Any insights on the F-105 at the Zanesville Ohio Airport???

[Rauhbatz]

Hi all...here is our current status:

+ Archie at the USAF Archives is doing research on the aircraft movements...

+ Mike B went and did another inspection...oddly enough this is a B model with a D model tail. Did the tail section come apart just like the F-100s/F-86s? If so that would explain this difference.

+ Mike B has a plan for filling in some of the gaps in the tail section...we are going to repair some of the metal and then cap the open jet exhaust w a modified trash can lid.

+ Our research so far shows that Ohio never had any guard/active units with F-105s...so there are two choices for color schemes:

1. Std SEA three tone camo
2. Hi-viz metal

The latter poses an interesting problem. While we can get the paint from Home Depot/Lowes for the three tone camo, Mike and I discussed how to paint an alumimun finish. Not knowing any houses that are painted in a bright shiny silver, we were curious how to approach this option. I recollect a few years back when we started on the F-4 I looked at some form of roof paint that was a pretty close match to natural metal.

Any steer on the above item welcome...I don't think Testors or Gunze makes silver model paint in gallon jugs!

In any case we will see what Archie says but we can start powerwashing once we get final approval from the airport...should be forthcoming this week

[Ken]

One question would be: will the silver paint age and look as good for shorter/longer/or the same amount of time?

Ken

[Clifford Bossie]

Hi all...here is our current status:

+ Archie at the USAF Archives is doing research on the aircraft movements...

+ Mike B went and did another inspection...oddly enough this is a B model with a D model tail. Did the tail section come apart just like the F-100s/F-86s? If so that would explain this difference.

+ Mike B has a plan for filling in some of the gaps in the tail section...we are going to repair some of the metal and then cap the open jet exhaust w a modified trash can lid.

+ Our research so far shows that Ohio never had any guard/active units with F-105s...so there are two choices for color schemes:

1. Std SEA three tone camo
2. Hi-viz metal

The latter poses an interesting problem. While we can get the paint from Home Depot/Lowes for the three tone camo, Mike and I discussed how to paint an alumimun finish. Not knowing any houses that are painted in a bright shiny silver, we were curious how to approach this option. I recollect a few years back when we started on the F-4 I looked at some form of roof paint that was a pretty close match to natural metal.

Any steer on the above item welcome...I don't think Testors or Gunze makes silver model paint in gallon jugs!

In any case we will see what Archie says but we can start powerwashing once we get final approval from the airport...should be forthcoming this week

I could be totally off base on this, but I believe that the F-105B/JF-105B/F-105D all had the same (or at least very similar tail), with the F-105F/G being the only airframe to have a different tail. In any case the all "broke" in the same location, which was close to the trailing edge of the wing.

As far as paint, I would stay away from a "bright" silver. Prior to camo the Thud and Hun were painted in an overall silver lacquer. That was due to corrosion in the airframes, so they were painted silver about 1962/63 onward. That was accelerated during "Operation Look-a-like" following the crash of the Thunderbird F-105B. The silver used had a grayish, semi-gloss appearance.

When I painted the F-84F in a SEA camouflage scheme I used an acrylic made by Sherwin Williams. It was fairly easy to spray and has held up in the desert sun quite well. After two summers the placards and warning markings I painted in enamel are fading, but the camo looks great.

The New Jersey Air Guard operated F-105Bs in both silver and in SEA scheme, so you could go either way with that airframe and be correct.

[Mike Bates]

Just a correction. The tail was from an F. I looked at it before it was all put back together. Didn't find anything in the cockpit. Wing's were from a B. The tail an F. Don't remember the serial # from the tail.

Mike

[Clifford Bossie]

Just a correction. The tail was from an F. I looked at it before it was all put back together. Didn't find anything in the cockpit. Wing's were from a B. The tail an F. Don't remember the serial # from the tail.

Mike

What an odd combination. The larger fin has to look odd on that airplane.

[Clifford Bossie]

A couple of shots of Thuds minus their tails. This illustrates the break point in the fuselage:





An early photo of F-105Bs (probably 1958, 59, or there abouts) of the 335thTFS/4thTFW. That was the first unit to fly the F-105. While 792 is not in this photo, she seems to have been among the group that went to the 335th. These aircraft are natural metal, with a green band and some carry the Indian Chief head from the unit patch. This is one scheme if you want to replicate NMF.



A line up of 4th TFW F-105Ds at Seymour Johnson in 1964. These are in the silver painted finish. 792 probably carried this finish when she arrived in Jersey.

[Rauhbatz]

Received approval from the airport to begin the resto effort...

Mike B added some tape/metal to the horizontal stab today to fill in gaps. We hope to start powerwashing this week with primer the following week; ez to do now that I have a new paint sprayer that will do double duty on my mother in laws bridge that needs painted.

Anybody know where we could find some landing gear for F-105s? The jacks work OK but some great would be nice

[Ken]

I'm quite partial to an accurate NJANG scheme (as if my opinion matters), especially since we have photos of that exact airplane in the finish she arrived at AMARC in ... but I must say the lineup at Seymour looks nice ... but those are D-models ... would have to verify what the B's looked like prior to camo (besides previous photo in this thread). Rambling ended.

Ken

[Rauhbatz]

Hi all...here is a nice article the local paper did on our efforts...

http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/ ... r-airplane

The USAF Museum has to decide the paint scheme...still have a lot of work to do between now and then

[Ken]

I went to google, images, "F-105B". There aren't a ton to choose from and, unfortunately, a number of F-105D photos pop up as well. One hit was from the WIX "Grumman the people" thread which shows the production line with tail #793 in the foreground. Very cool.

If you end up pursuing the NMF Indian Head scheme, the photo in Clifford's post is good as well as this one:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 4S-047.jpg

If it's camo, you're in luck because you have a color photo from when 792 arrived at AMARC.

Either way I think you have a winner.

Ken

[Rauhbatz]

Hi all...just a quick update from the road.

We have submitted both the silver and camo ANG finish schemes to the USAF Museum. When The Great Government Logjam is broken we hope to hear back from them on where to go next.

In the meantime the airport manager gave us the green light to paint the a/c in a silver finish so we have something over the primer before winter sets in. If the USAF picks the camo scheme no worries as we can paint over the silver just as they did in real life.

Mike B found a pretty good match to the original silver...and we plan to contact the same firm that did the markings for the Newark OH F-4 to create same for the F-105.

One snowy day I will get serious and learn to post pics but here are some in a folder on my Facebook page...WIX readers feel free to post the more relevant ones with commentary

https://www.facebook.com/kevin.korterud ... 337&type=3

[12XU2A3X3]

yeah, an NJANG scheme would be nice, espeically since those -Bs are spread out all over the country and the only one in NJ is on base where the public can't sea it. you could always paint it like the 177th FW NJANG, we operated the type for a whopping three years!

[Rauhbatz]

Hi all...had an interesting convo w a person who has been around the Anderson SC apt when the 105 was there. Two interesting points:

The aircraft had no landing gear then

They commented that the reason the VFW brought the 105 to Zanesville was that John Glenn flew one...he and !nnie were born down the road in New Concord. Given Glenn was a Marine maybe he flew a 105 at Pax River or somewhere....all in all a rather odd twist to this aircraft.

BTW the silver is a laquer that is very close to the original finish....should look pretty good. Much better than before!

A couple of shots of Thuds minus their tails. This illustrates the break point in the fuselage:





An early photo of F-105Bs (probably 1958, 59, or there abouts) of the 335thTFS/4thTFW. That was the first unit to fly the F-105. While 792 is not in this photo, she seems to have been among the group that went to the 335th. These aircraft are natural metal, with a green band and some carry the Indian Chief head from the unit patch. This is one scheme if you want to replicate NMF.



A line up of 4th TFW F-105Ds at Seymour Johnson in 1964. These are in the silver painted finish. 792 probably carried this finish when she arrived in Jersey.

The lineup photo at Seymour-Johnson does show 4th TFW F-105B models, not D's and I think this natural aluminum finish with the Green markings is one of the best Thunderchief paint schemes out there and sure beats the NJ ANG F-105B aluminum finishes.

[Mike Bates]

Pretty much finished up all the major work on it today. Will be adding more stencils and other details as time allows.
Have plans to complete some repairs next year that we passed on this year so we could finish up paint and markings before weather
stops us.

Before....


After....











Mike