ITALIAN AIR FORCE ORPHEUS RECON POD – BULGED COVER FOR RECON PHOTO SYSTEM – 2 ALE 40 CHAFFS DISPENSERS – FINELY ENGRAVED RECESSED PANEL LINES AND RIVETS – FULLY DETAILED ENGINE , COCKPIT , AND AVIONICS BAY – FULLY DETAILED GUN BAY WITH COMPLETE M-61 VULCAN ASSEMBLY – OPEN OR CLOSED AIR BRAKES – PHOTOETCHED FRET – 325 PARTS – 2 HUGE DECALS SHEETS FOR 8 VERSIONS – INSTRUCTIONS SHEET WITH COLOR PROFILESThe Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is one of the most famous fighters in the history of aviation and also one with the longest operational life: its history began at the end of the 50s and ended, for some air forces, in mid 2000s. Its unique airframe, with slender fuselage and very little wing surface, made this aircraft ideal as an interceptor. Thanks to the thrust of its General Electric J79-GE-11A afterburning turbojet engine, it could exceed Mach 2,2 with an excellent rate of climb. But it was not very manoeuvrable and difficult to pilot. The F-104G Starfighter was produced on license by several European aviation industries. From the mid-60s, it became the standard interceptor for many NATO countries including Italy, Germany, Holland, Greece, and Turkey. The armament was basically the same found on previous versions, with a 20mm Vulcan cannon and the option to fit under the wings air-to-air missiles, bombs, or additional fuel tanks to increase the airplane’s range. With time, reconnaissance duties were added to the traditional interceptor service. The F-104G was therefore equipped with a dedicated Orpheus reconnaissance external pod that gave excellent operational results.