Republic F105G Thunderchief “Wild Weasel”

Description

Republic F105G Thunderchief "Wild Weasel" – Airfix kit 5024, first issued in 1988, Series 5, listed in the Airfix catalogues from 1988 to 1990.

The F105G Wild Weasel was a development of the original F105 Thunderchief bomber – the aircraft which bore the largest burden of combat sorties flown by American pilots during the Vietnam War. As a bomber, mainly built to F105D specification, the Thunderchief was a very large, single seat, supersonic aircraft that could absorb phenomenal amounts of damage and still return to base. Republic subsequently built 143 two-seaters with special avionics, Strike and ARM anti-radar missiles. The role of these F105's was to destroy enemy defensive radar – which could detect air attacks and control surface to air missilies or anti-aircraft artillery. The aircraft had special equipment for the detection, identification and acquisition of radar targets. The F105G was eventually replaced in USAF service by a 'Wild Weasel' version of the McDonnell – Douglas F4 Phantom. – Taken from the 1990 edition catalogue

1988 edition catalogue, recorded as a new kit.