F-105 Specs

Designed in 1955 the F-105 was a fast and large fighter/bomber. In its time it was the largest single seat, single engine aircraft in inventory. It could haul an great amount of ordinance and while being a Mach 2 class fighter. With this capability it was also a very thirsty aircraft as well. The Thunderchief had a massive Pratt & Whitney J75 engine with over 26,000 pounds of thrust.

The F-105 Thunderchief was the workhorse of the Vietnam War. This fighter bomber combination may have been used for 75% of the air strikes in that war, but it was designed for a completely different mission. With its large internal weapons bay, designed for a single nuclear bomb, the Thunderchief was meant to be used in a nuclear war. However, with this bay used mostly to hold extra fuel, the F-105 served so much time in Vietnam that most of the airframes had to be retired after the war. Unfortunately this aircraft also suffered some of the highest losses with 385 aircraft being lost. This statistic led to its infamous nickname of "the Thud". Even with this unfortunate distinction, the F-105 served well in Vietnam until replaced by the F-4 Phantom in 1969.