1/48 Armour/Franklin Mint (ART.98126) Lockheed F104C Starfighter (70923) "Smoke II" 479th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Udorn Air Force Base in 1966VietNam War U.S.A.F. (Limited Edition)

1/48 Armour/Franklin Mint (ART.98126) Lockheed F104C Starfighter (70923) "Smoke II" 479th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Udorn Air Force Base  in 1966 VietNam War U.S.A.F. (Limited Edition)

F-104C-10-LO 57-0925 arrived at Udorn on 22 July 1966 and soon was named “Smoke II”. The name reflected the large amount of smoke the J79 engine normally produced but it is not known why the “II” was added behind it. It lasted a little more than a week in country when on August 1st, it was hit by a SAM while escorting a F-105G Wild Weasel flight during an attack near Thái Nguyên (north of Hanoi). The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Thomas “Al” Finney was KIA.

This is F-104C 57-0925 with “Smoke II” painted on the nose. Note the Crew Chief’s name is painted on the fuselage forward of the engine intake.