"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
08/13/2020 at 09:05 • Filed to: good morning oppo, wingspan
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"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
08/13/2020 at 09:05 • Filed to: good morning oppo, wingspan | 3
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Good Morning, Oppo, and welcome to Thunderchief Thursday.
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief took its maiden flight in 1955 and was originally designed as a Mach 2, low altitude penetrator whose job was to deliver a single nuclear bomb deep into enemy territory. But in the early years of the Vietnam War, the Thud was pressed into service as a tactical strike bomber, a mission it was not ideally suited for. As a result, casualty rates were high, and the F-105 was the only aircraft ever removed from combat due to high losses. The Thud was well named, as it was the largest and heaviest single seat fighter of of its day, weighing in at a whopping 50,000 pounds capable of carrying up to 14,000 pounds of ordnance. The Thunderchief was also developed into the F-105G Wild Weasel, the first dedicated aircraft designed to target and destroy radar-guided missile batteries. Though the strike variants were removed from service, the Wild Weasels continued flying throughout the Vietnam War, and were finally retired in 1984.
Just Jeepin'
> ttyymmnn
08/13/2020 at 09:15 |
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A recurring theme for military aircraft seems to be “Developed for scenario A, but because it took so long the mission parameters/strategic geopolitics changed and now it’s used for something entirely different”.
Except often it’s good at the “wrong” mission. Sorry Thud.
McMike
> ttyymmnn
08/13/2020 at 09:30 |
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Also the shortest lived airframe the Thunderbirds ever used.
Only six shows.
user314
> Just Jeepin'
08/13/2020 at 09:30 |
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That’s kinda what happens when you base whole weapons systems around a type of bomb you hope to never use.
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ttyymmnn
> Just Jeepin'
08/13/2020 at 09:37 |
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Technology is fast, development is slow.
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ttyymmnn
> McMike
08/13/2020 at 09:38 |
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I can’t imagine why. That thing was built to fly fast as hell in a straight line.
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user314
> ttyymmnn
08/13/2020 at 09:59 |
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T he team switched to the F-105 Thunderchief for the 1964 season, but were forced to re-equip with the F-100D after only six airshows due to a catastrophic structural failure of the No. 2 aircraft during a pitch-up maneuver that resulted in the death of Capt Gene Devlin at Hamilton Air Force Base
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McMike
> ttyymmnn
08/13/2020 at 10:00 |
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If I recall, one of the other reasons was that t he name Thud erbirds didn’t have the same ring as Thunder birds.
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ttyymmnn
> user314
08/13/2020 at 10:03 |
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I’m assuming Devlin is one of the guys in McMike’s photo.
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user314
> ttyymmnn
08/13/2020 at 10:08 |
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Second from the left, I think.
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ttyymmnn
> user314
08/13/2020 at 10:25 |
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Slightly O/T, but here’s something that should interest you .
facw
> ttyymmnn
08/13/2020 at 11:33 |
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capable of carrying up to 14,000 pounds of ordnance
Meanwhile the lightweight F-16 has a max payload of ~17,000 lbs (though you won’t get very far if you don’t use some of that for drop tanks), and the F-35 can carry 18,000 lbs of ordinance (though good luck fitting it in the internal bays).
Still, fighters carrying significantly more payload than WWII strategic bombers.
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ttyymmnn
> facw
08/13/2020 at 11:49 |
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I would chalk most of that up to more powerful engines and significantly lighter materials.