Jun 22, 2019 · After its long-delayed entry into USAF service, the Thunderchief, in its all-weather strike F-105D/F configuration, soon proved to be a capable weapon whose performance …

In 1951 Republic Aviation began a project to develop a supersonic tactical fighter-bomber to replace the F-84F. The result was the F-105 Thunderchief, later affectionately nicknamed the “Thud.” The prototype YF-105A first flew in October 1955, but …

Jun 4, 2019 · Forced to develop innovative tactics to compete with their smaller and more manoeuvrable enemies, F-105 pilots used speed and skill to down 27.5 MiG-17s — a tally in excess of the that scored by the F-4 Phantom II crews assigned to protect them during 1966-67.

Oct 18, 2020 · As told by Peter E Davies in his book F-105 Thunderchief MiG Killers of the Vietnam War, two MiG-17s were spotted as the F-105s left the target, the ‘Thud’ pilots cleaning off their tanks and MERs and accelerating to 600 knots behind the unsuspecting VPAF pilots.

Feb 16, 2019 · The skies over North Vietnam would be the most dangerous and difficult skies for American pilots to operate in since World War 2. At the start of Rolling Thunder, defense suppression was assigned to two-seat F-100F Super Sabres known as the Wild Weasels.

Designated F-105F Wild Weasel III, the aircraft replaced the F-100F Wild Weasel I in the summer of 1966 (there was no production Wild Weasel II) and became the backbone of USAF SAM suppression during Operation Rolling Thunder.

Dec 4, 2021 · Returning from a successful bombing run, F-105 pilot Maj Ted Tolman decided to deal with gun positions near the port of Cam Pha that had fired on his flight during the outbound leg of the mission. As he strafed the gun-pits, Tolman saw a …

Nov 10, 2019 · On Jul. 19, 1966, he led four F-105 flights from 354th TFS/35Sth TFW tasked to target a petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) storage site near Hanoi. The aircraft were supported by two F-4C MiGCAP flights and an EB-66 radar jammer, which had F-104C escort.

Oct 31, 2019 · “I flipped the manual canopy unlock lever under the canopy rail and the canopy went like it had been blown off. I was now in a convertible at 695 knots, still supersonic, …

Jun 30, 2024 · The F-105 Wild Weasels continued to develop tactics, flying two types of missions — strike support, by far the more common of the two, and “hunter-killer” search and destroy …