the tiger were exact. The whole rest of the head and body of the tiger should be painted by hand, respecting with the biggest possible truthfulness the color variations, degraded, sizes and forms of the details (you line, teeth, eyes, etc.). I Had special care in the reproduction of the pattern of the lines of the tiger that you/they are projected along the whole fuselage and wings of the airplane. These were also made by hand run off with with paintbrush. Comparing the pictures of the real airplane found differences among the colored tigers to the right and left of the fuselage, something completely comprehensible because they were painted by hand (in fact, in a close up the designer's signature is observed under the tiger: Joe). In the same way, my scale model also presents these differences because it was also painted by hand.

Decals
The signature Taurus Decals threw an iron in scale 1:32 of the version Tiger Meet for the F-104 that includes the tiger heads and the legends Tiger Meet '88 for the tanks eaves. However, it leaves of the challenge for me it consisted on reproducing the figures of the tigers by hand, so I decided to manufacture the you trace of the version "21 Gruppo Tiger" for my bill and the rest to paint it by hand.
You trace them original of the kit, which is some 35 years old, is even conserved under good conditions but for me they didn't serve because mine was an Italian version and, to exception of some few stencils in English, the rest should go in Italian; also, this version of Tiger Meet presented very few stencils regarding the attack version. Let us remember that it is only an exhibition version or exhibition. In the real airplane I only found stencils referred to the systems of security, emergency and of some that another electric or hydraulic system.
Using the pictures of the real reason as reference, I designed in Corel Draw all you trace them of the airplane, included the roundels and the emblem of the squadron to exception of the rescue triangles under the booth that you/they are original of the kit. The roundels is different to other conventional ones: the interior green arena is bigger than the usual thing, hiding this way the target and making them of low visibility. The signature Phoenix decalcomanias printed the reasons in different irons, obtaining this way a scale model "only" or, if one prefers, personalized. An explanation: the numeral of the machine that is observed in the line of the airplane (MM6674) it is mistaken. The numeral one correct it is MM6764. When I designed the it traces I made a error… and I realized newly when it was already finished! So it is even to be corrected.

Final detailing
I decided to manufacture him the tapas of the entrances and exits of air and the ribbons of "Remove before flight" in different parts to give him more realism. I also manufactured him the cases protectors in the attack borders and he/she escapes of the wings, something common with the airplane in earth. The stairway is scratch and it is made with wood raft, copper wires, plasticard and lead sheets. Lastly, to the whole scale model I applied him two hands of liquid wax for floors, a procedure that I always use for naval models or "of exhibition", which usually shine very clean, refined and brilliant.

Conclusions.
With their 54 cm of total longitude, this it is not a scale model that passes desapercibida. It is one of those models that shines impressive; this it is my scale model nº 14 in scale 1:32 and it really highlights of the rest. For their size and quality can be intensely modified, transformed and detailed. Their armed one is not complicated and the maker also offers other options like the motor J79, which is very well modeled and he offers excellent possibilities for those who want to detail it. In my opinion, it is highly advisable.

References.
* Lock On nº1. F-104 G/J Starfighter. Verlinden Publications. 1983.
* Internet:
        * Aviation Photos Aeritalia F-104 Starfighter.htmThe Tiger-Lair_org - World Wide Tigers - Italy - 155° Gruppo - 50° Stormo.htm
        * F-104S Starfighter by Peter Doll (Hasegawa 1-48). htm
        * Online Cibermodeler: Hasegawa 1:32 F-104 G/S World Starfighter.
        * Airliner.net: Photos Italy Air Forced Lockheed F-104 Starfighter.