F-105 painting faux pas

[John1]

From a fascinating thread over on Brit Modeler, courtesy of "71Chally", see if you can detect a glitch in the paint scheme of this F-105G:

 

 

Looks like they were in such a rush to paint the aircraft they sprayed light grey directly over the inner landing gear door which obviously was in the down position and never touched up the fuselage behind it.    You can see the same thing on the Thud in the background.  A scan of other Vietnam images shows this was actually somewhat common.  In some cases, it appears that the aircraft was washed and the area behind the gear door was still left dirty but in others, it really looks like it was never painted in the first place.  

[chrish]

Nah! It’s like the false canopy idea we use in Canada.....makes the enemy think your going to land.?

[ziggyfoos]

59 minutes ago, John1 said:

From a fascinating thread over on Brit Modeler

Link to thread please?

thanks

nevermind, found it

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235078408-f-105-thunderchief-foible/

Edited August 19, 2020 by ziggyfoos

[Tony T]

1 hour ago, John1 said:

From a fascinating thread over on Brit Modeler, courtesy of "71Chally", see if you can detect a glitch in the paint scheme of this F-105G:

 

 

Looks like they were in such a rush to paint the aircraft they sprayed light grey directly over the inner landing gear door which obviously was in the down position and never touched up the fuselage behind it.    You can see the same thing on the Thud in the background.  A scan of other Vietnam images shows this was actually somewhat common.  In some cases, it appears that the aircraft was washed and the area behind the gear door was still left dirty but in others, it really looks like it was never painted in the first place.  

 

Sorry to repeat the photo but look at the different sheens on the camouflage colours. I always loved this about Thuds, Phantoms and SLUFs. 

 

Tony 

[Chek]

Similarly, the darker green border effect above the inner pylon leading edge is from the sandpaper paint effect when the spray gun angle changes.

It'd buff right out, but they never did.

[allthumbs]

Cartridge starts were messy...

 

[LSP_K2]

I always thought Thuds were painted at the factory, and it seems unlikely they'd be so sloppy. Interesting stuff though, regardless.

[LSP_K2]

25 minutes ago, Jennings Heilig said:

Thuds were all delivered before camouflage existed.  Most were delivered as shown in the later photo, wearing a coat of aluminum paint.  

 

OK, thanks, I had no idea that was the case.

[Tony T]

I thought they were built by Republic in NMF and got the cellulose or polyurethane (don't know which) aluminium paintjob around 1963-64 as an adjunct to the Look-Alike effort designed to bring all production Blocks up to the latest, common, systems configuration. 

 

In Vietnam they got rerouted hydaulics or a new back-up in an extended spine as well as the elevator lock, armour plating, RHAWS and the camouflage job which made them look quite different in many ways, especially the Korat Ryan's Raider / Weasel Fs with the extra antennae and green undersides. Strange to think all of that was over fifty years ago. 

 

Would be nice if Ali of Aerocraft could do new clear canopy parts for the Trumpeter as he was thinking of doing. The kit's still available and quite massive — makes the MiG-21 look like it's from a much smaller scale — and very impressive. It has "presence". 

 

Tony 

[Oldbaldguy]

Don't know if the Thuds came back to the States for depot maintenance and a strip and repaint or not -- I'd guess not.  I do know for a fact that new/replacement F-105 drop tanks were shipped from the States already camoed in 1967-68.  Saw many, many of the things crated up and ready to ship at Robins AFB during that time frame.

[Ben Brown]

The 4th TFW's Ds appear to have been delivered in NMF. Doesn't look like they stayed that way for long.

 

Ben