Tigger Models/ID Models 1/32 F-84F Thunderstreak
By Jindřich Kulhavý
This is the Tigger Models F-84F Thunderstreak. I devoted a lot of work to this model because it is of a plane with an incredible story with a happy ending (the pilots survived in good health).
On October 22, 1959, two F-84F Thunderstreaks take off from the airport where Jagdbombergeschwader 34 is based, "Allgäu," or Memmingen, in Germany, on a training flight. On this day there was very bad weather with thick fog, rain and snow. Both planes made a circle to turn back and lost orientation due to the near zero visibility in the fog. They tried in vain to correct their bad orientation via radio beacon (the aircraft were not prepared for a flight in such bad weather conditions) but after a while the section leader (StUffz Kraus) decides to land back at the airport.
While descending in the thick fog he realizes the planes are cutting their wings through the tops of the trees - it is too late - both pilots eject themselves with their seats from the planes and land by parachute not far from the impact of their planes. The places where the planes hit turned out to be in the forest inside the border zone of Czechoslovakia. Practically immediately after the impact, both pilots are secured by the border guard of Czechoslovakia.
Plane crash sites are accessible and unmissable when viewing todays wreckage. I found that the planes were very different in color and of different types. The Thunderstreak DD-107 was metallic (bare metal) in color and the insignia were applied in strips like a decal, Thunderstreak DD-108 was sprayed silver with paint and the insignia also painted.
The two planes had an incredible amount of stenciling, you can find letters on practically every shard. I chose Thunderstreak DD-108 flown by StUffz Kraus which was sprayed in the silver color. It was determined to be an F-84F-40-RE (long rudder).
The model is 1:32 by Tigger Models Vacuform. The construction was very demanding and there was a lot of work. Some details I took from the 1:32 Hobby Models Thunderjet.
Paints were by Tamiya and Humbrol paints. All decals were made by myself.
© Jindřich Kulhavý 2023
This article was published on Saturday, October 14 2023; Last modified on Sunday, October 15 2023