Why was the F-105 called the thud?

According to F-105 pilots and crews, the “Thud” nickname was inspired by the character “Chief Thunderthud” from the Howdy Doody 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.

Are there any F-105 still flying?

By 1970, the Air Force had withdrawn the F-105D from combat, though the Wild Weasels soldiered on until the end of the war. Ninety-six F-105s remain relatively intact in museums, on display at various Air Force bases or awaiting destruction at the Davis-Monthan boneyard in Arizona. Not a one is flyable.

How fast is the f105 Thunderchief?

1,386 mph
Republic F-105 Thunderchief/Top speed

What was the F-105 Thunderchief used for in Vietnam?

Republic F-105 Thunderchief. The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was an American supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it was the only U.S. aircraft to have been removed from combat due to high loss rates.

What is the ISBN number for the F 105 Thunderchief?

Fighter Aircraft. London: Lorenz Books, 2002. ISBN 0-7548-0990-0. Davies, Peter E. F-105 Thunderchief Units of the Vietnam War (Osprey Combat Aircraft #84). Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Limited, 2010.

What happened to the F-105D thud?

Like the F-105B, the F-105D’s early career was plagued with maintenance problems and in-flight failures. The origins of the nickname “Thud” were obscure; some claim that it stood for the sound of an F-105 crashing into the ground. The entire F-105D fleet was grounded in December 1961 and then again in June 1962.

What is the best book on the Republic F-105 Thunderchief?

Republic F-105 Thunderchief (Classic Warplanes). New York: Smithmark Publishers Inc., 1992. ISBN 0-8317-1410-7. Sherwood, John Darrell. Afterburner: Naval Aviators and the Vietnam War. New York: NYU Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8147-9842-X. Stoff, Joshua. The Thunder Factory: An Illustrated History of the Republic Aviation Corporation.

Why was the F-105 called the Thud?

What was the nickname for the F-105?

Thud
Upon returning to the U.S., the plane served in USAF and Air National Guard units though the early 1980s. The F-105 Thunderchief’s nickname, “Thud,” was inspired by Chief Thunderthud, a character on the Howdy Doody TV series.

Is F-105 A good plane?

“It was a great airplane,” said one Thud pilot. “Not much of a fighter, but it was so much faster than everything else.” The 105 could go so fast down low that the canopy would start to soften or become opaque from the heat. But speed was its salvation, particularly when challenged by MiG-17s.

What replaced the F-105?

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 1984 after being replaced by the specialized F-4G “Wild Weasel V”.

Who built the F 105 Thunderchief?

Republic Aviation
Republic F-105 Thunderchief/Manufacturers

What jet was used in Vietnam?

The F-4 was developed by the Navy and entered service in 1962. It had impressive speed, range, and versatility, and it remained the leading US fighter into the 1970s. The original Phantom was modified and employed in Vietnam as the Air Force F-4C and F-4D and the Navy F-4B and F-4J.

How many MiG 21s did Vietnam have?

The North Vietnamese fighter fleet stood at 40, of which only 12 were MiG-21s. However, the losses were soon replenished by the Soviets and the Chinese. When the air war resumed in 1972 after the bombing halt, the VPAF MiG total was up to 206, an all-time high.

Is Good Morning Vietnam based on Pat Sajak?

Pat Sajak Goes to Saigon Cronauer was a high-energy DJ and he created a program called Dawn Busters, in which he would open every morning segment by shouting, “Good morning Vietnam!” Dawn Busters was the inspiration for the movie Good Morning Vietnam.

Is the F-105 a “bad” aircraft?

It’s journalistically and politically indelicate to write about any historical military aircraft as “bad” or “dangerous”, so we will handle the F-105 and its history over Vietnam objectively and respectfully. Early in its history, during 1961, the F-105 had the lowest rate of accidents of any jet fighter in the history of the Air Force.

What happened to the F-105 Thunderchief?

Early in its history, during 1961, the F-105 had the lowest rate of accidents of any jet fighter in the history of the Air Force. But by June of 1964 accidents in the F-105 Thunderchief increased remarkably.

What happened to gene Devlin’s F-105?

Thunderbird pilot Capt. Gene Devlin’s F-105 crash on May 9, 1964 was the 15th accident in an F-105 in only five months during 1964. But it would get worse. Only four days after Devlin’s crash in California, a Nellis AFB F-105D lost its engine on takeoff and crashed into the Las Vegas suburb of Woodland North. The results were catastrophic.

What happened to the F-105D that crashed in Vegas?

Only four days after Devlin’s crash in California, a Nellis AFB F-105D lost its engine on takeoff and crashed into the Las Vegas suburb of Woodland North. The results were catastrophic. A mother and three children died on the ground where the aircraft crashed. The impact leveled seven houses and destroyed two cars.