Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series Diecast Model

Republic F-105D Thunderchief - “Arkansas Traveler”, Col. Paul Douglas, Jr., 388th TFW, USAF, Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 1968-69

1:72 Scale.  Length: 10.75".  Wingspan: 5.75"

Col. Paul Douglas, Jr. was a P-47 Ace during World War II with 8 aerial victories and 27 aircraft destroyed on the ground. From 1968 to 1969 Col. Douglas was Commander of the 388th TFW at Korat RTAFB in Thailand. He retired from the USAF in February 1970 as a Brigadier General having been awarded more than 60 decorations.

F-105D Thunderchief s/n 59-1743 was delivered to the US Air Force in November 1960. During the aircrafts time in Vietnam it suffered combat damage several times and wore several different names including “Arkansas Traveler” (when it was flown by Col. Paul Douglas) "Hanoi Express” “Darn Dago” and “Lead Zeppelin”. The F-105 was retired in March 1981 with 45,000 flight hours and transferred to Hill AFB in Utah where it was restored as “Arkansas Traveler”. The tail code "JJ" denotes the 34th TFS of the 388th TFW at Korat RTAB, Thailand.

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a supersonic fighter/bomber. As the largest single engine fighter ever employed by the USAF, the F-105 would be adapted to deliver a greater bomb load than the ten-man, four-engine bombers of WWII. The F-105 was the primary strike bomber over North Vietnam during the early years of the Vietnam War. Over 20,000 F-105 sorties were flown with 382 Aircraft lost (nearly half of the 833 produced) including 62 operational losses. Although it lacked the agility of the enemies MiG fighters, Thunderchiefs were credited with downing 27.5 enemy aircraft. First flown in 1955, the F-105 entered service with the US Air Force in 1958.


Hobby Master offers a wide selection of quality, pre-assembled, diecast model airplanes. Each model is crafted to a high level of accuracy using specifications of the original aircraft. They are constructed with precision-made diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model an F-105 Thunderchief by Hobby Master features: