The new aircraft was intended primarily for supersonic, low altitude penetration to deliver a single, internally carried nuclear bomb. The design team led by Alexander Kartveli examined some 108 configurations before settling on a large, single-engine AP-63FBX (Advanced Project 63 Fighter Bomber, Experimental), specifically AP-63-31. It was conceived of as an internal project to produce a replacement for the RF-84F Thunderflash, which first used the characteristic wing-root air intakes to make room for cameras in the nose section. Republic Aviation started work on what would become the Thunderchief during 1951.

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'.ĭevelopment Design phase

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. The F-105 could carry up to 14,000 lb (6,400 kg) of bombs and missiles. It could exceed the speed of sound at sea level and reach Mach 2 at high altitude. 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). 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. 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. 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. Although less agile than smaller MiG fighters, USAF F-105s were credited with 27.5 kills.ĭuring the conflict, the single-seat F-105D was the primary aircraft delivering heavy bomb loads against the various military targets. The F-105 was one of the primary attack aircraft of the Vietnam War over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown, with 382 aircraft lost including 62 operational (non-combat) losses (out of the 833 produced). The single-engine F-105 could deliver a bomb load greater than some American heavy bombers of World War II such as the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator. First flown in 1955, the Thunderchief entered service in 1958. The F-105 was commonly known as the 'Thud' by its crews.Īs 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. 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. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War it was the only American aircraft to have been removed from combat due to high loss rates. The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is a supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984.

War thunder down for maintenance