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The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American
supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
fighter-bomber A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, ...
that served with the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...
from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
; it was the only American aircraft to have been removed from combat due to high loss rates. It was originally designed as a single-seat, nuclear-
attack aircraft An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pre ...
; a two-seat
Wild Weasel Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air mis ...
version was later developed for the specialized Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role against surface-to-air missile sites. The F-105 was commonly known as the "Thud" by its crews. As a follow-on to the Mach 1 capable
North American F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of ...
, the F-105 was also armed with missiles and a rotary cannon; however, its design was tailored to high-speed low-altitude penetration carrying a single
nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
internally. First flown in 1955, the Thunderchief entered service in 1958. The single-engine F-105 could deliver a bomb load greater than some American
heavy bomber Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range ( takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larg ...
s of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
such as the
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Thea ...
and
Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
. The F-105 was one of the primary attack aircraft of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
; over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown, with 382 aircraft lost including 62 operational (non-combat) losses (out of the 833 produced). Although less agile than smaller MiG fighters, USAF F-105s were credited with 27.5 kills. During the war, the single-seat F-105D was the primary aircraft delivering heavy bomb loads against the various military targets. Meanwhile, the two-seat F-105F and F-105G Wild Weasel variants became the first dedicated SEAD platforms, fighting against the
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
-built
S-75 Dvina The S-75 (Russian: С-75; NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude air defence system, built around a surface-to-air missile with command guidance. Following its first deployment in 1957 it became one of the most w ...
(
NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform man ...
: SA-2 ''Guideline'')
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
s. Two Wild Weasel pilots were awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
for attacking North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile sites, with one shooting down two MiG-17s the same day. The dangerous missions often required them to be the "first in, last out", suppressing enemy air defenses while strike aircraft accomplished their missions and then left the area. When the Thunderchief entered service it was the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history, weighing approximately .Crosby 2002, p. 229. It could exceed the
speed of sound The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates through an elastic medium. At , the speed of sound in air is about , or one kilometre in or one mile in . It depends strongly on temperature as we ...
at sea level and reach Mach 2 at high altitude. The F-105 could carry up to of bombs and missiles. The Thunderchief was later replaced as a strike aircraft over North Vietnam by both the
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and B ...
and the swing-wing
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production variants of the F-111 had roles that included ground attack (e.g. interdiction), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons c ...
. However, the "Wild Weasel" variants of the F-105 remained in service until 1984 after being replaced by the specialized F-4G "Wild Weasel V".


Development


Design phase

Republic Aviation The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale, New York, on Long Island. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company, the company was responsible for the design and production of many importan ...
started the Thunderchief as an internal project to replace the RF-84F Thunderflash, which first used the characteristic wing-root air intakes to make room for cameras in the nose section. The design team led by
Alexander Kartveli Alexander Kartveli, born Aleksandre Kartvelishvili, ( ka, ალექსანდრე ქართველიშვილი) (September 9, 1896 – July 20, 1974) was a Georgian aeronautical engineer and an aviation pioneer in the United ...
examined some 108 configurations before settling on a large, single-engine ''AP-63FBX'' (Advanced Project 63 Fighter Bomber, Experimental), specifically AP-63-31.Knaack 1978, p. 191. The new aircraft was intended primarily for supersonic, low altitude penetration to deliver a single, internally carried nuclear bomb. The emphasis was placed on low-altitude speed and flight characteristics, range, and payload. The aircraft would be fitted with a large engine, and a relatively small wing with a high
wing loading In aerodynamics, wing loading is the total mass of an aircraft or flying animal divided by the area of its wing. The stalling speed of an aircraft in straight, level flight is partly determined by its wing loading. An aircraft or animal with a ...
for a stable ride at low altitudes, and less drag at supersonic speeds.Davies 2010, pp. 6–7. Traditional fighter attributes such as maneuverability were a secondary consideration.Green and Swanborough 2001, pp. 500–501. Enthusiastic at first, the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...
awarded Republic with a contract for 199 aircraft in September 1952. However, by March 1953, the USAF had reduced the order to 37 fighter-bombers and nine tactical reconnaissance aircraft, citing the approaching end of the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
. By the time the F-105 mock-up had been completed in October 1953, the aircraft had grown so large that the
Allison J71 The Allison J71 was a single spool turbojet engine, designed and built in the United States. It began development in 1948 as a much modified J35, originally designated J35-A-23. Operational history The Allison J71 turbojet powered the Douglas B ...
turbojet The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, a ...
intended for it was abandoned in favor of the more powerful
Pratt & Whitney J75 The Pratt & Whitney J75 (civilian designation: JT4A) is an axial-flow turbojet engine first flown in 1955. A two-spool design in the 17,000 lbf (76 kN) thrust class, the J75 was essentially the bigger brother of the Pratt & Whitney J57 ...
. Anticipating a protracted development of the engine, it was expected that the first aircraft would use the smaller
Pratt & Whitney J57 The Pratt & Whitney J57 (company designation: JT3C) is an axial-flow turbojet engine developed by Pratt & Whitney in the early 1950s. The J57 (first run January 1950) was the first 10,000 lbf (45 kN) thrust class engine in the United State ...
. Near the end of 1953, the entire program was canceled by the USAF due to a number of delays and uncertainties regarding the aircraft. However, on 28 June 1954, the USAF officially ordered 15 F-105s (two YF-105As, four YF-105Bs, six F-105Bs, and three RF-105Bs) under the Weapon System designation ''WS-306A''.Peacock 1986, p. 186. The YF-105A prototype first flew on 22 October 1955, with the second YF-105A following on 28 January 1956. In spite of being powered by a less potent J57-P-25 engine with of afterburning thrust, the first prototype attained the speed of Mach 1.2 on its maiden flight. (The J75 was expected to generate with afterburner.)Angelucci and Bowers 1987, pp. 408, 410. Both aircraft featured conventional wing root air intakes and slab-sided fuselages typical of the early jets; Republic viewed the prototypes as not being representative of the true capability of the aircraft due to numerous changes prior to production. Insufficient power and aerodynamic problems with
transonic Transonic (or transsonic) flow is air flowing around an object at a speed that generates regions of both subsonic and supersonic airflow around that object. The exact range of speeds depends on the object's critical Mach number, but transoni ...
drag, as well as
Convair Convair, previously Consolidated Vultee, was an American aircraft manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. In 1953, i ...
's experience with their
F-102 The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was an American interceptor aircraft designed and manufactured by Convair. Built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s, it entered service in 1956. Its main purpo ...
, led to a redesign of the fuselage to conform to the
area rule The Whitcomb area rule, named after NACA engineer Richard Whitcomb and also called the transonic area rule, is a design procedure used to reduce an aircraft's drag at transonic speeds which occur between about Mach 0.75 and 1.2. For superson ...
, giving it a characteristic "wasp waist". In combination with the distinctive forward-swept variable-geometry air intakes which regulated airflow to the engine at supersonic speeds and the J75 engine, this redesign enabled the F-105B to attain Mach 2.15.Davis 2002, pp. 124–125.Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 408.


Into production

In March 1956, the USAF placed a further order for 65 F-105Bs and 17 RF-105Bs.Knaack 1978, p. 192. In order to conduct the nuclear mission, an MA-8 fire control system, AN/APG-31 ranging
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
, and K-19 gunsight to allow for
toss bombing Toss bombing (sometimes known as loft bombing, and by the U.S. Air Force as the Low Altitude Bombing System, LABS) is a method of bombing where the attacking aircraft pulls upward when releasing its bomb load, giving the bomb additional time of f ...
were integrated. The first pre-production YF-105B flew on 26 May 1956. Five of the F-105C trainer variant were added to the procurement plan in June 1956, before being canceled in 1957. The RF-105 reconnaissance variant was canceled in July 1956. The first production F-105B was accepted by the Air Force on 27 May 1957.Knaack 1978, p. 193. In June 1957, Republic Aviation requested that the F-105 be named ''Thunderchief'', continuing the sequence of the company's Thunder-named aircraft:
P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomb ...
,
F-84 Thunderjet The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...
, and
F-84F Thunderstreak The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version. ...
. The USAF made the name official a month later.Richardson 1992, pp. 12–13. To fulfill the Air Force requirement for all-weather attack, Republic proposed the F-105D variant in 1957. This version featured an enlarged nose and radome housing the AN/ASG-19 ''Thunderstick'' bombing/navigation system. The AN/ASG-19 was designed around the
Autonetics Autonetics was a division of North American Aviation that produced various avionics but is best known for their inertial navigation systems used in submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Its 188-acre facility in Anaheim, California, ...
R-14A radar, which operated in both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, and the AN/APN-131 Doppler navigation radar. In the cockpit, the F-105D featured vertical-tape instrument displays for adverse weather operation. The ability to carry the TX-43 nuclear weapon was also added. The RF-105 reconnaissance development was also restarted, now based on the F-105D. The first D-model took its maiden flight on 9 June 1959.Richardson 1992, pp. 12–13, 15. Plans to build over 1,500 F-105Ds were cut short when Secretary of Defense
Robert McNamara Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He remains the ...
decided to equip no more than seven combat wings with the type. In November 1961, production was cut in favor of the Air Force adopting the Navy's F-4 Phantom II,Davis 2002, p. 130. and in the longer term, the
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production variants of the F-111 had roles that included ground attack (e.g. interdiction), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons c ...
of the TFX program. The final 143 Thunderchiefs built were of the two-seat F-105F trainer variant. Based on the F-105D, this model was 31 inches (79 cm) longer to provide room for the rear cockpit; otherwise, the aircraft had similar flight performance to the preceding F-105D.Richardson 1992, p. 20. A total of 833 F-105s were completed before production ended in 1964.Angelucci 1987, p. 410. The F-105 had been designed for a short nuclear campaign, leading to shortcomings that became evident in a lengthy conventional war, such as a poor hydraulics layout and fuel tanks that were not self-sealing. Subsequent upgrades improved the reliability and weapons capacity of the existing F-105Ds. In response to the
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
(SAM) threat experienced in the skies above Vietnam, dozens of F-105Fs were converted into anti-radar "
Wild Weasel Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air mis ...
" aircraft, culminating with the F-105G.Richardson 1992, pp. 28, 32–33, 38.


Design


Overview

The F-105 was a mid-wing monoplane with a 45°
swept wing A swept wing is a wing that angles either backward or occasionally forward from its root rather than in a straight sideways direction. Swept wings have been flown since the pioneer days of aviation. Wing sweep at high speeds was first investiga ...
and tail surfaces. The single engine was fed by two intakes in the wing roots, leaving the nose free for a
radome A radome (a portmanteau of radar and dome) is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material transparent to radio waves. Radomes protect the antenna from weather and conceal antenna e ...
housing the multi-mode
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
.Taylor 1966, pp. 243–244. Its fuselage provided room for of fuel and an internal bomb bay. The bomb bay measured by by ; it was originally designed to carry a single
nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
but typically held an additional fuel tank. It featured four under-wing and one centerline pylon; the two inner wing and centerline pylons were capable of accepting fuel from
drop tank In aviation, a drop tank (external tank, wing tank or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often capable of being jettisoned. External tanks are commonplace on modern ...
s. Two outer dry stations were wired for missiles or bombs.Davis and Menard 1998, p. 47.Davis 2002, p. 141. One
M61 Vulcan The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically, electrically, or pneumatically driven, six- barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires rounds at an extremely high rate (typically 6,000 rounds per minute). The M61 and i ...
(initially designated ''T-171E3'') 20 mm 6-barrel Gatling-style cannon was installed in the left side of the nose. A short-range AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile could be carried on each of the outer wing pylons.Richardson 1992, pp. 22–24. The F-105 was designed primarily for low-level interdiction and its low-altitude speed was its greatest asset when dealing with enemy fighters such as the
MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...
/ J-5s and
MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickn ...
. The F-105 managed 27.5 air-to-air victories.Futrell et al. 1976, p. 157. Based on combat experience, the F-105D was updated with a better
ejection seat In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rock ...
, additional armor, improved gun sights, and
Electronic Counter Measures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting inf ...
(ECM) pods on the wings.Knaack 1978, p. 199.


Flight characteristics

Former
North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...
pilot Jerry Noel Hoblit recalled being in awe of the F-105's size after seeing it for the first time; he could not manage to reach the air intake lip even with a running jump. The F-105 had a spacious cockpit with good visibility and layout (particularly after the introduction of "tape" instruments); the advanced electronics were easy to learn and operate. Takeoffs and landings were often performed in the range. The spoilers provided good roll control at all speeds and the distinctive four-petal airbrakes (which also opened slightly when the afterburner was engaged to allow for the larger flow of exhaust gases) were highly effective even at supersonic speeds. Loss of control due to a
spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
or complications of
adverse yaw Adverse yaw is the natural and undesirable tendency for an aircraft to yaw in the opposite direction of a roll. It is caused by the difference in lift and drag of each wing. The effect can be greatly minimized with ailerons deliberately designed to ...
required deliberate effort from the pilot and spontaneous spin recovery was rapid. The initial reaction of the fighter pilot community to their new aircraft was lukewarm. Between its massive dimensions and troubled early service life, the F-105 had garnered a number of uncomplimentary nicknames. In addition to the aforementioned "Thud", nicknames included the "Squat Bomber", "Lead Sled", and the "Hyper Hog" and/or "Ultra Hog". The latter two names arose from the F-105's predecessors, the Republic F-84 Thunderjet and F-84F Thunderstreak, nicknamed "Hog" and "Super Hog", respectively. According to F-105 pilots and crews, the "Thud" nickname was inspired by the character "Chief Thunderthud" from the ''
Howdy Doody ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F Campbell
'' television series. The aircraft's offensive capabilities were sarcastically referred to as a "Triple Threat"—it could bomb you, strafe you, or fall on you. Positive aspects, such as the F-105's responsive controls, strong performance at high speed and low altitude, and its outfit of electronics won over some pilots. For some, "Thud" was a term of endearment; retroactively the RF-84F Thunderflash became known as "Thud's Mother".Higham and Williams 1975, pp. 185–190. F-105 pilot Colonel Jack Broughton said of the nickname: "The Thud has justified herself, and the name that was originally spoken with a sneer has become one of utmost respect through the air fraternity".


Special modifications


Commando Nail

The rear cockpits of several two-seat F-105Fs were modified under project ''Commando Nail'' with an R-14A radar and a radar scope that offered high resolution. These aircraft were used for all-weather and night low-level strikes against especially dangerous targets by a unit from the
13th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 13th Fighter Squadron is a fighter squadron of the United States Air Force. The squadron flies the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and is part of the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The squadron traces its heritage b ...
(1966–1975) dubbed "Ryan's Raiders" starting in April 1967.Peacock 1986, p. 206.Davis 2000, pp. 26–27. Some of these aircraft were later converted to the Wild Weasel III standard.Knaack 1978, p. 202.Davis 2000, pp. 27–28. In an effort to thwart MiG attacks, several F-105Fs were also fitted with Hallicrafters QRC-128 communication jamming system under project ''Combat Martin''. The North Vietnamese interceptor force followed Soviet air-defense doctrine, with pilots under rigid direction of ground controllers over radio links. The QRC-128, nicknamed "Colonel Computer", filled up the rear cockpit of the F-105F. It bounced voice communications over the radio channel back out after a delay, resulting in an obnoxious garble. However, the first time the Combat Martin was used, the US
National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
(NSA), in charge of US strategic
signals intelligence Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of '' signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ...
, ordered the Air Force to cease and desist immediately, since the NSA believed that the intelligence obtained by monitoring the channels outweighed the benefits of jamming them.Price 1989,


Thunderstick II

Experience in Vietnam demonstrated the need for a better visual and blind bombing capability. In March 1968, the Air Force ordered development of an upgraded bombing/navigation system, incorporating a Singer-General Precision
inertial navigation system An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors ( accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity ...
, improvements to the AN/APN-131 navigation radar, and solid-state circuitry for the R-14A radar, which was redesignated R-14K. Furthermore, the digital AN/ARN-92 long-range navigation receiver replaced the problematic AN/ARN-85 receiver. The additional avionics were housed in a long, raised dorsal spine. The modified bombing/navigation system was known as ''Thunderstick II''. F-105s with this system could achieve a bombing circular error of probability (CEP) of from an altitude of . Although the first Thunderstick II aircraft flew in 1969, they were not used in Vietnam. A total of 30 F-105Ds received this modification.Davis 2002, p. 137.


Wild Weasel

In 1965, the USAF began operating two-seat
North American F-100F Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of US ...
s specially equipped for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions in Vietnam. Nicknamed the Wild Weasel, these aircraft achieved a number of victories against North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile radars. The second crew member was a
Navigator A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's prima ...
trained as an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) to decipher sensor information and guide the pilot towards the targets.Dorr and Bishop 1996, pp. 60–61. However, the F-100F was an interim solution, since its limited payload often required multiple aircraft to conduct a successful strike; it also lacked the speed and endurance to effectively protect the F-105.Lake 2004, p. 31.Davis 2002, p. 135. 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 AGM-45 Shrike is an American anti-radiation missile designed to home in on hostile anti-aircraft radar. The Shrike was developed by the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake in 1963 by mating a seeker head to the rocket body of an AIM-7 Sparrow. ...
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 1966Davis 2000, p. 26. and they began arriving in Southeast Asia in May, flying their first mission on 6 June 1966, 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 en route.Davis and Menard 1998, p. 53. In the fall of 1967, EF-105Fs began to be upgraded to the definitive Wild Weasel Thunderchief, the F-105G. The F-105G incorporated a considerable amount of new SEAD-specific avionics, including an upgraded Radar Homing and Warning (RHAW) system which required a redesign of the wingtips. To free outboard hardpoints for additional weapons, the Westinghouse AN/ALQ-105
electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...
were permanently installed in two long blisters on the underside of the fuselage. Thirty aircraft were fitted with pylons to carry the
AGM-78 Standard The AGM-78 Standard ARM was an anti-radiation missile developed by General Dynamics, United States. It was built on the airframe of the RIM-66 Standard surface-to-air missile, resulting in a very large weapon with considerable range, allowing i ...
anti-radiation missile An anti-radiation missile (ARM) is a missile designed to detect and home in on an enemy radio emission source. Typically, these are designed for use against an enemy radar, although jammers and even radios used for communications can also be ...
. On a typical mission, the F-105G carried two Shrikes on outboard pylons, a single Standard on an inboard pylon balanced by a fuel tank on the other side, and a centerline fuel tank.


Costs

Notes: ''The costs above are in approximately 1960
United States dollar The United States dollar ( symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the officia ...
s and have not been adjusted for inflation.''Knaack 1978, pp. 195, 200, 203.


Operational history


Introduction

The F-105B entered USAF service with the
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 Ju ...
's
335th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 335th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 335th was constituted on 22 August 1942 as an incorporation of the ...
of the
4th Tactical Fighter Wing The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit. The wing is one of two Air Force uni ...
in August 1958, although the squadron did not become fully operational until 1959. On 11 December 1959, an F-105B piloted by Brig Gen Joseph Moore (commander of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing) set a world record of over a circuit.Knaack 1978, p. 195. Difficulties with its
avionics Avionics (a blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fit ...
and the MA-8
fire-control system A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a ...
were experienced early on; typically the F-105 required 150 hours of maintenance for each flying hour. Most of these problems were addressed under ''Project Optimize''. The lack of spares resulted in the entire F-105B fleet being briefly grounded in 1960.Knaack 1978, p. 194.Peacock 1986, pp. 186–187. In 1964, modified F-105Bs with ballast replacing the cannon, fuselage and wing reinforcement for aerobatics, and the addition of a smoke generator, briefly flew with the
United States Air Force Thunderbirds The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds") is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force The Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Created in 1953, the USAF ...
demonstration team. After only six shows, a fatal accident from overstressing the airframe led to the reintroduction of the F-100 Super Sabre.Davis 2002, pp. 128–129.Davis and Menard 1998, p. 43. By 1964, the F-105B was relegated to USAF
Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
(ANG) squadrons.Davis and Menard 1998, p. 16. It was replaced in frontline service by the definitive F-105D whose advanced NASARR R-14A radar and AN/ASG-19 Thunderstick fire-control system gave it all-weather capability. The R-14A radar also added a terrain-avoidance radar capability, while a completely new instrument panel was fitted, replacing dial-type instrument with vertical tape instruments which were easier to read in combat. In order to accommodate the new radar, with a much larger radar dish, the forward fuselage was redesigned, increasing overall length by .Davis 2002, pp. 129–130.Davis and Menard 1998, pp. 17–18. The F-105D entered service with the 335th TFS in September 1960, although it was not fully operational on the F-105D until early 1961. The first overseas F-105 units formed in West Germany in 1961, with the
36th Tactical Fighter Wing The United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of Pacific Air Forces' Eleventh Air Force. The 36th Wing provides day-to-day mission support to more than 9,000 military, civilian, dependent ...
at
Bitburg Air Base Bitburg (; french: Bitbourg; lb, Béibreg) is a city in Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate approximately 25 km (16 mi.) northwest of Trier and 50 km (31 mi.) northeast of Luxembourg city. The American Spangdahlem A ...
in May and the
49th Tactical Fighter Wing The 49th Wing is a remotely piloted vehicle wing of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Nineteenth Air Force, Air Education and Training Command. It is stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The wing has fought during the K ...
at
Spangdahlem Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base (IATA: SPM, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the USAF as a tenant constructed between 1951 and 1953 and located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Tri ...
in October. Both wings had a primary tactical nuclear strike role for
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
. The F-105D was also deployed to the Pacific, with the
18th Tactical Fighter Wing The United States Air Force's 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force's largest combat wing. It is the largest and principal organization in the Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force. The Wing's 18th Oper ...
at Kadena in
Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...
converting in 1962 and the
8th Tactical Fighter Wing The United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force. Seventh Air Force falls under Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). The Wing's 8th Operations Group is the success ...
converting from 1963.Peacock 1986, p. 188. Like the F-105B, the F-105D's early career was plagued with maintenance problems and in-flight failures.Knaack 1978, p. 197. The origins of the nickname ''"Thud"'' were obscure; some claim that it stood for the sound of an F-105 crashing into the ground.Davis and Menard 1998, p. 5. The entire F-105D fleet was grounded in December 1961 and then again in June 1962. Many of the issues were worked out during the production run and by 1964, early F-105Ds were upgraded with these fixes under Project ''Look Alike'', although engine failures and fuel system problems persisted until 1967. Meanwhile, the USAF was gradually changing the anticipated F-105 mission from nuclear interdiction to conventional bombing. The ''Look Alike'' upgrades increased the aircraft's capacity from four to 16 conventional bombs on underwing and fuselage centerline hardpoints and added the equipment to launch
AGM-12 Bullpup The AGM-12 Bullpup is a short-range air-to-ground missile developed by Martin Marietta for the US Navy. It is among the earliest precision guided air-to-ground weapons and the first to be mass produced. It first saw operational use in 1959 on th ...
air-to-ground missiles. In June 1961, an F-105D delivered of conventional bombs during a USAF test—at the time a record for a single-engine aircraft with a payload three times heavier than American four-engine heavy bombers of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
such as the
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Thea ...
and the
Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
, though aerial refueling would be required for long missions. One of the F-105Ds was named ''Memphis Belle II'' after the famed World War II B-17."Republic F-105D Thunderchief".
''National Museum of the US Air Force'', 20 December 2016.


Vietnam War

In spite of a troubled early service life, the F-105 became the dominant attack aircraft early in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. The F-105 could carry more than twice the bomb load farther and faster than the F-100, which was used mostly in South Vietnam. In a foreshadowing of its Wild Weasel role, the first F-105D combat mission of the war involved an attack on 14 August 1964 against an anti-aircraft artillery site on Plaine des Jarres.Peacock 1986, p. 189.Davis 2000, pp. 17–18. This mission was carried out by aircraft of the 36th TFS, 6441st Tactical Fighter Wing deployed from
Yokota Air Base , is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) base in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo. It occupies portions of Akishima, Fussa, Hamura, Mizuho, Musashimurayama, and Tachikawa. The base houses 14,000 perso ...
, Japan to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. The first Thunderchief lost in the war also occurred during this mission, although the pilot managed to return the aircraft to Korat. The first strike mission took place on 13 January 1965 with the destruction of the Ben Ken bridge in
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
.Peacock 1986, pp. 189–190. In early 1965 additional F-105 squadrons were deployed to Korat and Takhli air bases in Thailand. At the start of
Operation Rolling Thunder Operation Rolling Thunder was a gradual and sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the United States (U.S.) 2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), U.S. Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) against the Democratic R ...
in March 1965, large numbers of F-105Ds were shipped to these bases to participate in intense bombing missions. On 3 April 1965, a total of 79 aircraft, including 45 F-105 Thunderchiefs, were sent against the Thanh Hoa Bridge, nicknamed "Dragon's Jaw". The next day, enemy MiGs were encountered during a second run upon the bridge; a total of eight MiG-17s faced 46 F-105s escorted by a MiGCAP flight of 21 F-100 Super Sabres. The MiG-17s evaded the escorts using altitude and cloud cover, instead focusing upon the bomb-laden Thunderchiefs. Two Thunderchiefs were lost to the MiG-17s; a third, thought to be lost to ground fire, was later claimed by the North as downed by a MiG-17. One F-105 piloted narrowly escaped. USAF Chief of Staff General John P. McConnell was "hopping mad" to hear that two F-105s had been shot down by Korean War-era subsonic North Vietnamese MiGs. The Thanh Hoa Bridge proved resistant to aerial bombing; multiple missions were flown to damage the bridge both by F-105s and U.S. Navy aircraft. On 24 July 1965, four U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-4C Phantoms took part in an airstrike against the Dien Ben Phu munitions storage depot and the Lang Chi munitions factory west of Hanoi. One was shot down and three were damaged by SA-2 missiles. After two days, President Johnson gave the order to attack all known SA-2 positions which had been discovered outside the 30-mile exclusion zone. On the morning of 27 July, 48 F-105s participated in the Operation Spring High attack. But the Vietnamese knew U.S. aircraft were coming and set up many 23mm and 37mm anti-aircraft guns at the site. These anti-aircraft guns were lethal at close range and the Vietnamese shot down six aircraft, while more than half of the remaining U.S aircraft suffered damage from ground fire. Both SAM sites were devoid of missiles and equipment, and the Vietnamese had substituted white-painted bundles of
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...
for the real SA-2s. Operation Spring High destroyed two worthless targets at the cost of six aircraft and five pilots. In December 1966, the
Vietnam People's Air Force The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF, ), formally refers itself as the Air Defence - Air Force (ADAF, ) or the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF, ), is the aerial warfare service branch of Vietnam. It is the successor of the former North Vietnamese ...
(VPAF)'s
MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickn ...
pilots of the 921st Regiment claimed to have downed 14 F-105s without any losses. On a typical combat mission into North Vietnam, the F-105D carried two wing-mounted fuel tanks, a fuel tank in the bomb bay, and five or six bombs, and required inflight refueling going to and sometimes returning from
Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi i ...
distant. F-105s flying in the vicinity of Hanoi would routinely travel around mountainous terrain nicknamed ''
Thud Ridge ''Thud Ridge'' was the nickname given by United States Air Force F-105 Thunderchief pilots (the aircraft being nicknamed "Thud") during the Vietnam War to the Tam Dao range a 24 km, 5000 ft high ridge that ran parallel to the Red River ...
'' to evade the air defenses surrounding the city. Colonel Jack Broughton, an F-105 pilot in Vietnam, noted the demands of flying close to Hanoi gave "simply no room for error". On 11 August 1967, F-105Ds from 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron with support from F-105 Wild Weasels from 338th Tactical Fighter Squadron made the first of many successful attacks on the Paul Doumer bridge over the Red River. Flying low-altitude missions and conducting dive bombings forced the F-105s into range of North Vietnamese anti-aircraft guns, sometimes coming under heavy fire. USAF F-105s were escorted by F-4s to protect them against enemy fighters. However, the Thunderchief was officially credited with 27.5 air-to-air victories against VPAF aircraft at the cost of 17 aircraft lost to enemy fighters (North Vietnamese pilots claimed to have shot down an additional 23 F-105s but none have been confirmed by USAF). All victories were against MiG-17s. Of these 24.5 were shot down with cannon fire (one victory was shared with an F-4), and three with
AIM-9 Sidewinder The AIM-9 Sidewinder (where "AIM" stands for "Air Intercept Missile") is a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. Since then the Sidewinder has prove ...
missiles. One F-105F is unofficially credited with downing three MiGs—one by air-to-air missile, the second by cannon fire and the third by jettisoning the centerline rack full of bombs directly into the path of a surprised MiG. On 31 May 1968, a dedication ceremony took place at the
United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and U ...
to honor graduates who had served in Vietnam. An F-105, which had been assembled using parts from ten different F-105s that had seen service in Vietnam, was placed on permanent static display. The ceremony included the entire cadet wing, the superintendent and commandant of cadets of the USAFA, a representative of Republic Aircraft, members of the press, among others. To conclude the ceremony, a flight of four F-105s from McConnell AFB were to fly over in formation at 1,000 feet above the ground and then fly over singly at 250 feet. The formation portion happened as planned. But the flight leader, Lt Col James "Black Matt" Matthews, came back for the single-file pass and exceeded the speed of sound at less than 100 feet. The ensuing
sonic boom A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding similar to an explosion or a thunderclap to ...
broke hundreds of windows and fifteen people sustained cuts.


Medal of Honor recipients

Two Wild Weasel pilots received the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
: *USAF
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Merlyn H. Dethlefsen was awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
and Capt Kevin "Mike" Gilroy the Air Force Cross for an F-105F Wild Weasel mission on 10 March 1967, flying F-105F,
serial number A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it. Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...
''63-8352''. After their aircraft was damaged by ground fire, Dethlefsen and Gilroy elected to stay in the skies above the steel works at Thai Nguyen until the SAM site was found and destroyed. *USAF Captain
Leo K. Thorsness Leo Keith Thorsness (February 14, 1932 – May 2, 2017) was a colonel in the United States Air Force who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War. He was awarded the medal for an air engagement on April 19, 1967. He was shot ...
was awarded the Medal of Honor and Capt Harold Johnson the Air Force Cross for an F-105F Wild Weasel mission on 19 April 1967, flying F-105F,
serial number A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it. Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...
''63-8301''. Thorsness and Johnson protected an attempted rescue of another Wild Weasel crew that had been shot down, in the process destroying two MiG-17s. After running out of ammunition, Thorsness and Johnson continued to act as decoys to draw the MiGs away from the rescue aircraft.


Phase-out and retirement

As production of F-105s had ended, the type was replaced in the Vietnam War by other aircraft, primarily the F-4 Phantom II. In October 1970, the
355th Tactical Fighter Wing 355th may refer to: Aviation * 355th Fighter Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit * 355th Fighter Wing, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force * 355th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a U.S. Ai ...
, which was based at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, and was the last F-105D unit in Southeast Asia, began to return to the U.S. The F-105G Wild Weasel versions soldiered on until the end of the war. They were gradually replaced by F-4G Wild Weasel IVs. The Thunderchief was rapidly withdrawn from USAF service after the end of the Vietnam War. Of the 833 F-105s built, a combined 395 F-105s were lost in Southeast Asia, including 334 (296 F-105Ds and 38 two-seaters) lost to enemy action and 61 lost in operational accidents.Davies 2002, p. 149. Following the war the USAF began transferring the remaining aircraft to
Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commi ...
(AFRES) and Air National Guard (ANG) units. By the late 1970s, these aging Thunderchiefs were becoming difficult to maintain. The last F-105Gs with the 128th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Georgia ANG were retired on 25 May 1983. The last flight of the F-105 Thunderchief was by the AFRES 466th Tactical Fighter Squadron with F-105Ds on 25 February 1984.


Variants

;YF-105A :Two pre-production prototypes with P&W J57 engine model.Donald 1997, p. 773. ;YF-105B :Four pre-production aircraft with P&W J75 engine. ;F-105B :Initial production model with AN/APN-105 navigational radar, 71 built. ;JF-105B :Test aircraft built from re-allocated RF-105B airframes; three built. ;RF-105B :Proposed reconnaissance version of the F-105B; none built. Three were ordered but completed as JF-105Bs. ;F-105C :Proposed dual-control trainer; canceled in 1957, none built. ;F-105D :The definitive production model, all-weather capability because of advanced avionics, including AN/APN-131 navigational radar; 610 built.Peacock 1986, p. 187. ;RF-105D :Proposed reconnaissance version of the F-105D; none built. ;F-105E :Proposed trainer version of F-105D; cancelled in 1959, none completed.Davis 2002, p. 129. ;F-105F :Two-seat trainer version of F-105D with lengthened forward fuselage. It was fully combat-capable and had dual controls, taller fin, and increased takeoff weight; its first flight took place on 11 June 1963. A total of 143 were built. ;EF-105F :Initial designation for a
Wild Weasel Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air mis ...
/ Defense suppression version, 54 converted from F-105Fs. ;F-105G :Two-seat Wild Weasel, improved version of the EF-105F. ;F-105H :Proposed upgraded two-seat variant based on the F-105F with a larger wing with folding wing tips, nose, larger vertical tail, larger stabiliator, and modified landing gear. Never built.Anderton 1983, p. 187.


Operators

; *
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...
*
United States Air Force Thunderbirds The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds") is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force The Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Created in 1953, the USAF ...
*
Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commi ...
*
Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...


Surviving aircraft


Specifications (F-105D)


See also


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

*Anderton, David. ''Republic F-105 Thunderchief''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1983. . *Angelucci, Enzo and Peter M. Bowers. ''The American Fighter''. Sparkford, UK: Haynes Publishing, 1987. . *Archer, Robert D. ''The Republic F-105 "Thunderchief": The Story of Republic's Mach 2 Strike Fighter in Peace and at War''. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers Inc., 1969. * *Crosby, Francis. ''Fighter Aircraft''. London: Lorenz Books, 2002. . *Davies, Peter E. ''F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War (Osprey Combat Aircraft #84)''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Limited, 2010. . *Davis, Larry. "F-105 in Southeast Asia". ''Wings of Fame'', Volume 18, 2000. London: Aerospace Publishing. pp. 16–37. . ISSN 1361-2034. *Davis, Larry. "Warplane Classic: Republic F-105 Thunderchief". ''International Air Power Review'', Volume 6, Autumn/Fall 2002, pp. 120–155. Norwalk, Connecticut, USA: AIRtime Publishing. . ISSN 1473-9917. *Davis, Larry and David Menard. ''Republic F-105 Thunderchief'' (Warbird Tech Series, Vol. 18). North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 1998. . *Donald, David, ed. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997. . *Dorr, Robert F. and Chris Bishop. ''Vietnam Air War Debrief''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1996. . *Futrell, R. Frank et al
''Aces and Aerial Victories: The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, 1965-1973''.
Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History and the Albert F. Simpson Historical Research Center, 1976. . *Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''The Great Book of Fighters''. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001. . *Higham, Robin and Carol Williams. ''Flying Combat Aircraft of USAAF-USAF (Vol.1)''. Rockville, Maryland: Air Force Historical Foundation, 1975. . *Hobson, Chris. ''Vietnam Air Losses, USAF, USN, USMC, Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961–1973''. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2001. . *Jenkins, Dennis R. ''F-105 Thunderchief: Workhorse of the Vietnam War''. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. . *Jenkins, Dennis R. and Tony R. Landis. ''Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters.'' North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2008. . *Kinzey, Bert. ''F-105 Thunderchief''. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers Inc., 1982. . *Knaack, Marcelle Size
''Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems: Volume 1, Post-World War II Fighters, 1945–1973.''
Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, 1978. . *Lake, Jon. "Classics Compared: F-105G & F-16CJ". ''Air International'', Vol. 66, No 2, February 2004, pp. 30–39. ISSN 0306-5634. *Neubeck, Ken. ''F-105 Thunderchief in Action''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 2002. . *Neubeck, Ken. ''F-105 Thunderchief Walk Around''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 2000. . *Peacock, Lindsay. "The Thud ... Republic's Last Fighter". ''
Air International ''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd. History and profile The magazine was fi ...
'', Vol. 30, No. 4, April 1986, pp. 185–194, 206–207. ISSN 0306-5634. *Price, Alfred. ''The History of US Electronic Warfare, Volume III: Rolling Thunder Through Allied Force–1964 to 2000''. New York: The Association of Old Crows, 1989. .
''Republic F-105 Thunderchief Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions.''
Los Angeles: Persiscope Films LLC, originally published by the United States Air Force, 2008 (reprint). . *Richardson, Doug. ''Republic F-105 Thunderchief'' (Classic Warplanes). New York: Smithmark Publishers Inc., 1992. . *Sherwood, John Darrell
''Afterburner: Naval Aviators and the Vietnam War.''
New York: NYU Press, 2004. . *Stoff, Joshua. ''The Thunder Factory: An Illustrated History of the Republic Aviation Corporation''. London: Arms & Armour Press, 1990. . * Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1966–67''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1966. *Toperczer, Istvan. ''MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War.'' Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2001. .


External links


USAF Museum F-105D Factsheet
an
USAF Museum F-105F/G Factsheet
on nationalmuseum.af.mil

on talkingproud.us

on burrusspta.org
Republic F-105 Thunderchief In Combat
Thud Ridge Web, via web.archive.org


F-105 Thunderchief Walk Around on primeportal.netF-105 profile on Aerospaceweb.org

''Twenty-five hour day''(thumbnails)
film primarily covering an F-105 attack over North Vietnam; plenty of Thud footage, and coverage of the support required for such an operation

* ttp://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202858.html "Only Republic's F-105 Has it All!"a 1959 ''Flight'' advertisement for the F-105. flightglobal.com {{Authority control
Republic F-105 Thunderchief The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Viet ...
Aircraft first flown in 1955 Mid-wing aircraft
F-105 The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Viet ...
Second-generation jet fighters Single-engined jet aircraft