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 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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2017 heralds the 70th anniversary of one of the words largest Air forces - The United States Airforce (USAF).
In 1947, while the jet age was still in its infancy, military aviation was hurtled into the future with the creation of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service. Just six years later, on May 25, 1953, the Air Force’s official air demonstration team, designated the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit, was activated at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The unit adopted the name “Thunderbirds,” influenced in part by the strong Native American culture and folklore from the southwestern United States where Luke Air Force Base is located.
Seven officers and 22 enlisted were selected for the first demonstration team. From these humble beginnings and this group of men, the Air Force Thunderbird legend was born.
The team flew and maintained the F-84G Thunderjet. The straight-wing configuration of the F-84G was considered well suited for aerobatic and demonstration maneuvers, though the aircraft could not exceed the speed of sound.
A series of formation aerobatics, lasting a total of 15 minutes, comprised the original demonstration. The “solo” was not originally incorporated into the demonstration, however, as the season progressed, the team took opportunities to perform “solo” manoeuvres with a spare aircraft.
Always trying to display the most advanced fighters of the age, the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak became the team’s new aircraft in 1955.
After one season in the F-84F Thunderstreak, the Thunderbirds traded aircraft again and became the world’s first supersonic aerial demonstration team as it transitioned to the F-100C Super Sabre in 1956. Although never a regular part of the show, the solo would fly supersonic at the request of an air show sponsor in 1956. Eventually, the Federal Aviation Administration banned all supersonic flight at air shows, and consequently, today’s sequence is entirely subsonic.
The nearly forgotten F-105B Thunderchief performed only six shows between April and May 1964. Following an unfortunate accident in the F-105B, the team transitioned back to the Super Sabre F-100C following the incident, which remained with the team for nearly 13 years.
The Thunderbirds started the 1969 training season in the F-100D Super Sabre, but in the spring of 1969, received the first of the new McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II and began the team’s conversion.
The F-4’s conversion was the most extensive in the team’s history. Among several other modifications, the paint scheme changed due to the variations in chemicals, which allows paint used on the F-4 to resist heat and friction at Mach II speeds. As a result, the white paint base was developed and remains a part of today’s Thunderbird aircraft design.
In 1974, a spreading fuel crisis inspired a new aircraft for the team, the T-38A Talon. Although the Talon did not fulfill the Thunderbirds tradition of flying front-line jet fighters, it did demonstrate the capabilities of a prominent Air Force aircraft.
Remaining true to its character to showcase the latest advancement in America’s fighter technology, the first red, white and blue Falcon F-16A assigned to the Thunderbirds was delivered to Nellis AFB in June 1982. Due to the conversion to the new aircraft, there were no official shows flown in 1982. The team flew the F-16 during the 1983 show season; making it the team’s ninth aircraft (F-100C used twice) and once again returning to flying a front-line fighter.
In 1997, the Thunderbirds performed 57 demonstrations for more than 12 million people in the spirit and theme of the Air Force’s 50th anniversary. The Thunderbirds made television history in 2003 while celebrating their 50th Anniversary. The commander/leader started the Coca-Cola 600 by broadcasting live from Thunderbirds No.1 as he said, “Gentlemen, start your engines.”
In 2007, the Thunderbirds visited Europe for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001 with the European Goodwill Tour. The trip included shows in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, France, United Kingdom, and for the first time in Thunderbirds history, Ireland.
The team took its fifth Far East tour during the 2009 show season. The team’s tour included visits to Hawaii, Australia, Thailand, Guam, Malaysia, Japan and Korea. The team performed more than 70 shows in 22 states and Puerto Rico in 2009.
The team’s 59th show season included stops in Alaska and Canada, plus dozens more.
In 2013, the team flew only 2 demonstrations after leaders throughout the DOD were forced to make several tough, but necessary decisions to accommodate sequestration. The jets did not fly for the rest of that season, but despite flying limitations, the team excelled by interacting with more than 10,000 students and continuing to share the Air Force message.
Millions of people have witnessed the Thunderbirds demonstrations, and in turn, they’ve seen the pride, professionalism and dedication of hundreds of thousands of Airmen serving at home and abroad.
http://afthunderbirds.com/site/
The RAF Fairford 'Air Tattoo', which takes place on July 14-16, is to showcase the wide range of operational roles performed by the US Air Force as well as the strong relationship it enjoys with the Royal Air Force and its other NATO allies.
Over the years the Air Tattoo has staged memorable celebrations marking significant USAF anniversaries, most notably in 1997 when the stealthy B-2 bomber made its first ever landing in the UK and in 2007, with the hugely popular appearance of the USAF Thunderbirds aerobatic display team.
The Air Tattoo’s close relationship with the US Air Force stretches back to 1973 when the Americans provided the airshow with a home, first at RAF Greenham Common, and then, in 1985, at RAF Fairford.
As a tribute to the USAF 70th anniversary, 'darbyvet' will construct all eight Thunderbird aircraft from past to present day, aimed for completion in 2017.
A Day With The Most Talented US "Stunt" Pilots: US Air Force Thunderbirds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc9IeWOCX-w
Over to you Carl...
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 Rank: Super-Elite      Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
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Thanks Mr T,
these will be out of the box builds unless the kits are really terrible.I am in the process of collecting the necessary kits.A nice range of kit manufacturers will make up the kits. A combination of bare metal and gloss white paint schemes will challenge my painting skills and of course lots of time will be spent applying the decals to create the distinctive Thunderbirds paint schemes.I will add in some information about each aircraft as I build them.
I will review each kits as it arrives and probably start the builds after the USS Arizona is finished
Carl
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Rank: Super-Elite   Groups: Registered
Joined: 31/05/2010 Posts: 5,679 Points: 17,011 Location: Wiltshire
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Carl Best of luck with your new challenge - that is one massive amount of building. Lovely looking markings on these aircraft though so will be well pleased to follow your builds on these. Happy Modelling
BUILDING: Hachette Spitfire Mk 1A, Constructo Mayflower
SUBSCRIPTION COMPLETE (Awaiting building): USS Constitution, Sovereign of the Seas, 1:200 Bismarck (Hachette)
COMPLETED: Porsche 911, E-Type Jaguar, Lam Countach
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Sounds like a fantastic project Tom, I'm not sure if anyone has ever done that before, or at least I haven't seen anything like it on the internet? It will be great to see them completed and on display together and I'm particularly keen to see the earlier jets like the F-84G 'Thunderjet and the F-100C Super Sabre. What scale will the aircraft be, all the same I presume?
Good luck with your multiple builds Carl, really looking forward to this and I'll be watching with great interest - well done!!   
Kev 
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Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 19/06/2013 Posts: 4,588 Points: 13,553 Location: West Yorkshire
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darbyvet wrote:Thanks Mr T,
these will be out of the box builds unless the kits are really terrible.I am in the process of collecting the necessary kits.A nice range of kit manufacturers will make up the kits. A combination of bare metal and gloss white paint schemes will challenge my painting skills and of course lots of time will be spent applying the decals to create the distinctive Thunderbirds paint schemes.I will add in some information about each aircraft as I build them.
I will review each kits as it arrives and probably start the builds after the USS Arizona is finished
Carl
Hi Carl, best of luck with your build, I know Hasegawa did a Thunderbirds box set years back which had 5 aircraft in I think. May make your task easier if you can find one as it contained the T-38,Phantom,F-100,F-105 and T-33 I think. Al
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
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Cheers everyone,
these will all be 1/48 scale builds.Some are kits that come with the Thunderbird decals and some will be getting aftermarket decal sets.if I can keep them out of the box it should be doable. The Hasegawa 5 plane set was in 1/72 and it out of production and I dont like building 1/72 planes-too small and fiddly for me.
Carl
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Tamiya did a very nice F-84G Thunderjet in 1:48 and in the Thunderbirds scheme. I may be wrong but I think they also did the F-100C Super Sabre in the same scale and scheme? I built the Tamiya F-84G Thunderjet in a standard USAF scheme a few years back and it was a really nice kit with great detail and very easy to build?
Good luck with the Natural Metal Finish on the ones that need it Carl, not everybody likes to do NMF but I think it is great fun!!
Kev
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
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I have the tamiya f84g .I got one of the chromed sprue ones.It is a really nice kit.my only beef with it is you have to spray the tanks red and blue,which will be a pain.
Carl
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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ModelMania wrote:Sounds like a fantastic project Tom, I'm not sure if anyone has ever done that before, or at least I haven't seen anything like it on the internet? It will be great to see them completed and on display together and I'm particularly keen to see the earlier jets like the F-84G 'Thunderjet and the F-100C Super Sabre. What scale will the aircraft be, all the same I presume?
Good luck with your multiple builds Carl, really looking forward to this and I'll be watching with great interest - well done!!
Kev Glad you like the idea and should be an interesting topic
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This is going to be a great project to follow, you have your work cut out now Carl so best of luck with this new venture. Am sure you'll do a great job..... Regards Alan
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 Rank: Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 20/04/2012 Posts: 1,787 Points: 5,292 Location: Thurso
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This will definitely be an interesting one to watch. Good luck with the project (not that you need it) and I will be following it as it progresses.
Graeme
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Now thats an Anniversary build!  Looking forward to seeing these underway. Great markings on these and should look fantastic all lined up.
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Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 27/01/2014 Posts: 5,060 Points: 14,980
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Oh Wow, you're certainly going to be busy with this lot Carl  Some me really nice aircraft in the build and will look great with them all together This is going to be a really fun build to follow
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
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Here we go!!!! I now have all 7 kits and I am going through them and ordering detail sets/decals where necessary. There are several manufacturers featured.The kits range from perfect fit and detailed like the Tamiya kits to not so great detail and pretty poor fit.Some will be out of the box builds, but some will need detail sets to bring them up to a reasonable level. So here are some pictures of the kits I have chosen.Construction will start probably at the start of next year since I have to finish the Arizona and Time machine builds first. darbyvet attached the following image(s):
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Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/07/2014 Posts: 4,269 Points: 12,713 Location: Scotland
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Carl Looks like you have a lot of work to do but i`m sure you`ll pull it off has you say various levels of detail in each kit  pitty you could not get all Tamiya or hasegawa ,but then you wouldn`t have all that fun    Phil COMING SOON =1/72 Italeri diorama`s Battle for the Reichstag and Stalingrad battle at the tractor factory 1/16 Trumpeter King Tiger with loads of extras ON THE GO= refurbishment of 1/25 Tamiya tiger 1 , amt Star trek kits and space 1999 models
So Much to Build,But What a Hobby!
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 31/05/2010 Posts: 5,679 Points: 17,011 Location: Wiltshire
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Is your tamiya f84g the chromed version or is it the standard plastic version. Only asking because i would be interested to see how a chromed version gets built. Best of luck with it all though as you have some interesting looking models in that collection. Happy Modelling
BUILDING: Hachette Spitfire Mk 1A, Constructo Mayflower
SUBSCRIPTION COMPLETE (Awaiting building): USS Constitution, Sovereign of the Seas, 1:200 Bismarck (Hachette)
COMPLETED: Porsche 911, E-Type Jaguar, Lam Countach
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
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its the chromed version Tony
Carl
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 31/05/2010 Posts: 5,679 Points: 17,011 Location: Wiltshire
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darbyvet wrote:its the chromed version Tony
Carl
Carl Many thanks for the update. I shall follow along with you on that particular one as i was given one as a present some time ago but so unsure how to build without damaging the finish. Wish you luck with your project. Happy Modelling
BUILDING: Hachette Spitfire Mk 1A, Constructo Mayflower
SUBSCRIPTION COMPLETE (Awaiting building): USS Constitution, Sovereign of the Seas, 1:200 Bismarck (Hachette)
COMPLETED: Porsche 911, E-Type Jaguar, Lam Countach
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 27/01/2014 Posts: 5,060 Points: 14,980
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Looks like you've got a lot of work ahead of you there Carl. Will be an interesting build to follow, looking forward to it
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
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So some may be asking what about the F100c? The Thunderbirds flew F100C and F100ds. Well there are F100c kits, but no one makes thunderbids decals for them and I have read that F100D decals wont fit because the tail on the F100c is different than the F100d.So for now I cant do the F100c.If anyone has a source for thunderbirds decals for the f100c let me know.
Carl
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