Republic F-105G Thunderchief - Wild Weasel Configuration
Republic F-105G Thunderchief
Serial Number: 62-4427
Markings: 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, George AFB, California, 1979
On Loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson, AFB, Ohio
Affectionately called "Thud" by its crews the Thunderchief was the first supersonic tactical fighter-bomber developed from scratch rather then from an earlier design. The F-105 was selected over the F-107 for production in a fly-off competition. The F-105F is a slightly larger two-seat version of the F-105D. Both cockpits are virtually identical and the aircraft can be flown from either one. The addition of the second crewman was intended to reduce the workload on the individual crewmen. The F-105F was adapted to the “Wild Weasel” mission in 1965. This mission involves the very dangerous job of attracting the attention of enemy air defenses, in particular radar-guided surface-to-air missiles so that the aircraft can locate and destroy the ground radars. The F-105G is a modified and improved F-105F that was introduced in 1967.
Century Series Fighters: F-100C, F-101B, RF-101C, RF-101H, F-102A, TF-102A, F-104D, F-105D, F-105G, F-106A, F-107A
www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=231
In 1965, the USAF began operating two-seat F-100F Super Sabres specially equipped for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses mission in Vietnam. Nicknamed the Wild Weasel, these aircraft achieved 9 confirmed victories against North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile radars. The second crew member was a Navigator trained as an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO), nicknamed the Bear (as in trained bear), whose job was to decipher the information from the aircraft's sensors and guide the pilot towards the targets. However, the F-100F was an interim solution and because of its limited payload it usually had to rely on accompanying strike aircraft to actually attack the SAM sites. It also lacked the speed and the endurance to effectively protect the USAF's primary strike fighter — the F-105. With twice the payload capacity of the Super Sabre and considerably better performance, the two-seat F-105F was an ideal candidate for a more definitive SEAD platform.
The resulting EF-105F Wild Weasel III (the EF designation was popularly used but unofficial) supplemented its sensors and electronic jamming equipment with AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missiles and conventional bombs, giving it an offensive capability lacking in the F-100F. The first of these aircraft flew on 15 January 1966 and they began arriving in Southeast Asia in June, with five assigned to the 13th TFS at Korat RTAFB and six more to the 354th TFS at Takhli RTAFB. In a typical early mission, a single EF-105F would accompany one or two flights of F-105Ds to provide protection from enemy ground fire. While this strategy was effective in reducing F-105D losses, the Weasel aircraft suffered heavy casualties with five of the first 11 lost in July and August 1966. Attacks into high-risk environments saw the Weasels operating in "Iron Hand" Hunter-Killer flights of mixed single-seat and two-seat Thunderchiefs, suppressing sites during attacks by the strike force and attacking others during ingress and egress.
The EF-105Fs were upgraded to the definitive Wild Weasel Thunderchief, the F-105G, with the first aircraft arriving in Southeast Asia in late 1967. The genesis of the F-105G was a PACAF policy that all USAF fighter-bombers operating over North Vietnam had to carry ECM pods, which served to degrade the Weasel's own electronics and occupied one ordnance wing hardpoint. The F-105G incorporated a considerable amount of new SEAD-specific avionics, including an upgraded RHAW system which required a redesign of the wingtips. To free outboard hardpoints for additional weapons, the Westinghouse AN/ALQ-105 electronic countermeasures were permanently installed in two long blisters on the underside of the fuselage. Thirty aircraft were fitted with specially designed pylons to permit carrying of the AGM-78 Standard anti-radiation missile, a considerable improvement over the somewhat lackluster Shrike. On a typical mission, the F-105G carried two Shrikes on outboard pylons, a single Standard on an inboard pylon balanced by a 450 US gallon fuel tank on the other side, and a 650 US gallon centerline fuel tank. The Wild Weasel aircraft were usually the first to arrive in the target area and the last to leave, staying after the strike to support rescue of downed aircrews. As such, fuel was a precious commodity and it was not uncommon for a Wild Weasel to require a 30-minute leave for aerial refueling in order to continue its mission.
Although the F-105D was withdrawn from Vietnam in 1970, the Wild Weasel aircraft soldiered on until the end of the war. They were gradually replaced by the F-4G Wild Weasel IV variant of the F-4 Phantom II. F-105B/D/F/Gs served with the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard units until the mid-1980s. The last Air National Guard unit was the 116th Tactical Fighter Group of the Georgia Air National Guard, flying the F-105G through 1983. The last Air Force Reserve unit, and the last USAF operator of the Thunderchief, was the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing which flew the F-105B/D/F through 1984.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderchief#Wild_Weasel
Technical Specifications
Wingspan 34 ft 11 in
Length 67 ft
Height 20 ft 2 in
Weight 54,580 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed 1,386 mph
Service Ceiling 50,000 ft
Range 1,500 miles
Engines 1 Pratt & Whitney J-75P-19W, 26,500 lbs thrust with afterburner
Crew 2
Republic F-105G Thunderchief - Wild Weasel Configuration
Republic F-105G Thunderchief
Serial Number: 62-4427
Markings: 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, George AFB, California, 1979
On Loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson, AFB, Ohio
Affectionately called "Thud" by its crews the Thunderchief was the first supersonic tactical fighter-bomber developed from scratch rather then from an earlier design. The F-105 was selected over the F-107 for production in a fly-off competition. The F-105F is a slightly larger two-seat version of the F-105D. Both cockpits are virtually identical and the aircraft can be flown from either one. The addition of the second crewman was intended to reduce the workload on the individual crewmen. The F-105F was adapted to the “Wild Weasel” mission in 1965. This mission involves the very dangerous job of attracting the attention of enemy air defenses, in particular radar-guided surface-to-air missiles so that the aircraft can locate and destroy the ground radars. The F-105G is a modified and improved F-105F that was introduced in 1967.
Century Series Fighters: F-100C, F-101B, RF-101C, RF-101H, F-102A, TF-102A, F-104D, F-105D, F-105G, F-106A, F-107A
www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=231
In 1965, the USAF began operating two-seat F-100F Super Sabres specially equipped for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses mission in Vietnam. Nicknamed the Wild Weasel, these aircraft achieved 9 confirmed victories against North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile radars. The second crew member was a Navigator trained as an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO), nicknamed the Bear (as in trained bear), whose job was to decipher the information from the aircraft's sensors and guide the pilot towards the targets. However, the F-100F was an interim solution and because of its limited payload it usually had to rely on accompanying strike aircraft to actually attack the SAM sites. It also lacked the speed and the endurance to effectively protect the USAF's primary strike fighter — the F-105. With twice the payload capacity of the Super Sabre and considerably better performance, the two-seat F-105F was an ideal candidate for a more definitive SEAD platform.
The resulting EF-105F Wild Weasel III (the EF designation was popularly used but unofficial) supplemented its sensors and electronic jamming equipment with AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missiles and conventional bombs, giving it an offensive capability lacking in the F-100F. The first of these aircraft flew on 15 January 1966 and they began arriving in Southeast Asia in June, with five assigned to the 13th TFS at Korat RTAFB and six more to the 354th TFS at Takhli RTAFB. In a typical early mission, a single EF-105F would accompany one or two flights of F-105Ds to provide protection from enemy ground fire. While this strategy was effective in reducing F-105D losses, the Weasel aircraft suffered heavy casualties with five of the first 11 lost in July and August 1966. Attacks into high-risk environments saw the Weasels operating in "Iron Hand" Hunter-Killer flights of mixed single-seat and two-seat Thunderchiefs, suppressing sites during attacks by the strike force and attacking others during ingress and egress.
The EF-105Fs were upgraded to the definitive Wild Weasel Thunderchief, the F-105G, with the first aircraft arriving in Southeast Asia in late 1967. The genesis of the F-105G was a PACAF policy that all USAF fighter-bombers operating over North Vietnam had to carry ECM pods, which served to degrade the Weasel's own electronics and occupied one ordnance wing hardpoint. The F-105G incorporated a considerable amount of new SEAD-specific avionics, including an upgraded RHAW system which required a redesign of the wingtips. To free outboard hardpoints for additional weapons, the Westinghouse AN/ALQ-105 electronic countermeasures were permanently installed in two long blisters on the underside of the fuselage. Thirty aircraft were fitted with specially designed pylons to permit carrying of the AGM-78 Standard anti-radiation missile, a considerable improvement over the somewhat lackluster Shrike. On a typical mission, the F-105G carried two Shrikes on outboard pylons, a single Standard on an inboard pylon balanced by a 450 US gallon fuel tank on the other side, and a 650 US gallon centerline fuel tank. The Wild Weasel aircraft were usually the first to arrive in the target area and the last to leave, staying after the strike to support rescue of downed aircrews. As such, fuel was a precious commodity and it was not uncommon for a Wild Weasel to require a 30-minute leave for aerial refueling in order to continue its mission.
Although the F-105D was withdrawn from Vietnam in 1970, the Wild Weasel aircraft soldiered on until the end of the war. They were gradually replaced by the F-4G Wild Weasel IV variant of the F-4 Phantom II. F-105B/D/F/Gs served with the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard units until the mid-1980s. The last Air National Guard unit was the 116th Tactical Fighter Group of the Georgia Air National Guard, flying the F-105G through 1983. The last Air Force Reserve unit, and the last USAF operator of the Thunderchief, was the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing which flew the F-105B/D/F through 1984.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderchief#Wild_Weasel
Technical Specifications
Wingspan 34 ft 11 in
Length 67 ft
Height 20 ft 2 in
Weight 54,580 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed 1,386 mph
Service Ceiling 50,000 ft
Range 1,500 miles
Engines 1 Pratt & Whitney J-75P-19W, 26,500 lbs thrust with afterburner
Crew 2