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 fighter 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 mildly successful 1950s era 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, 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 the MiGs could be engaged. The tropical climate also took a toll on man and machine, with the end result that 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 USN’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.
F-105D 62-4375 was delivered to the USAF's 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Itazuke, Japan in 1963. It does not appear to have flown combat in Vietnam, though its history does list serving with the 6441st TFW (Provisional) at Yokota; the 6441st did send detachments to Southeast Asia at the beginning of Operation Rolling Thunder, before units were permanently based in Thailand. It remained in Asia after being transferred to the 18th TFW at Kadena in 1967.
In 1971, 62-4375 was transferred back to the States at the "Home of the Thud," with the 23rd TFW at McConnell AFB, Kansas. It was then relegated to the USAF Reserve in 1972, first with the 507th TFG (Reserve) at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, then to the last F-105 unit in the USAF, the 508th TFG (Reserve) at Hill AFB, Utah in 1980. 62-4375 was among the last F-105s to be retired in 1984.
The aircraft was saved from scrapping by its donation to the IG Brown Professional Military Education Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, but in 1992, the center no longer wanted 62-4375, so it was picked up by the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas. Due to the Thud's close association with Kansas--most F-105 pilots trained over the state--the CAM had been looking for a Thud for awhile.
Today, 62-4375 is in good shape, albeit in inaccurate markings applied during its time in Tennessee. F-105s were painted overall silver during Operation Lookalike in the early 1960s, before adopting Southeast Asia camouflage; several museums use overall gray to simulate this, as silver and bare metal are hard to maintain. However, it also carries the tail stripe and unit patch of the 192nd TFG (Virginia ANG) at Richmond, the last ANG unit to operate the Thud. However, the 192nd's F-105s were all camouflaged.
Nonetheless, seeing a Thud anywhere is a treat for me, so I'm hardly complaining.
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 fighter 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 mildly successful 1950s era 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, 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 the MiGs could be engaged. The tropical climate also took a toll on man and machine, with the end result that 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 USN’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.
F-105D 62-4375 was delivered to the USAF's 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Itazuke, Japan in 1963. It does not appear to have flown combat in Vietnam, though its history does list serving with the 6441st TFW (Provisional) at Yokota; the 6441st did send detachments to Southeast Asia at the beginning of Operation Rolling Thunder, before units were permanently based in Thailand. It remained in Asia after being transferred to the 18th TFW at Kadena in 1967.
In 1971, 62-4375 was transferred back to the States at the "Home of the Thud," with the 23rd TFW at McConnell AFB, Kansas. It was then relegated to the USAF Reserve in 1972, first with the 507th TFG (Reserve) at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, then to the last F-105 unit in the USAF, the 508th TFG (Reserve) at Hill AFB, Utah in 1980. 62-4375 was among the last F-105s to be retired in 1984.
The aircraft was saved from scrapping by its donation to the IG Brown Professional Military Education Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, but in 1992, the center no longer wanted 62-4375, so it was picked up by the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas. Due to the Thud's close association with Kansas--most F-105 pilots trained over the state--the CAM had been looking for a Thud for awhile.
Today, 62-4375 is in good shape, albeit in inaccurate markings applied during its time in Tennessee. F-105s were painted overall silver during Operation Lookalike in the early 1960s, before adopting Southeast Asia camouflage; several museums use overall gray to simulate this, as silver and bare metal are hard to maintain. However, it also carries the tail stripe and unit patch of the 192nd TFG (Virginia ANG) at Richmond, the last ANG unit to operate the Thud. However, the 192nd's F-105s were all camouflaged.
Nonetheless, seeing a Thud anywhere is a treat for me, so I'm hardly complaining.