Manufacturer: Republic Aviation

Model: AP-126

Name: Thunderknight

Type: Jet interceptor

Date: 1960

Status: Operational service

Country: United States of America

Service: U.S. Air Force

Designation: YF-115, F-115A

Building on the experience acquired by the company on their AP-75, AP-100 and D-24 programs, Republic came up with an interceptor design that could take the place of retiring F-102s.

The AP-126 Thunderknight was successfully evaluated as the YF-115 in early 1961, which led to an order for 100 production aircraft designated F-115A.

Rapidly changing requirements made the Thunderknight obsolete almost as soon as it entered service, and only 30 aircraft were eventually procured. They all served with the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Minot AFB, Nevada, being retired in early 1967.

The Thunderknight was extensively reworked from a superb original color profile of Republic's F-103 Thunderwarrior as painted by Damon Moran. The cockpit and wing were taken from other Republic projects.

I hope to do a planform and even a 3-view of the Thunderknight as it is also one of my favorite fake fighters so far... I still have a feeling though that the its wing would have been too small for it to fly well...

• Wonderful with the source to appreciate it! (Tophe)
• Wonderful design! (lauhof52)
• That F-115A is amazing! Chapeau! (SPINNERS)
• Very nice Rapier/Thunderwarrior product, Stéphane! (ElectrikBlue)
• Cool..... I like it (jorel62)
• The F-115 is totally believable! Well done. (retro_seventies)
• as always good stuff (Mimikios)
• Where's the intakes exactly? It almost looks to me that either it is similar to the F-105s or there are none and it's rocket powered lol. I like this design. Pretty interesting. (GF-44Phantom)

The air intakes, which are not visible from this angle, are typical Republic style, in a forward-pointed V shape, like on the F-105 Thunderchief.