1/72 Academy F-84G Thunderjet

by Josip Žagar

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Some history:

In 1948, after having been unsuccessfully bullied into submission by Stalin, Yugoslav president and Marshal Josip Broz Tito was forced to break off diplomatic relations with Soviet Union and it's allies which nearly resulted in war that would certainly turn into a long Soviet occupation. Yugoslavia suddenly found itself alone and in desperate situation with constant armed provocations on it's eastern borders, combined with bordering dispute with neighbouring Italy (and NATO) over the Adriatic port of Trieste. This isolation lasted nearly 5 years. The country itself which was poor and devastated after barely surviving WW2 and it's armed forces were in no condition to successfully resist anyone.  The Yugoslav Air Force (JRV) of the late 1940s consisted of a rag tag collection of tired airplanes from all sides (including Spitfire, Hurricane, Me-109 and Yak fighters), seriously lacking spare parts and trained personnel. 

Attempts were made to bolster it's strength by building a number of already obsolete S-49 fighters (an amalgam of Soviet Yak and prewar Yugoslav IK-3 fighters) but what was really needed was a modern jet fighter force.  A number of local jet constructions were assembled and flown but eventually abandoned.  Finally in the early 1950s Yugoslavia renewed diplomatic relations with western powers and until the end of decade received a considerable amount of financial and military assistance in weapons, training and equipment along with Italy, Greece and Turkey. In 1952 F-47D Thunderbolt fighter bombers were first to arrive followed by F-84G Thunderjets & T-33s in 1953 and finally by F-86 Sabres. The Thunderjet holds a special place in JRV history being it's first jet fighter. Altogether some 200 examples were acquired and they had a long and successful career with JRV with the last examples discharged in 1974! First they served as fighters, than as fighter bombers and finally as reconnaissance airplanes. Even today one can find several examples allover former Yugoslavia, mostly at airports but in a sad and neglected state. However there is an interesting and well preserved example of a Yugoslav produced reconnaissance version in  the rich and still wonderful Yugoslav Air Museum located at Belgrade international airport, Serbia.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

The kit:

This kit (like the Academy P-39 and Tempest) seems to draw it's origins from Heller which isn't that bad.  Heller kits were quite nice and accurate for their time and what Academy did was to modernize Heller molds with recessed panel lines and improved detail in the cockpit and landing gear areas.  Although it was nice and easy to assemble, it doesn't look that right sitting next to Tamiya kit.  This kit can be assembled as a Korean war E (with exchangeable fuselage side panels) or the later G version with air refueling probes in wingtip tanks. Ventral air brakes (2 versions) and cockpit are nicely detailed and can be posed open or closed.  Landing gear is quite nice although the nose gear is far better represented with Tamiya. The kit comes with 8 HVAR rockets, 2 bombs, 2 drop tanks and optional RATO packs. HVARs are wrong in shape and the bombs are better suited to a WW2 airplane but the drop tanks are lovely with clear signal light inserts.  Clear parts consist of 2 canopies with too narrow lower edges (a standard framed one and an early clear example better suited to early F-84s), signal and landing lights for tanks or undercarriage and a gunsight panel.  Decals are best replaced but come with markings for 3 airplanes: a Korean war E, a French G and a late USAAF G.  All in all a honest and straightforward kit with a very affordable price but those of us who want better accuracy and decals should go for Tamiya kit despite it's price.

Building and decaling

Having built 2 of these (and oddly the first one went together better than this second one) I can say that building was mostly a breeze - jets are so much simpler than props - and only a moderate amount of filler was used on exchangeable fuselage panel inserts and nose.  Holes for the air brake were hand drilled and seatbelts were fashioned from Scotch tape.  Painting was a different matter.  NMF was achieved with Model Master metalizers but since I foolishly used Scotch tape for masking and demarcation which peeled off metalizers along with dried future I was forced to remove the paint altogether and start again several times and the result still isn't good enough.

 

I chose to represent the most colorful airplane in JRV inventory.  Some Thunderjets came straight from USAAF with so called "Arctic" markings on wing and tail surfaces which were retained for several years in JRV service - probably because red is associated with communism ;-)  Along with blue noses and colorful JRV markings they made quite a sight.  

This Thunderjet was stationed near the lovely Croatian coastal town of Zadar (Zara) in the first half of 1950s and like during hot Korean summer takeoffs RATO packs were probably used.  Decals are from excellent Czech/Serbian collaboration called Lift Here Decals.  Stencils etc. were hand painted as well as the canopy with a lot of patience and a fine brush.

I hope you like it because I certainly do  ;-) 

Josip 

Photos and text © by Josip Žagar