Republic RF-84 Thunderflash by Heller
1/48 scale
Kit No. 80417
Retail: $49.00 (aftermarket, out of production)
Decals: Two versions – Armee de l’Air and Luftwaffe
Comments: Decent cockpit detail, one-piece canopy, raised panel lines, boxed in wheel wells, separately molded dive brakes and wing fences, drop tanks
History
The RF-84 reconnaissance aircraft was designed from the swept-wing version of the Republic F-84 Thunderjet, a straight-wing, single engine jet fighter with the air intake in the nose. Thunderjets, which first became operational with the U.S. Air Force in 1947, saw extensive service as fighter-bombers in the Korean War.
When the Air Force wanted a faster, more powerful fighter, the straight wing was replaced with a swept wing and the radically redesigned F-84F “Thunderstreak” was created. Deliveries of the F-84F began in 1954, with most of the aircraft going to the Tactical Air Command as ground support fighter bombers. Republic built 2,112 F-84Fs while General Motors produced 599 more. Of these, 1,301 were delivered to NATO air forces.
To create the photo-reconnaissance variant, RF-84F, with cameras in the nose, Republic moved the air intakes from the nose to the wing roots. The nose was then redesigned to accommodate a series of aerial reconnaissance cameras, some of them capable of close-up photography from high altitude. The resulting RF-84F “Thunderflash” looks almost nothing like the original straight-wing F-84.
The Thunderflash was the first modern jet designed specifically for photo-reconnaissance. First tested in 1952, it was the first reconnaissance airplane equipped with a combination of standard aerial cameras and dicing cameras for close-up photos of individual targets. The Thunderflash pilot was also the cameraman.
The RF-84 “Thunderflash” was the first American jet-age fighter to be specifically designed (or rather re-designed) for photo-reconnaissance. One of over a dozen variations of the F-84, the RF-84 was specifically designed to hold a variety of large cameras in its nose. The original F-84 airframe had its air intakes moved from the nose to the wing roots and the nose was enlarged and slightly elongated as well as honeycombed with glass to accommodate a variety of aerial cameras.
The tactical part of the RF-84 mission meant pilots would typically find themselves over hostile airspace, flying low and slow (by today’s standards) and usually alone. It was a precarious time to fly photo reconnaissance. The Korean War had just ended in a stalemate but America’s continued Cold War with the Soviet Union demanded quick reliable intelligence, even more so with both the U.S. and Russian fingers on the nuclear trigger.
The RF-84 was the first to allow the pilot the ability to use a view finder in conjunction with camera controls in order to focus on specific targets. It was also equipped with a voice recorder to allow the pilot to describe what was in the photo he was capturing. The aircraft was also the first that could be configured to allow nighttime photography.
A total of 715 RF-84Fs were produced, including 386 for allied countries. Almost half of this figure were destined for overseas service under the terms of the Mutual Defense Aid Program, examples being supplied to Italy, Greece, West Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Taiwan, France and Norway.
The Kit
First released in 1994, Heller’s RF-84 Thunderflash is injection molded in grey plastic and consists of 59 parts, including 10 clear parts for the canopy and reconnaissance camera apertures, plus one part molded in white representing the pilot figure. The initial impression one receives upon opening the box is that for a single-seat fighter/reconnaissance aircraft, Heller’s RF-84 seems rather large for 1/48 scale, and it may be that French measurements were a bit off in creating the mold for the kit. In any case, the fuselage is a minor behemoth at 11.5 inches long, or about 29mm.
The cockpit features a two-part ejection seat (with a separate head rest), control yoke, and a smooth main instrument panel for which three decals are provided. Decals are likewise provided for the two side instrument panels of the cockpit tub. The landing gear are well detailed, complementing the raised ribbed detail of the wheel wells. The two-part wings have open intakes at the wing roots; there is no attempt to depict intake trunking despite the generous dimensions of the kit, so modelers will have to be satisfied with painting the intake interiors Black unless they are brave enough to attempt scratchbuilding.
Clear parts for the reconnaissance camera apertures will have to be cemented into the forward lower nose of the aircraft before the two fuselage halves are cemented together. The same is true for the rather basic two-part jet exhaust to be fitted into the rear fuselage below and slightly ahead of the vertical tail. Dive brakes and four wing fences will have to be separately mounted. Liquid cement may be best for the latter parts to minimize the possibility of glue smears. Drop tanks, one beneath each wing, are the only external payload provided, as is appropriate for a reconnaissance aircraft.
Markings
There are decals for two versions of the RF-84, French and German, both during the 1950’s. The French aircraft appears in a scheme of overall natural metal (the instructions call for Humbrol 56, Metallic Aluminum), representing a machine of Squadron 4/33 based out of Cognac, France and deployed to Akrotiri on the Greek Island of Santorini during Operation Musketeer, the 1956 Anglo-French invasion of Egypt in support of an initial Israeli attack and in response to President Nasser’s nationalization the Suez Canal (joint U.S.-Soviet and United Nations pressure ultimately forced the British and French to withdraw). This version calls for the painting of the black and yellow stripes used by Allied aircraft conducting the operation.
The second version for the post-war Luftwaffe aircraft calls for a camouflage scheme of Dark Green (Humbrol 163) and Dark Sea Grey (Humbrol 164) over Metallic Aluminum under surfaces (Humbrol 56). This is an aircraft of the Aufklarungsgeschwader 51 (Reconnaissance Squadron 51) “Imelmann” based in Erding, Germany – the Bavarian region – in 1959.
Conclusion
This is an interesting, if rather large, kit of an important recon aircaft that saw a great deal of action during a critical phase of the Cold War. Its size alone begs for more detail, and aftermarket sets may be available in the form of a cockpit set by Aires (for the F-84F Thunderstreak), a camera bay by CMK (this will require some scratchbuilding skill, involving cutting into the fuselage), and a set of metal landing gear by Scale Aircraft Conversions. Highly recommended for its historical interest and scratchbuilding potential for those afflicted with AMS.
References
- https://www.mdairmuseum.org/rf-84
- https://www.185arw.ang.af.mil
- https://www.all-aero.com
