[Fictional] Republic Thunderchief S.1 (RAF & RAAF bonus skin) Version 1

Republic Thunderchief S.1 for STRIKE FIGHTERS 2

This is a very simple mod of the stock Third Wire F-105D to create a fictional Thunderchief in service with the Royal Air Force in the 1964 to 1973 timeline. In addition, a bonus RAAF 'anti-flash' white skin is included together with an RAF SEAC skin.

BACKSTORY

At the onset of the fatigue problems suffered by the Vickers Valiant in 1964 it wasn't only the RAF that urgently looked for a quick replacement. With the October 1962 Cuban Missile crisis relatively fresh in their minds, the American administration led by LBJ realised that a quick infusion of European striking power was required and authorised the transfer of a batch of 39 F-105D-25's from US stocks to the RAF and these arrived in December 1964 under "Operation Hastings" (later discovered to be an American jibe at the incoming British Prime Minister Harold Wilson).

Entering service with No.207 squadron at RAF Marham in February 1965 the Thunderchief S.1 soon also re-equipped No.49 and No.148 squadrons (also based at RAF Marham) and were initially armed with American Mk28 (B-61) free-fall tactical nuclear bombs before switching to the UK WE.177B in late 1966. Due to their relative short range the Thunderchief S.1's were regularly deployed to RAF Germany until the Victor K.1 tanker force had built up in sufficient numbers. In RAF service the Thunderchief suffered from a high attrition rate and the type was never popular with pilots and began to be supplanted in RAF service by Blackburn Buccaneer S.2's in 1968 with the remaining Thunderchiefs being transferred to RAF South East Asia Command before being retired in 1973.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. From the AIRCRAFT folder drag and drop the ThunderchiefS1 folder into your Aircraft folder.

2. From the DECALS folder drag and drop the ThunderchiefS1 folder into your main Decals folder.

CREDITS

Thanks to Third Wire for the continuous improvement of a great little game/sim.

Thanks to Daddyairplanes for the 'Euro 1' skin and also to Centurion for the tweaks to this skin and ludo.m54 for the F-105D templates.

And thanks to everyone in the wider Third Wire community.

Regards

Spinners

Version 1 - 08/09/13