Warplanes of the USA: Republic F-105 Thunderchief

Republic F-105 Thunderchief

(USAF Photo)

Republic F-105D-30-RE Thunderchief (SN 62-4234) in flight with a full bomb load of M117 750 lb bombs. Normally drop tanks were carried on the inboard wing pylons. This aircraft was shot down on 24 December 1968 over Laos while being assigned to the Wing Headquarters, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Takhli RTAFB. Major Charles R. "Dick" Brownlee was the pilot of the lead aircraft (s/n 62-4234, call sign "Panda 01") in a flight of four. The flight was conducting an afternoon strike mission against Route 911, between the Ban Karai Pass and the city of Ban Phaphilang, Khammouane Province, Laos. At 15:47h the aircraft attacked a truck moving along Route 911. 62-4234 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and caught fire. Major Brownlee's aircraft exploded at roughly the same time he ejected from his aircraft. The next day a rescue attempt of heavily injured or dead Brownlee failed, but a member of the rescue team, CMS Charles D. King, was captured, too. Both men are listed as missing in action. The location was on the northern edge of a large valley and just east of Route 911, approximately 16 km southwest of Ban Thapachon

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American 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 Vietnam War; it is 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; a two-seat Wild Weasel 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 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 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 bombers of the Second World War, such as the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The F-105 was one of the primary attack aircraft of the Vietnam War, with over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties flown. Out of the 833 produced, 382 aircraft were lost, including 62 operational (non-combat) losses. Although less agile than smaller MiG fighters, USAF F-105s were credited with 27.5 kills.

During the conflict, 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-built S-75 Dvina (NATO reporting name: SA-2 Guideline) surface-to-air missiles. Two Wild Weasel pilots were awarded the Medal of Honor 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 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg).[2] It could exceed the speed of sound at sea level and reach Mach 2 at high altitude.[3] The F-105 could carry up to 14,000 lb (6,400 kg) 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 and the swing-wing General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. However, the "Wild Weasel" variants of the F-105 remained in service until early 1984, at which point they were replaced by the specialized F-4G "Wild Weasel V". (Wikipedia)

(USAF Photo)

Six F-105B-10-REs (6 of 9 block 10 aircraft built) parked on the ramp. Aircraft are (nearest to farthest) S/N 57-5779, -5780, -5782, -5784, -5781, -5778.

(USAF Photo)

Republic F-105D-5-RE Thunderchief (s/n 59-1719) in flight. This aircraft was shot down over Laos on 16 January 1966 while being assigend to the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Takhli RTAFB.

(USAF Photo)

Republic F-105D-31-RE Thunderchief (Serial No. 62-4347), 127th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, ca 1970.

(Mike Freer, Touchdown Aviation Photos)

Republic F-105D Thunderchief, 149th TFS/192nd TFG Virginia Air National Guard based at Byrd IAP, Richmond, Virginia.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown Aviation Photo)

Republic F-105D Thunderchief, 121st Tactical Fighter Squadron, District of Columbia Air National Guard, 1986.

(USAF Photo)

U.S. Air Force Republic F-105D Thunderchief fighters refuel from a Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker en route to North Vietnam in 1966. The aircraft were from the 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron, deployed from the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina (USA) to Takli RTAFB.

(USAF Photo)

Republic Republic F-105D-10-RE Thunderchief (Serial No. 60-0521) of the 563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, in 1971.  This F-105D is a "Thunderstick II" conversion, which was easily distinguished from the standard -D model by the backbone electronics bay fairing from the cockpit to the vertical stabilizer.  "Thunderstick II" allowed the aircraft to deliver ordnance under most flight conditions (speed, altitude and attitude) by automating weapons delivery and piloting.  The aircraft in the photo crashed on 22 Dec 1976.

(USAF Photo)

Two U.S. Air Force Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs, an F-105F-1-RE (s/n 63-8280) and an F-105D-31-RE (s/n 62-4355), with Mt. Fuji, Japan, in the background.

(USAF Photo)

Republic F-105s take off on a mission to bomb North Vietnam, 1966.

(USAF Photo)

Republic F-105G in flight on May 5, 1970. External stores include QRC-380 blisters, AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78B Standard ARM (Anti-Radiation Missile).

(RuthAS Photo)

A U.S. Air Force Republic F-105D-10-RE Thunderchief (s/n 60-0474) from the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at Bitburg Air Base, Germany, at RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk (UK), in 1962. This aircraft was written off on 14 January 1964 after it crashed during landing approach at Bitburg. The pilot survived.

(US Defense Imagery Photo)

Three Republic F-105B Thunderchief aircraft from the 508th Tactical Fighter Group, U.S. Air Force Reserve, and two U.S. Navy McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk aircraft from Fleet Composite Squadron VC-1 flying in formation off Oahu, Hawaii (USA), on 25 January 1978.

(USAF Photo)

Four U.S. Air Force Republic F-105D Thunderchief aircraft of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing are refueled on their way to North Vietnamse targets by a Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker aircraft in 1965. The F-105s visible are (front to back): 62-4338, which was shot down on 2 September 1967 (333 TFS, the pilot was killed); 61-0139; unknown; 59-1771 (c/n D83), it was retired to the MASDC as FK0048 on 25 June 1981, and is today on display at Circleville, Ohio (USA). The KC-135A-BN 60-0315 (c/n 18090) was later converted to an KC-135R. Note: as the 61-0139 wears 4th TFW markings and the 59-1771 is still without camouflage the photo was most probably taken in 1965. The 4th was rotated to the U.S. in 1965-66, leaving its F-105s in South East Asia

Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighters preserved in the United States

Republic F-105B Thunderchief

(Rob Bixby Photo)

(Adrian Brooks Photo)
54-0102 - USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, Alabama. This airframe is a YF-105B.

(Chris Light Photo)

54-0104 - Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rantoul, Illinois.

(Author Photo)
54-0107 - Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory, North Carolina.
57-5776 - New Jersey Air National Guard / 108th Air Refueling Wing cantonment area, McGuire AFB, New Jersey.

(Jeff Nelson Photo)
57-5778 - New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, Connecticut (currently in storage).
57-5783 - Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, New York.
57-5789 - Winston Field, Snyder, Texas.
57-5792 - Zanesville Municipal Airport, Zanesville, Ohio.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

(Steve Riggins Photo)
57-5803 - March Field Air Museum, March ARB (former March AFB), Riverside, California.

(Carmelo Turdo Photo)
57-5817 - Chillicothe Municipal Airport, Chillicothe, Missouri.
57-5819 - Poinsett Air Force Range (GSU of 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB),South Carolina.
57-5820 - MAPS Air Museum in Akron, Ohio.

(Thornfield Hall Photo)
57-5823 - Fairchild AFB, Spokane, Washington.

(kitmasterbloke Photo)
57-5837 - Castle Air Museum, former Castle AFB, Atwater, California.

(Robert Dilley Photos)
57-5838 - Wisconsin ANG - Volk Field Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin.

(Eric Friedebach Photo)
57-5839 - South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.

Republic JF-105B Thunderchief
54-0105 - USAF Airman Heritage Museum, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas.

Republic F-105D Thunderchief
58-1155 - Painted as AF Ser. No. 59-1771 Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB,Florida.
59-1738 - Dyess Linear Air Park, Dyess AFB, Texas.
59-1739 - Commemorative Air Force, Midland, Texas.

(supercarwaar Photo)
59-1743 - Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, Utah.
59-1759 - under restoration at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.

(Mark Knapp Photo)
59-1771 - American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 2256, Circleville, Ohio.

(Balon Greyjoy Photo)
60-0445 - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.
60-0452 - Private collection of Dan Bissell at Bissell Auto & Body, St.Louis, MO. Note: Not open to the public.
60-0455 - Veteran's Memorial Park, Dixon, Illinois. (Moved from Jackson, Mississippi in 2009 and restored to Vietnam era camouflage markings.
60-0471 - under restoration at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.

(Author Photos)
60-0482 - USAF Academy, Colorado.

(Adrian Brooks Photo)
60-0492 - Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, Space Coast Regional Airport, Titusville, Florida.
60-0500 - Historic Aviation Memorial Museum, Tyler, Texas.

(NMUSAF Photo)
60-0504 - National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB,Dayton, Ohio.

(Lance Barber Photo)

(Author Photo)
60-0508 - Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, former Lowry AFB, Denver, Colorado.

(Adrian Brooks Photo)
60-0535 - Keesler AFB Air Park, Mississippi.
60-5385 - Fort Worth Aviation Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.
61-0041 - District of Columbia Air National Guard - 113th Wing complex, Andrews AFB, Maryland.

(Adrian Brooks Photo)
61-0056 - Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, North Carolina.

(Greg Goebel Photo)
61-0069 - Mounted on a pedestal along Interstate 80 as part of the StrategicAir and Space Museum's collection near Ashland, Nebraska.

(Author Photo)
61-0073 - Air Power Park, Hampton, Virginia.

(Mike LaChance Photo)

(kitmasterbloke Photo)
61-0086 - Pima Air & Space Museum, adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson,Arizona.

(Chris Light Photo)
61-0088 - Grissom Air Museum, Grissom ARB (former Grissom AFB), Indiana.

(Sclemmons Photo)
61-0093 - Texas Air Museum - Caprock Chapter, City of Slaton/Larry T. Neal Memorial Airport, Slaton, Texas.
61-0099 - Air Classics Museum of Aviation, Sugar Grove, Illinois.
61-0100 - NAS Fort Worth JRB/Carswell Field (former Carswell AFB), Fort Worth,TX.
61-0106 - Museum of the Kansas National Guard, Topeka, Kansas.

(Balon Greyjoy Photo)
61-0107 - National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, adjacent toKirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
61-0108 - Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California.
61-0110 - This airframe has the T-Stick II modification. Hobbs Army Airfield inHobbs, NM. (Relocated in 2021 from Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell,Roswell Industrial Air Center, Roswell, New Mexico.)
61-0115 - Helton Howland Memorial Park, Tallapoosa, Georgia.

(Hector Vazquez Photo)

61-0138 - Bolling AFB, Washington, District of Columbia. Painted as 59-1771.

(Rich VanderWoude Photo)
61-0145 - Holloman AFB, New Mexico.

(Rennett Stowe Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)
61-0146 - Century Circle at Edwards Air Force Base, near Rosamond, California.

(Andre Gerwing Photo)

(Hector Vazquez Photo)
61-0159 - Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

(kb10bo Photo)

61-0164 - Hunter Memorial Park, Douglasville, Georgia. Note: Painted torepresent aircraft 59-1746.
61-0165 - Moody AFB, Georgia.

(kb7ywl Photo)
61-0175 - Sheppard AFB Air Park, Sheppard AFB, Texas.
61-0176 - Maxwell AFB Air Park, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.

(Author Photo)
61-0188 - Tactical Air Command Memorial Park, Joint Base Langley-Eustis,Hampton, Virginia. Painted as 61-0217 in the TAC Memorial Park, but in a1990s/2000s USAF all gray tactical paint scheme with subdued insignia.
61-0199 - Veteran's Park, Tupelo, Mississippi.
62-4228 - Helton Howland Memorial Park, Tallapoosa, Georgia.
62-4242 - Vance AFB, Oklahoma.
62-4253 - Reflections of Freedom Historical Air Park, Wichita, Kansas.

(Alan Wilson Photo)
62-4259 - Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB, Warner Robins, Georgia.
62-4279 – JBSA-Kelly Field Annex, San Antonio, Texas.

(Alan Wilson Photo)
62-4299 – Veterans Memorial Museum, Chehalis, Washington.

(Alan Wilson Photo)
62-4301 - Aerospace Museum of California McClellan AFB), Sacramento,California.

(Carmelo Turdo Photo)
62-4318 - Fairview Park, Centralia, Illinois.

(Martin McGuire Photo)
62-4328 - Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee.

(Michael Barera Photo)
62-4346 - Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas.
62-4347 – Hill AFB, Utah.
62-4353 – Freedom Museum, Pampa, Texas.

(Balon Greyjoy Photo)

(Jasta 11 Photo)
62-4360 - Tinker AFB, Oklahoma.

(Ad Meskins Photo)
62-4361 - American Airpower Museum, Republic Airport, Suffolk County, New York.

(Eric Friedebach Photo)
62-4375 - Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.

(Alan Wilson Photos)
62-4383 - March Field Air Museum, March ARB (former March AFB), Riverside, California.

(BruceS Photo
62-4387 - USAF Airman Heritage Museum, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas.

F-105F

(Brandonrush Photo)
63-8261 - Jacksonville Museum of Military History, Little Rock AFB, LittleRock, Arkansas.

(Bill Larkins Photo)

(Author Photos)
63-8276 - Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada.
63-8331 - Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa, California.

(Perry Quan Photo)
63-8343 - Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison, Texas. This museum closed on 1January 2024.

(Ace120tm, 205sweeman17 Photo)
63-8365 - Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham, Alabama.

(Carmelo Turdo Photo)
63-8366 - McConnell AFB, Kansas.

F-105G

(Alan Wilson Photo)
62-4416 - Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Palmdale Plant 42, Palmdale, California.

(Dwight Burdette Photo)
62-4425 - American Legion Post 325 in Blissfield, Michigan.

(Mike Freer Photo)
62-4427 - Pima Air & Space Museum, adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona.

(Daderot Photo)
62-4432 - Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon.
62-4438 - Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii.
62-4440 - Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, Utah.

(Doug Kerr Photo)
62-4444 - Empire State Aerosciences Museum, Glenville, New York.

(Robert Dilley Photo)
63-8266 - Mid-America Air Museum, Liberal, Kansas.

(Alan Wilson Photo)
63-8274 - Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum at Martin State Airport inMiddle River, Maryland.
63-8276 – Nellis AFB, Nevada.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

(Skytamer.com, Ron Strong Photo)
63-8278 - Sacramento VA Medical Center, Mather Airport (formerly Mather AFB),Sacramento, California.

(kitmasterbloke Photo)
63-8285 - Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

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(Martin McGuire Photo)
63-8296 - Flying Tiger Heritage Park, Alexandria International Airport (former England AFB), Alexandria, Louisiana.

(Martin McGuire Photo)
63-8306 - Aviation Cadet Museum, Silver Wings Field, Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

(Dsdugan Photo)
63-8320 - National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB,Dayton, Ohio.
63-8336 - Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, Everett, Washington.
63-8345 - Dobbins ARB (former Dobbins AFB), Marietta, Georgia.
63-8363 - Texas Air Museum, Stinson Field Chapter, San Antonio, Texas.

Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighters preserved in France

F-105F
63-8357 Musee de Chateau de Savigny Savigny-les-Beaune.

F-105G

(ignis Photo)
63-8300 - Musee de l’ Air et de l’ Espace, Le Bourget, France.

Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighters preserved in Germany

F-105F

(AlfvanBeem Photo)
62-4417 - Flugausstellung L. + P. Junior, Abtei, Hermeskeil, Rheinland-Pfalz.

F-105G
62-4446 - Spangdahlem AB, Bitburg, Rhineland-Palatinate.

Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighters preserved in Japan

F-105F
62-4418 - Gate 1 Display Area, Kadena AB, Okinawa.

Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighters preserved in Mexico

F-105B
57-5784 - Technical Museum, Chapultepec Park, Mexico City, Mexico.

Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighters preserved in Poland

F-105D

(Zala Photo)
59-1822 - Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego, (Polish Aviation Museum), Kraków.

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