172 F-105 Thunderchief outboard pylon AERO-3B for AIM-9B (3D printing)

Reskit 1:72 F-105 Thunderchief, outboard pylon with the AERO-3B rail

A resin accessory for models of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief in 1:72 scale. The set represents the outboard pylon with the AERO-3B launch rail, that is the carrier intended for the short-range antiaircraft missile AIM-9B Sidewinder. The parts are made by 3D printing, thanks to which they have thin edges and finely drawn detail that is hard to imitate in a small scale with injection-molded plastic.

The real subject

The F-105 Thunderchief was an American single-seat, single-engined fighter-bomber and in the 1960s it was the main strike type deployed in Southeast Asia. Besides bombs it also carried short-range air-to-air missiles for its own defense; the AIM-9B was an early infrared-guided version of the Sidewinder, and the AERO-3B rail is the type of carrier on which this missile was carried. The outboard pylons are clearly visible on a model and the way they are made markedly affects how convincing the stores look.

Building and painting tips

Wash the printed parts in lukewarm water with detergent, cut the supports away with a fine saw or a sharp knife and sand the surfaces carefully; protect your airways when sanding. The thin parts of the rail are fragile, so work on them calmly and without pressure. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue, and a primer goes on before painting. The carriers are usually painted in the scheme of the underside of the aircraft; gentle shading and a darker wash in the recesses give the part depth and bring out its shape.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the F-105 Thunderchief in 1:72 scale.
• Modelers who want to solve a short-range missile store convincingly.
• Anyone interested in American aircraft of the 1960s.
• Those who have experience of working with resin and with fragile thin parts.