Trumpeter 1/32 F105D Thud
by Jack Hollander
The nickname of this Thud is “The Polish Glider”, so called because if the plane lost power it went down like a brick
I painted the Thud with Testor Model master Paint in a standard camouflage scheme: Dark Tan, Dark Green, and Medium green; the underside is camouflage gray.
I had to scratch build the left flap because I lost it over the course of 3 Katrina related moves.
Alclad was used on the exhaust and refueling door.
The panel lines are rather subtle and were airbrushed free-hand without masking. I used Floquil weathered black for the panel lines. Maybe I should explain. First, the whole model was primed with a gray primer. I then roughed in the color coats, starting with the Dark Green. It was at this point that I did the panel lines.
At this stage, the whole plane looked black – – the panel lines being the darkest; the overspray lighter.
After it dried, I applied the final color coat, followed by two coats of Floquil Gloss Clear to apply the decals. Floquil Flat was then sprayed over the entire model.
To finish it off, I hit it very lightly with a very fine sandpaper – as though you were running your finger over it. This takes off any high spots and gives the finish more depth.
The landing gear is brass and tends to bow under the weight of the plastic. It looks wobbly, but it’s more stable than you would think. I did drill the metal out and pin it. The bottom of the wheels were flattened by melting them on a coffee pot warmer.
The only aftermarket part that was add was a Black Box cockpit set. Trumpeter also makes a Wild weasel version of the 105, which would have been inserting to build – it’s 2 inches longer.
Photos by Jeff Junker