Visitors to the
Palm Springs Air Museum might see this fighter aircraft located inside one of two hangers, the Asian-Pacific Aircraft Hanger. Near this static aircraft is a placard that reads:
Republic F-105D Thunderchief
*Aircraft on loan from the Air Force Museum*
Serial number 61-0108, this aircraft served with the 562nd Tactical Fighter Wing at McConnell Air Force Base. After retirement from active combat duty in 1970, it was one of five aircraft used for ground instruction at Lackland AFB.
PRIME MANUFACTURER:
Republic Aviation. Production began in March 1956 and a total of 833 F-105s were completed before production ended in 1964. The final 143 Thunderchiefs built were of the two-seat F-105F trainer variant.
OPERATIONAL HISTORY
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a 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. Originally designed as a single-seat, nuclear-attack aircraft, a two-seat Wild Weasel version was later developed for specialized Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role against surface-to-air missile sites. The F-105 was commonly known as the "Thud" by its crews.
As a follow-on to the Mach 1 capable F-100, the F-105 was also armed with missiles and a cannon; however, its design was tailored to high-speed low-altitude penetration carrying a single nuclear weapon internally. First flown in 1955, the Thunderchief entered service in 1958. The F-105 could deliver a greater bomb load than the large strategic bombers of World War II such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator. The F-105 was one of the primary strike bombers of the Vietnam War; over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown, with 382 aircraft lost including 62 operational losses. Although less agile than smaller MiG fighters, USAF F-105s were credited with 27.5 kills.
During the war, the single-seat F-105D was the primary aircraft delivering the heavy bomb loads against the various military targets. Meanwhile, the two-seat F-105F and F-105G Wild Weasel variants became the first dedicated Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) platforms, fighting against the Soviet-built S-75 Dvina (NATO reporting name: SA-2 Guideline) surface-to-air missiles. 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. 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.
The Thunderchief was the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history, weighing approximately 50,000 pounds. It could exceed the speed of sound at sea level and reach Mach 2 at high altitude. 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".
Clicking this link will open a PDF document that lists all 833 F-105s produced and their current status. The document lists this F-105 as being based at Lackland AFB as a static display. This fighter-bomber is currently undergoing a restoration by museum volunteers with no projected finish date.
*NOTE* I was told by volunteer staff that many planes and historical items (like this display) often move around inside the hangers and outside on the tarmac, BUT they always stay within the museum, unless they are part of a visiting exhibition. Waymarkers should keep this in mind when searching for a particular waymark that I or someone else has posted on Waymarking.com. If, by chance, you cannot locate a particular waymark within the museum, please let me know and I'll contact the staff and inquire to its whereabouts. Thanks.