Considering how old this mould is (it has 1973 stamped on it), this is a great little kit, with fine raised and recessed detail, and a better moulded pilot figure than most 1/72 models. That said, ‘little’ can be a relative term with the Thunderchief as it is as long as a 1/72 F-8 Crusader even in this scale.

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Aside from separating the afterburner petals from the one piece moulding Tamiya provides, I built the kit out of the box. This reissue of the kit contains a few extra decal options on a Cartograf printed sheet, all for Vietnam war aircraft with personalised artwork. I painted the camouflage with the relevant Tamiya spray cans (AS-13, -14 and -15) using blu tack masks, and weathered the finish with pastel chalks. To keep things easier I painted the wings separately from the fuselage.

Tamiya released a series of 1/100 aircraft in the seventies, and have re-released most of them in the past few years. The quality and accuracy vary a bit, but this is one of the nicer ones. I’m not an F-105 expert, and don’t know how accurate this kit is, but it looks like an F-105 to me. If you want a little (ish) Thud, grab one, as this is a nice cheap, simple and easy build. I had a lot of fun with it, and these little Tamiya kits are perfect fillers to relax with between more complicated builds.

Sam 'Mumbles' Hall