Republic F-105D Thunderchief FLAG BACKGROUND
by Arthur Eggers
Title
Republic F-105D Thunderchief FLAG BACKGROUND
Artist
Arthur Eggers
Medium
Digital Art - Color Print
Description
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was conceived in the 1950s as a nuclear strike aircraft, but actually achieved fame during the Vietnam War as a conventional strike and later on as a defense suppression aircraft. The F-105 entered operational service in May 1958 and went through various design variants with the D model becoming the definitive version. The F-105 took the brunt of the early air war in Vietnam. While exceptionally fast at low altitude, the F-105’s highly loaded wings did not provide much in the way of maneuverability. The missions were dangerous and losses were high. At the worst of the air war, the chances of a Thunderchief pilot surviving 100 missions over North Vietnam were about 75%. The D model was so extensively used, that over one half of the 610 units built were lost during the Vietnam War. The 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned in November 1965 permanently to Thailand, where it prepared for combat fighter operations at Korat RTAFB. Over 20,000 combat missions were flown by Thunderchiefs in Vietnam. Following their withdrawal from Southeast Asia, the few Thunderchiefs to survive combat in Vietnam served with active duty Air Force units for a couple more years, primarily with the 23rd TFW at McConnell AFB and with the 18th TFW at Kadena AB on Okinawa.
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June 15th, 2018
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