Republic F-105D Thunderchief
The F-105 Thunderchief, which would become a legend in the history of the Vietnam War, started out very modestly as a proposal for a large, supersonic replacement for the RF-84F Thunderflash tactical reconnaissance fighter in 1951. Later this was expanded by Republic’s famous chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, to a nuclear-capable, high-speed, low-altitude penetration tactical fighter-bomber which could also replace the F-84 Thunderstreak. The USAF liked the idea, as the F-84 had shown itself to be at a disadvantage against Chinese and Soviet-flown MiG-15s over Korea, and ordered 200 of the new design before it was even finalized. This order was reduced to only 37 aircraft with the end of the Korean War, but nonetheless the first YF-105A Thunderchief flew in October 1955. Although it was equipped with an interim J57 engine and had drag problems, it still achieved supersonic speed. When the design was further refined as the YF-105B, with the J75 engine and area ruling, it went over Mach 2. This was in spite of the fact that the design had mushroomed in size from Kartveli’s initial idea to one of the largest and heaviest fighters ever to serve with the USAF: fully loaded, the F-105 was heavier than a B-17 bomber.
The USAF ordered 1800 F-105s, though this would be reduced to 830 examples. Almost immediately, the F-105 began to be plagued with problems. Some of the trouble could be traced to the normal teething problems of any new aircraft, but for awhile it seemed the Thunderchief was too hot to handle, with a catastrophically high accident rate. This led to the aircraft getting the nickname of “Thud,” supposedly for the sound it made when hitting the ground, along with other not-so-affectionate monikers such as “Ultra Hog” and “Squat Bomber.”
Despite its immense size and bad reputation, however, the F-105 was superb at high speeds, especially at low level, was difficult to stall, and its cockpit was commended for its ergonomic layout. Earlier “narrow-nose” F-105Bs were replaced by wider-nosed, radar-equipped F-105Ds, the mainline version of the Thunderchief, while two-seat F-105Fs were built as conversion trainers. Had it not been for the Vietnam War, however, the F-105 might have gone down in history as simply another 1950s era mildly successful design. Deployed to Vietnam at the beginning of the American involvement there in 1964, the Thunderchief was soon heading to North Vietnam to attack targets there in the opening rounds of Operation Rolling Thunder; this was in spite of the fact that the F-105 was designed primarily as a low-level (and, as its pilots insisted, one-way) tactical nuclear bomber. Instead, F-105s were heading north festooned with conventional bombs.
As Rolling Thunder gradually expanded to all of North Vietnam, now-camouflaged Thuds “going Downtown” became iconic, fighting their way through the densest concentration of antiaircraft fire in history, along with SAMs and MiG fighters. The F-105 now gained a reputation for something else: toughness, a Republic hallmark. Nor were they defenseless: unlike the USAF’s primary fighter, the F-4 Phantom II, the F-105 retained an internal 20mm gatling cannon, and MiG-17s which engaged F-105s was far from a foregone conclusion, as 27 MiGs were shot down by F-105s for the loss of about 20. If nothing else, Thud pilots no longer burdened with bombs could simply elect to head home at Mach 2 and two thousand feet, outdistancing any MiG defenders.
If the Thud had any weakness, it was its hydraulic system, which was found to be extremely vulnerable to damage. However, it was likely more due to poor tactics and the restrictive Rules of Engagement, which sent F-105s into battle on predictable routes (namely from the northeast, down the Red River Valley to Hanoi and over Tam Do Mountain—renamed by American pilots “Thud Ridge”), unable to return fire on SAM sites until missiles were launched at them, and their F-4 escorts hamstrung by being forced to wait until MiGs were on attack runs before engaging them that caused the resulting high losses: 382 F-105s were lost over Vietnam, nearly half of all Thuds ever produced and the highest loss rate of any USAF aircraft.
The combination of a high loss rate and the fact that the F-105 really was not designed to be used in the fashion it was over Vietnam led to the type’s gradual withdrawal after 1968 in favor of more F-4s and a USAF version of the Navy’s A-7 Corsair II. An improved all-weather bombing system, Thunderstick II, was given to a few of the F-105D survivors, but this was not used operationally. The Thud soldiered on another decade in Air National Guard and Reserve units until February 1984, when the type was finally retired in favor of the F-16, and its spiritual successor, the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Though Dad built more F-4 models than any other aircraft type, he had a special place for the Thud, and built several. This was one of his first attempts: 61-0219 was a F-105D attached to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Korat RTAFB, Thailand. As "The Blonde Bomb," 0219 was flown by Captain Thomas Norris during his tour with the 388th. Norris, who was awarded two Silver Stars in 47 missions over North Vietnam, was shot down and captured in August 1967. Luckily, he survived his ordeal and was released in 1973. Norris retired as a Colonel in 1987. Norris was not shot down in "The Blonde Bomb," but the aircraft didn't survive the Vietnam War: it was lost in a fatal landing accident at Da Nang in 1968.
Dad didn't know Norris that I know of, but had read about him and built this F-105 in tribute to a brave pilot. 61-0219 is painted in standard USAF Southeast Asia camouflage, which looks darker here because of the age of the photograph. At the time when Norris was flying missions over North Vietnam, tailcodes were just coming into use and many F-105s did not carry them, just their tail numbers. 0219's warload--six M117 750-pound bombs and two Mk 82 500-pound bombs, plus two external tanks--would not be flown "Downtown," over Hanoi, because of the need to carry radar jamming ECM pods.
This was one of Dad's earlier efforts, and he felt he could do better. He gave the model to me as a toy, and sadly it didn't survive the wear and tear of a 10-year old boy who wanted to be a fighter pilot.
Republic F-105D Thunderchief
The F-105 Thunderchief, which would become a legend in the history of the Vietnam War, started out very modestly as a proposal for a large, supersonic replacement for the RF-84F Thunderflash tactical reconnaissance fighter in 1951. Later this was expanded by Republic’s famous chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, to a nuclear-capable, high-speed, low-altitude penetration tactical fighter-bomber which could also replace the F-84 Thunderstreak. The USAF liked the idea, as the F-84 had shown itself to be at a disadvantage against Chinese and Soviet-flown MiG-15s over Korea, and ordered 200 of the new design before it was even finalized. This order was reduced to only 37 aircraft with the end of the Korean War, but nonetheless the first YF-105A Thunderchief flew in October 1955. Although it was equipped with an interim J57 engine and had drag problems, it still achieved supersonic speed. When the design was further refined as the YF-105B, with the J75 engine and area ruling, it went over Mach 2. This was in spite of the fact that the design had mushroomed in size from Kartveli’s initial idea to one of the largest and heaviest fighters ever to serve with the USAF: fully loaded, the F-105 was heavier than a B-17 bomber.
The USAF ordered 1800 F-105s, though this would be reduced to 830 examples. Almost immediately, the F-105 began to be plagued with problems. Some of the trouble could be traced to the normal teething problems of any new aircraft, but for awhile it seemed the Thunderchief was too hot to handle, with a catastrophically high accident rate. This led to the aircraft getting the nickname of “Thud,” supposedly for the sound it made when hitting the ground, along with other not-so-affectionate monikers such as “Ultra Hog” and “Squat Bomber.”
Despite its immense size and bad reputation, however, the F-105 was superb at high speeds, especially at low level, was difficult to stall, and its cockpit was commended for its ergonomic layout. Earlier “narrow-nose” F-105Bs were replaced by wider-nosed, radar-equipped F-105Ds, the mainline version of the Thunderchief, while two-seat F-105Fs were built as conversion trainers. Had it not been for the Vietnam War, however, the F-105 might have gone down in history as simply another 1950s era mildly successful design. Deployed to Vietnam at the beginning of the American involvement there in 1964, the Thunderchief was soon heading to North Vietnam to attack targets there in the opening rounds of Operation Rolling Thunder; this was in spite of the fact that the F-105 was designed primarily as a low-level (and, as its pilots insisted, one-way) tactical nuclear bomber. Instead, F-105s were heading north festooned with conventional bombs.
As Rolling Thunder gradually expanded to all of North Vietnam, now-camouflaged Thuds “going Downtown” became iconic, fighting their way through the densest concentration of antiaircraft fire in history, along with SAMs and MiG fighters. The F-105 now gained a reputation for something else: toughness, a Republic hallmark. Nor were they defenseless: unlike the USAF’s primary fighter, the F-4 Phantom II, the F-105 retained an internal 20mm gatling cannon, and MiG-17s which engaged F-105s was far from a foregone conclusion, as 27 MiGs were shot down by F-105s for the loss of about 20. If nothing else, Thud pilots no longer burdened with bombs could simply elect to head home at Mach 2 and two thousand feet, outdistancing any MiG defenders.
If the Thud had any weakness, it was its hydraulic system, which was found to be extremely vulnerable to damage. However, it was likely more due to poor tactics and the restrictive Rules of Engagement, which sent F-105s into battle on predictable routes (namely from the northeast, down the Red River Valley to Hanoi and over Tam Do Mountain—renamed by American pilots “Thud Ridge”), unable to return fire on SAM sites until missiles were launched at them, and their F-4 escorts hamstrung by being forced to wait until MiGs were on attack runs before engaging them that caused the resulting high losses: 382 F-105s were lost over Vietnam, nearly half of all Thuds ever produced and the highest loss rate of any USAF aircraft.
The combination of a high loss rate and the fact that the F-105 really was not designed to be used in the fashion it was over Vietnam led to the type’s gradual withdrawal after 1968 in favor of more F-4s and a USAF version of the Navy’s A-7 Corsair II. An improved all-weather bombing system, Thunderstick II, was given to a few of the F-105D survivors, but this was not used operationally. The Thud soldiered on another decade in Air National Guard and Reserve units until February 1984, when the type was finally retired in favor of the F-16, and its spiritual successor, the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Though Dad built more F-4 models than any other aircraft type, he had a special place for the Thud, and built several. This was one of his first attempts: 61-0219 was a F-105D attached to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Korat RTAFB, Thailand. As "The Blonde Bomb," 0219 was flown by Captain Thomas Norris during his tour with the 388th. Norris, who was awarded two Silver Stars in 47 missions over North Vietnam, was shot down and captured in August 1967. Luckily, he survived his ordeal and was released in 1973. Norris retired as a Colonel in 1987. Norris was not shot down in "The Blonde Bomb," but the aircraft didn't survive the Vietnam War: it was lost in a fatal landing accident at Da Nang in 1968.
Dad didn't know Norris that I know of, but had read about him and built this F-105 in tribute to a brave pilot. 61-0219 is painted in standard USAF Southeast Asia camouflage, which looks darker here because of the age of the photograph. At the time when Norris was flying missions over North Vietnam, tailcodes were just coming into use and many F-105s did not carry them, just their tail numbers. 0219's warload--six M117 750-pound bombs and two Mk 82 500-pound bombs, plus two external tanks--would not be flown "Downtown," over Hanoi, because of the need to carry radar jamming ECM pods.
This was one of Dad's earlier efforts, and he felt he could do better. He gave the model to me as a toy, and sadly it didn't survive the wear and tear of a 10-year old boy who wanted to be a fighter pilot.