F-105F Thunderchief
Crew Chief: Don Ricci
This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola, Florida.
The F-105F Thunderchief at the 2011 Wings Over Wine Country Air Show.
F-105F Thunderchief Specifications
| Country of Origin: | USA |
| Type: | Tactical Fighter/Bomber |
| Accommodation: | Pilot and Electronic Warfare Officer |
| Armament (fixed): | One M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon and more than 12,000 lbs. of ordnance |
| Electronics and operational equipment: | Electronic Countermeasure Equipment |
| Powerplant and fuel system: | One Pratt & Whitney J75-P-19W of 24,500 lbs thrust with afterburner |
| Performance: | Maximum
speed: 1,390 mph. Cruising speed: 778 mph. Range: 2206 miles Service Ceiling: 51,000 ft. |
| Weights: | 52,838 lbs. max. | Dimensions: | Span:
34 ft. 11 in. Length: 64 ft. 5 in. Height: 19 ft. 8 in. |
F-105F Thunderchief History
The F-105 Thunderchief was developed by Republic Aviation as a follow on to their F-84F Thunderstreak. A higher-performance fighter-bomber was envisioned and following a proposal to the USAF, a contract for two YF-105A prototypes was awarded.First flying in 1955, the aircraft was very large and could carry a huge complement of weapons. The type entered service in August 1958 and continually evolved with new engines and performance levels.
The final production version of the Thunderchief was the F-105F which was a stretched version with two seat capability. Outfitted with Radar Homing and Warning (RHAW) electronics, jamming pods, a missile-launch warning receiver and other avionics, the "Wild Weasel" version of the aircraft served in Vietnam beginning in 1966. The F-105s continued in active service until 1973 and then in the Air National Guard until retired.
The history of our aircraft is being researched and will be added to this site when available.
