Trumpeter 1/32 F-105D

Few models have been greatly anticipated as this one. Ever since Trumpeter announced it in their catalog, rumors have flown. Is it for real? Will it be any good? The answer to both of those questions is yes. We received a review sample the day before this issue went up, and the late night became early morning as I looked this kit over. Here is what I found...

Overview

The box is sturdy and large, being the same length and width of the Trumpeter 1/24 scale kits, but twice as thick. This hints at the size of the model inside, and big it is. The boxtop gives the length at 613mm and the span at 333mm, which is roughly two feet by one. Parts count: 514. In addition to the basic airplane, Trumpeter has included a detailed engine and enough ordnance to load up your Thud in just about any configuration. Two decal sheets provide stenciling for the weaponry and the plane, as well as two aircraft options.

A Closer Look

The cockpit: The seat is in five pieces and looks decent. Separate seat cushions, with molded in seatbelts. Instrument panel is molded in two pieces, with film instruments sandwiched between the two plastic parts. The front panel piece is molded in clear. The tub has separate pieces for the sidewall consoles. Overall, the interior is decent enough, and I'm sure that it won't be long before we see a resin replacement for the superdetail guys.

Options: The kit has several options. You can display the gun in the nose. The refueling receptacle and probe are included. The entire bomb bay is included, along with the extra fuel tank to go inside. Trumpeter molded the bomb bay doors closed on the fuselage, though, so you'll have to cut those off to display it open. They provide separate doors, too, so you don't have to worry about preserving the ones you cut out. The engine is decent, but could benefit from additional plumbing. References there are a definite must. The control surfaces are all separate in this kit, from the leading edge flaps to the rudder.

Weapons: All I can say here is wow. This kit comes with five identical weapons sprues, resulting in a total of 20 Mk. 117s, 20 Mk. 82s, and five AGM-45 Shrikes. On another pair of sprues you get a total of two napalm canisters, two AGM-78s, two ALG-71 ECM pods, and two AGM-12 Bullpups. No need for an aftermarket weapons set here! In addition to these, you get all three external fuel tanks. With all of this ordnance you should have no problem mixing and matching up a weapon load for your Thud.

Decals: You get two choices in the kit. The first is "The Polish Glider," which is probably familiar to anyone who bought the Monogram 1/48 kit. The second is "Alice's Joy", flown by Col. Jack Broughton of Thud Ridge fame. The decals were done by Twobobs and are nicely printed with excellent register.

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The Nits

OK, here's the part you are all waiting for. What are the flaws. Let's start with the easiest: the decals. The 'Yankee Air Polack' badge for the fuselage features a silver eagle on a red shield. There is no detail in the eagle, but an inspection of photos show some kind of detail. Other than that, I can't see anything else wrong with the stickers. The copious stenciling is a great sight to see, as it will all be seen in this scale. Well done, Twobobs!

The plastic. OK, I didn't have much time to compare this kit in depth with photos and drawings, but a quick Mk. I Eyeball tells me it's a Thud, plain and simple. Which means that the problems with the plastic here are pretty much the same problems with the plastic in just about any accurate F-105 kit. And that is going to be the main landing gear. This kit does an excellent job of capturing that stalky look of the Thud, but that also means that the main gear attachment point is going to be weak. There is no way around this without sacrificing accuracy, but this kit is big enough that it will be fairly easy to make a substantial pin to add strength. Overall, though, this kit looks very good and when held up next to the Monogram 1/48 F-105D, they both look the part.

Conclusion

I think that there are going to be quite a few pleased modelers when this kit hits the shelves. With a retail price of $124.95 it isn't cheap, but it's definitely MUCH better than the Combat Models 'kit' and should build up into a very impressive model.

My sincere thanks to Stevens International for the review sample.