This is my second
submission to ARC, Trumpeter's 1/72 scale F-105D Thunderchief. The sleek go-fast
Thunderchief, affectionately referred to as the THUD, came out in the late 50s.
It was developed as a supersonic fighter bomber that could carry nuclear weapons
in an internal bomb bay. It served well in the deterrent role, but achieved its
greatest fame as a bomb-truck during the air war over North Vietnam. Many THUDs
were lost to SAMs and AAA, but it still achieved an impressive combat record.
The THUD was no dog fighter, but it could defend itself. It couldn't turn with
the MIGs, but it sure could out run them with speed in excess of 1400 miles per
hour. Anything that got in front of the THUD was shredded by fire from its 20 mm
nose mounted M-61 cannon.
Click on
images below to see larger images
I looked
forward to building this kit because 1/72 scale F-105s are very hard to
find. This was a fairly easy kit to build, but I blew it from the start.
Notice the model is missing the nose gear landing light. As I clipped
it off the sprue, it went flying, never to be seen again. I'm sure some of
you are saying "been there, done that". Overall, the fit
is pretty good. I air-brushed the model using masks I made and Testors
Model Master enamels. Trumpeter failed to provide an adequate color and
and marking guide to show the camouflage pattern. However, some 10 years
ago I built a 1/48 scale F-105D Monogram kit and saved the instructions
which has a good color and marking guide. To enhance the model a bit, I
applied a pin wash to the panel lines. Trumpeter's 1/72 scale THUD is a
good kit but a beginner might struggle with some of its really small
parts.
The model depicts an F-105D
of the 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron, the "Vampires", of the
355th Tactical Fighter Wing. It was flown by Major Donald Kutyna from
Takhli Royal Thai air base in 1970.
Burt
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