right on replicas, llc step-by-step review … were sprayed olive drab. right on replicas, llc...

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Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review 20150821* F-105 D Thunderstick II 1:48 Scale Revell Model Kit #85-5866 Review

Experience in Vietnam demonstrated the need for a better visual and blind bombing capability. In March 1968, the Air Force ordered development of an upgraded bombing/navigation system, incorporating a Singer-General Precision inertial navigation system, improvements to the AN/APN-131 navigation radar, and solid-state circuitry for the R-14A radar, which was re-designated R-14K. Furthermore, the digital AN/ARN-92 long-range navigation receiver replaced the problematic AN/ARN-85 receiver. The additional avionics were housed in a long, raised dorsal spine. The modified bombing/navigation system was known as Thunderstick II. F-105s with this system could achieve a bombing circular error of probability (CEP) of 50 feet (15 m) from an altitude of 15,000 ft (4,600 m). Although the first Thunderstick II aircraft flew in 1969, they were not used in Vietnam. A total of 30 F-105Ds received this modification. For the Modeler: This review covers the F-105 D Thunderstick II 1:48 Scale Revell Model Kit #85-5866. It is a skill level 2 plastic kit molded in light gray with a clear canopy containing 87 parts. The kit does have a positionable Canopy, Stabilizers and Speed brakes as well as a nice selection of under wing ordinance consisting of 6 M117 750lb bombs (two with extended fuses), two Mk 82 500 lb bombs with extended fuses also, and under wing fuel drop tanks. This kit also features a detailed cockpit with a pilot figure. This kit has been released previously in other versions. Upon opening the box one finds that the parts are molded in light grey, transparent clear, and decals for two different Aircraft: 1.) AFRes 457th Tactical Fighter Squadron stationed at Carswell AFB, Texas 1976 and 2.) USAF 563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron stationed at McConnel AFB, Kansas. Completed dimensions are; Length 16-7/8“ Wingspan 8¾”.


(Pic 1) (Pic 2) This is the box art for the kit and the general layout sprue tree.

(Pic 3) These are the kits decals and clear canopy pieces.

(Pic 5) Looking over the sprue of parts on my sample I found very little flash and only a couple of minor sink marks. 1 thing I did notice was that there were 2 pilot figures, ejection seats, and 2nd instrument panel, leading me to believe that this must have some of the same sprue as the earlier release of the F-105F Wild Weasel by Revell.


(Pic 6) I started the build following the instruction booklet (all black line drawings making some part assembly a little hard to figure out in different sections) by building the cockpit that consisted of 4 major parts, the cockpit tub, ejection seat instrument panel and control stick. As stated earlier there are two ejection seats both the same, so one for the build and one for the parts box. The instrument panels are easily distinguished (2nd for Radar operator again a parts box piece),and finally the pilots your choice here as they both fit, I chose to paint the one with the helmet visor open.

(Pic 7) With the cockpit painted, glued and drying, I paint the cockpit area Light Ghost Grey, the nose wheel tub Zinc Chromate Green and detailed the molded hoses and lines in silver and black, and the gun nose gun metal. While these dried I got the main wing spar part and checked it’s fit in the fuselage halves.


(Pic 9) Once all the painted parts were dry I glued them into place on the left fuselage half and the put the halves together without glue using just tape to ensure the parts were in place and fuselage lines up with little joint seams and allowed the parts to dry.

(Pic 10) Once the internal parts were dry, I glued the two fuselage halves together and set it aside to cure.

(Pic 11) The wings consisted of upper and lower parts, two pieces per side, these fit together perfectly so once they dried I glued them to the fuselage.


(Pic 15) With the tape holding the wings tightly to the fuselage the wing root seam was virtually non-existent. This assembly was set aside and while it was drying, I jumped ahead in the instructions to the ordinance sections. (Pic 16) The first bombs I assembled were the M117 Standard fused. these consisted of two parts for each bomb and were straight forward glue and make sure the are aligned ( I used clothes pins to hold them together until dry). then they were sprayed Olive drab.


(Pic 17) Model Master spray can FS34087 and the yellow ring hand painted at the nose not like shown in the instructions. I researched and found no bombs paint with the rings further down, though there may have been.

(Pic 18) Next the extended fused bombs were assembled the same as the standard fused prior. Again the bombs were painted OD and the yellow as before.


(Pic19) The fuses were painted a roughly 60% gold/40% silver mix. The bands on the extended fuses were painted red, for whatever reason. I don't know why they actually did that except maybe to keep ground crewmen from walking into them.


(Pic 21 & 22) While the bombs dried I got the Multiple Ejection rack (upper photo) for the 6-750lb bombs and two wing racks (lower photo) for the 500 lb bombs and sprayed them Model Master FS36622 Camoflage Gray. The same color the bottom of the F-105 would be sprayed. Once everything was dried I glued them together and set them aside to dry, knowing that the glue needed to dry completely because those are the pieces that always get knocked off during final assembly.

(Pic 23) Glue the two fuel tank (consisting of three pieces total) halves together and again held with clothes pins until dry. After dried I glued the stabilizer fins in place and set aside.


(Pic 24) When dry I painted them, the bottom and mount gray while the top of the tank is painted Model Master FS 34079 dark green.

(Pic 25) The rear Stabilizers were glued in place after the main wings had dried (they are solid one-piece parts).


(Pic 26) The assembled aircraft cockpit and nose wheel areas were masked off and the upper surface was sprayed using Model Master FS30219 Dark tan. I sprayed the tan first since it is the lighter color and can be covered with less paint by darker colors then when used last.

(Pic 28) After the tan was dried I broke out my Badger Airbrush to start the Camouflage painting. I mixed up Model Master FS34102 Medium Green acrylic paint and then thinned it a little with water with a drop of dish soap to allow the paint to lay down nicely and not bead up.


(Pic 31) After the medium was sprayed I moved on to the final Model Master acrylic Dark Green FS34079 again thinned and spayed and set the a aircraft aside to dry. When this dried I sprayed the underside Master acrylic Camouflage Gray FS36622. I liked acrylics for ease of clean up and speed of drying.

(Pic 37) After dying the aircraft was sprayed with clear gloss for decaling.


(Pic 40) Following the instructions for decal placement I used the Micro Scale two-part system of Set and Solvent to get the decals in place. The decals themselves are great and took very little water and time to release from the carrier paper. They lay down nicely and the Micro brand Solvent allows them to form around raised or lowered details.

(Pic 46) Once I set the decaled aircraft aside, I painted the exhaust speed brakes and exhaust tunnels gun metal and dry brushed silver and set them aside to dry.


(Pic 47) I painted the landing gear door outer sides camouflage gray and the interior side zinc chromate after the gray had dried.

(Pic 47a & 48) While drying I glued the tire and wheel halves together and painted them. I assembled the nose wheel gear first (three parts plus wheel) and then continued to the main gear. The main gear is all of two parts the main gear leg and actuator arm but at this time I only glued the wheel in place on the leg since the arm has to be positioned once the main gear is positioned.


(Pic 49) The nose gear was an easy placement

(Pic 50) The doors were added and allowed to start drying while I got the main gear wheel wells painted zinc chromate and allowed to dry. The wheel wells had molded in detail that I first did a black wash and allowed to dry then using a 5/0 brush to pick out the various hydraulic lines and piping in silver, then lightly dry-brushed some of the edges of the ribbing and walls.


(Pic 52) The main gear and actuator arms were glued into place. The instructions are somewhat vague describing where exactly to place these. The nose wheel was allowed to dry overnight to ensure sturdiness as they look a little spindly... to me anyway.

(Pic 55) (Pic 58) The next morning I stood the aircraft on its wheels and all was good. So at that point I added the exhaust tunnel and speed brakes to the aircraft, they are in the open position and there is no closed option offered, so that’s the way they went.


(Pic 60) With all the parts now on the main aircraft and everything decaled and painted I started adding the previously finished ordinance and outer pieces. First I added the main gear doors and the fuel tanks.

(Pic 61) I then stood the aircraft on its wheels to check the straightness to the tanks and realized that this being a tricycle gear I had best add some weight in the nose. I had painted the nose black and hadn't attached it yet so I added some weight to it. There is plenty of room so add weight to it. Use whatever you normally use. The nose was then glued in place.

(Pic 62) All the ordinance was glued in place and allowed to dry again over night.


(Pic 63) View of the underside to show the full ordinance.

(Pic 72) After drying well over night the aircraft was sprayed with clear flat bottom and top.


(Pic 73) The pilot’s uniform was painted using Model Master Acrylic Russian Armor Green #4807, which to me gives a good semblance of the Nomex Flight suits followed by a dry brushing of the Russian green with a little tan to lighten it. I used a basic white for the helmet with the visor. First it is painted silver then when dry Tamiya Clear Green. The Pilot's hands and face (according to the instructions) should be a flesh color which I did on the face, followed by a darker brown wash to deepen the low shadowy areas and give the face a more realistic look. The hands I decided to put black flight gloves on the hands, so painted them a flat black. Even though they can't be seen the boots were painted gloss Black. The oxygen mask and hose were painted flat black, then dry-brushed with some gloss black and dark grey. I used Khaki for the belts. All my painting is done with an assortment of different paint brands although I try to stay with the Model Master range most of the time. After that dried, the pilot was added to the cockpit.


(Pic 75) (Pic 76) The Canopy frame was hand painted. There are companies that offer pre-cut masks or one can cut and mask themselves using masking tape, but I still like to free hand if at all possible using a 5/0 and 10/0 brush. When the clear flat had dried, the canopy and gun sight were glued on (the canopy frame was painted by hand while the clear dried) in place using Testors clear Parts Cement. Overall: to me this is a decent kit if you take your time and test fit everything. Very little filling needed and flash is found but only on a few parts, while mold lines clean-up is acceptable. Remember that this is an old mold design and model and doesn’t have the refinements of today’s kits. It is essentially the old 1985 mold

modified with an Avionics hump down the spine and still gives you two pilots and ejection seats and the radar operators instrument panel from the F-105 F model. One thing I think needs improvement are the instructions, only having line drawings in black and white, part numbers and color codes and some of the parts placement of some were hard to figure out. But overall an enjoyable finished build with few parts.

right on replicas, llc step-by-step review … were sprayed olive drab. right on replicas, llc...

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