RAF S.105 (aka F-105K)

[HarryPhishnuts]

First time posting a work in progress.

What-if:
The infamous The 1957 Defense White Paper put out by the UK Defence Minister stated that manned aircraft were obsolete with the future belonging to ballistic missiles. This had a chilling effect on the entire UK aircraft industry, and though hotly debated and fought against, the decree spelled the death knell for the GOR.339 program (the predecessor to the TSR.2 program).  However, while ballistic missiles might be the future, the UK still had the immediate need for high-speed, low-level, nuclear capable strike and recon platform in the short term to replace the Canberra which was becoming increasingly vulnerable to Soviet SAM systems. It was also desirable to find a solution that could provide a balm of sorts to the UK aviation industry for what was going to be the inevitable shrinkage. So just as the US had selected the Canberra in the early 50's this time the UK looked to the US for an aircraft to fulfill this immediate need. By early 1960 the aircraft selected was the North American F-105D.  The aircraft had been in USAF service for a few years by that point so was seen as an overall low risk solution. By 1961 a license production agreement was put in place with various UK industries for the production of the S.105 Thunderchief. Construction of the major fuselage components would be done by English Electric and Hawker Siddley while Vickers would be responsible for overall project management and final assembly. While the J57  J-75 engines would be licensed, built by Rolls Royce and the avionics systems would be a collaboration between North American, Marconi and EMI. In all 110 aircraft would to be produced however an inital 5 were taken directly from USAF inventory in order to establish an initail training program and weapons compatibility testing.

The avionics collaboration was especially important for the reconnaissance version of the aircraft. For this mission, instead of resuscitating the RF-105B prototype, a reconnaissance pod was developed that would fit into the bomb bay similar to that used by the RA-5C. However unlike the RA-5C this wasn't intended as a permanent conversion. Instead the pod was intended to be installed and de-installed as needed in the field with standard ground maintenance crew. This was accomplished by pre-wiring approximately a third of the fleet for the recce pod. In addition these aircraft were distinguishable by modifications done to the bomb bays and bomb bay doors to accomodate installation of the recce pod. These aircraft were designated S.105(R)

The kit:
The kit is the Monogram 1/72 F-105.  I got this kit for $10 as part of a set of kits from a fellow. Wasn't really sure what to do with it as I already had a 105G in the stash. I plan alot of my builds based on interesting paint schemes and realized I didn't' have anything planned in standard RAF mid-70's winter camo and that's where the idea of a RAF F-105 derived aircraft came about. After a bit or research I came up with the idea of this as a TSR.2 alternative in this what-if scenario and that led to the idea of a RA-5C style recce version.

So this kit is very basic, but that's where some of its charm comes from. According to Scalemates this particular kit dates to somewhere around 1974, but the tooling go as far back as the late 50's    . The more I work with it the more I really love this little kit. As you can see it's only 6 steps total but it actually has very nice raised surface details. However, that's about it when it comes to details. And though I intended to build this OOB, that didn't last past step 1 when I realized there was no cockpit to speak of, just some pilot molded into a seat. So I decided to scratch build the cockpit (first time trying that). Came out ok for a closed canopy build. The next step is the recce canoe. Lots of trial and error and prototyping not just for the canoe but also for how best to make the camera windows. I think I'm close to a solution on that one, hopefully in the next week or so.

[chrisonord]

Looking forward to seeing your version of the F-105, a few of us here have done RAF versions with differing back stories. Here's mine I did a few years ago.

[Weaver]

Yep, I've got an RAF Thud on the to-do list but with a very different back story and spec.

Point of order: production F-105s used the J-75 engine, not the J-57. The latter was only used on some early prototypes.

In the real world, Republic sent an unsolicted proposal to the RAF for a British F-105 powered by an afterburning development of the Rolls Royce Conway, this engine being chosen due to its better fuel economy, being a low-bypass turbofan rather than a turbojet. It fell short of GOR.339 (TSR.2) though, so the RAF ignored it.

[Devilfish]

In the real world, Republic sent an unsolicted proposal to the RAF for a British F-105 powered by an afterburning development of the Rolls Royce Conway, this engine being chosen due to its better fuel economy, being a low-bypass turbofan rather than a turbojet. It fell short of GOR.339 (TSR.2) though, so the RAF ignored it.

Apparently it was looked at twice by the RAF....according to Damien Burke's book

[kitbasher]

Yep, I've got an RAF Thud on the to-do list but with a very different back story and spec.

Ditto, waiting for the 1960s GB.

[HarryPhishnuts]

Looking forward to seeing your version of the F-105, a few of us here have done RAF versions with differing back stories. Here's mine I did a few years ago.

Nice looking build. Really like the paint work.

[HarryPhishnuts]

Yep, I've got an RAF Thud on the to-do list but with a very different back story and spec.

Point of order: production F-105s used the J-75 engine, not the J-57. The latter was only used on some early prototypes.

In the real world, Republic sent an unsolicted proposal to the RAF for a British F-105 powered by an afterburning development of the Rolls Royce Conway, this engine being chosen due to its better fuel economy, being a low-bypass turbofan rather than a turbojet. It fell short of GOR.339 (TSR.2) though, so the RAF ignored it.

There seems like there are a couple of significant points in avaition history that have so many potential what-if scenarios and the whole turmoill from that '57 white paper is one.  Whenever I have a kit I don't have a clear plan for it's fun to look at points like that and see where the kit could fit in.

BTW Not sure if I was confused or dyslectic on the engine but corrected it. Thanks 

[Weaver]

Yep, I've got an RAF Thud on the to-do list but with a very different back story and spec.

Point of order: production F-105s used the J-75 engine, not the J-57. The latter was only used on some early prototypes.

In the real world, Republic sent an unsolicted proposal to the RAF for a British F-105 powered by an afterburning development of the Rolls Royce Conway, this engine being chosen due to its better fuel economy, being a low-bypass turbofan rather than a turbojet. It fell short of GOR.339 (TSR.2) though, so the RAF ignored it.

There seems like there are a couple of significant points in avaition history that have so many potential what-if scenarios and the whole turmoill from that '57 white paper is one.  Whenever I have a kit I don't have a clear plan for it's fun to look at points like that and see where the kit could fit in.

BTW Not sure if I was confused or dyslectic on the engine but corrected it. Thanks 

There's loads of those points: the harder you look, the more you see.

I've got a whole backstory planned out where the UK gets a reality check in 1946 instead of 1956 (Suez) and starts to cut its sails to suit its cloth earlier, with mixed and "interesting" results.

Got another one in which a late-wa,r tech-led German push-back results in the Soviets being hit harder and pushed back further than the allies, the war finally being ended by the atom bombing of Berlin. The post-war settlement therefore includes a string of treaty-bound neutral countries between the Warsaw Pact and NATO who have to either make their own kit (often from left-over German facilities) or buy what they're allowed to in a carefully balanced way from East and West.

[Pellson]

..or buy what they're allowed to in a carefully balanced way from East and West.

Wohoo! SAAB galore!! 

[Weaver]

..or buy what they're allowed to in a carefully balanced way from East and West.

Wohoo! SAAB galore!! 

Yep - and it's a two-way (well, multi-way) street, of course. 

[kerick]

I've always liked the Monogram F-105. The cockpit is a little sparse but pretty good for its day. One of the few F-105s that had the exhaust petal hanging down when parked. I've got a two seater in the stash.

[HarryPhishnuts]

I've always liked the Monogram F-105. The cockpit is a little sparse but pretty good for its day. One of the few F-105s that had the exhaust petal hanging down when parked. I've got a two seater in the stash.

As I said it's actually a nice little kit. It's clear that it was made for young kids or to built more as a toy. I've debated with myself how much to "un-toy" it just because that's part of the charm of it. The only reason I decided to scratch build a cockpit was I'm lousey at trying to paint figures 

[Pellson]

I've always liked the Monogram F-105. The cockpit is a little sparse but pretty good for its day. One of the few F-105s that had the exhaust petal hanging down when parked. I've got a two seater in the stash.

Agree. At least in God's own scale, and exterior wise, I find it superior to the Trumpeter kit.

[Weaver]

I've always liked the Monogram F-105. The cockpit is a little sparse but pretty good for its day. One of the few F-105s that had the exhaust petal hanging down when parked. I've got a two seater in the stash.

Agree. At least in God's own scale, and exterior wise, I find it superior to the Trumpeter kit.

I've got Monogram and Trumpeter -Gs in the stash, although if my RAF -K ever gets build, it will definitely be built from the Monogram one, due to the parts breakdown (separate ECM fairings).

[Pellson]

I've got Monogram and Trumpeter -Gs in the stash, although if my RAF -K ever gets build, it will definitely be built from the Monogram one, due to the parts breakdown (separate ECM fairings).

Yep, that's my favourite quality of that kit too.