1/48 Monogram F-105D Thunderchief

Gallery Article by M.J.Gormley on Oct 2 2015

 

      

Here is a model of my dad’s F-105 he completed 100 missions over North Vietnam in, then Major James D. Gormley. Fortunately, he was not killed over there as many of his fellow pilots were either killed, shot down, and or imprisoned. At the time I really didn’t know the danger those men were in but have since realized the perils of every flight they operated. Thank God, literally, he made it home in one piece. There were many colorful markings, or nose art, the pilots would have painted on their planes to personalize their jets. My father simply had “My 4 M’s” on his which represented my two brothers and mom…Mike, Mark, Matt & Momma. 

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As an older kit, this goes together surprisingly well with sufficient detail to build a good model. The only concern I had was the main gear struts, as they are a bit flimsy. I painted this the typical 3-tone camo scheme used in Southeast Asia and only lightly weathered. I generally prefer recessed panel lines and this kit has finely raised lines. While not typically having the patience to re-scribe a model, I used a technique that seems to work pretty well for me in highlighting this detail. After painting, I simply lightly sanded the whole model with a dark 1000 grit sand paper. While not perfect, this definitely makes the panel lines pop enough for my liking anyway and to add a little depth to the finish. Testors gloss coat followed and on to decal. I made the “My 4 M’s” out of yellow stock by just cutting them out. I used Vitacal to print my dad’s name with the PC for the canopy rails. I finished it up with a coat of Testors dull coat. 

God bless you & yours!

M.J.Gormley

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Photos and text © by M.J.Gormley