Sword F-84F Thunderstreak
Project start 2023-04-01
Even as stash denizens go, this is an odd bird. It wasn't the kit that was lurking in the stash, but rather the decals. I got the Model Decal sheet as a gift for use in my Heller Starfighter, and the F-84F decals also on that sheet were somewhat surplus to requirements. Still, I hate to throw out anything still of some value, especially if it was a gift, so I picked up a brand new tooling of the Thunderstreak to stick under the decals.
The decals in question are for a machine of Escadrille de Chasse 1/9 "Limousin" of the French airforce, based at Luxeuil or Metz in 1961.
The kit is the very recent Sword tooling. The parts are basic, and appear just short of crude, but the surface engraving looks very nice. The ejection seat is resin, but otherwise this is straightforward plastic. Being a short run kit, there are no locating pins or similar luxuries. I don't really mind, but some sort of indication where the wing pylons are supposed to go (other than a suggestive arrow on the instructions) would have been appreciated. Masks for the transparencies and wheels are included. I've never used pre-cut masks before, so this will be a novelty for me.
After my experiences with their RT-33 I'm going to be approaching this kit with extreme paranoia, and fully stocked up on sandpaper and filler. Perhaps it will be a pleasant surprise, but I'm fully expecting a memorable fight.