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The Daily Insight

What was the F-105 called

Author

Christopher Lucas

Published Feb 24, 2026

The F-105 was commonly known as the “Thud” by its crews. As a follow-on to the Mach 1 capable North American F-100 Super Sabre, the F-105 was also armed with missiles and a rotary cannon; however, its design was tailored to high-speed low-altitude penetration carrying a single nuclear weapon internally.

What engine did the F-105 have?

SpecificationsWing Span34 feet 11 inchesArmamentOne M6-1 20mm Vulcan cannon plus 14,000 lbs. of ordinance including conventional bombs, rocket packs, missiles, and internally or externally carried special weapons.EngineOne Pratt & Whitney J75 jet engine with 26,500 lbs. of thrustCost$2,237,000

Are any F-105 still flying?

By 1970, the Air Force had withdrawn the F-105D from combat, though the Wild Weasels soldiered on until the end of the war. Ninety-six F-105s remain relatively intact in museums, on display at various Air Force bases or awaiting destruction at the Davis-Monthan boneyard in Arizona. Not a one is flyable.

What replaced the F-105?

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”.

How good is the f105?

It operated well from sea level to 15,000ft, and in military power the jet would run faster than any other aircraft at low level — it just didn’t turn much. It also had a great gun and was a very stable bomber that could take hits and come home.” Pilots for the F-105 squadrons came from a range of backgrounds.

How many US pilots were shot down in Vietnam?

There were a total a 269 American and enemy aircraft shot down in air-to-air combat over Vietnam during the entire war—201 in fights between the U.S. Air Force and North Vietnamese air force and just 68 in the U.S. Navy’s air battles with the North Vietnamese.

What jet was used in Vietnam?

The F-4 was developed by the Navy and entered service in 1962. It had impressive speed, range, and versatility, and it remained the leading US fighter into the 1970s. The original Phantom was modified and employed in Vietnam as the Air Force F-4C and F-4D and the Navy F-4B and F-4J.

Are any f4 Phantoms still flying?

F-4 Phantom IIStatusIn limited service

How many planes were shot down in Vietnam?

All told, the U.S. Air Force flew 5.25 million sorties over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, northern and southern Laos, and Cambodia, losing 2,251 aircraft: 1,737 to hostile action, and 514 in accidents. 2,197 of the losses were fixed-wing, and the remainder rotary-wing.

What aircraft was called the Wild Weasel?

The F-105s, coming along behind at their preferred speed of 500 knots, had to weave to keep from overtaking the Weasels. The obvious solution was to use the fast and sturdy F-105—known to all as the “Thud”—as the Wild Weasel aircraft. A number of two-seat F-105F trainers were promptly modified for Weasel duty.

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How many b52 were shot down in Vietnam?

Only one other B-52 tail gunner had scored a successful kill against a Vietnamese fighter, though more than 30 B-52s had been shot down throughout the conflict.

Was the f14 used in Vietnam?

The F-14 flew air patrol missions in the last days of the Vietnam War without engaging in combat. In 1981, carrier-based F-14s directly engaged Libyan fighters in air-to-air combat, and in 1986 they flew combat air patrol during bombing operations against that country.

Did the f15 serve in Vietnam?

The F-15 can trace its origins to the early Vietnam War, when the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy fought each other over future tactical aircraft. … This point was reinforced after the loss of two Republic F-105 Thunderchief aircraft to obsolete MiG-17s on 4 April 1965.

Is Good Morning Vietnam based on Pat Sajak?

Pat Sajak Goes to Saigon Cronauer was a high-energy DJ and he created a program called Dawn Busters, in which he would open every morning segment by shouting, “Good morning Vietnam!” Dawn Busters was the inspiration for the movie Good Morning Vietnam.

How many black soldiers died in Vietnam?

In total, 7,243 African Americans died during the Vietnam War, representing 12.4% of total casualties.

Why is it called a Huey helicopter?

Nicknamed the “Huey” after the phonetic sound of its original designation, HU-1, the UH-1 “Iroquois” helicopter was the work horse of the Army during the Vietnam War. … The battle experience of these early craft provided lessons learned which aided the development of the UH-1.

How many POWs are still in Vietnam?

VietnamTotalOriginal Missing1,9732,646Repatriated and Identified7291,062[1]Remaining Missing1,2441,584

How many MiG 21s were shot down in Vietnam?

The MiG-21 N. 4324 of the Vietnam People’s Air Force. This fighter aircraft, flown by various pilots, was credited for 14 kills during the Vietnam War.

Were there dogfights in Vietnam?

The Vietnam War saw a move away from cannon fire to air-to-air missiles. Although US forces maintained air supremacy throughout the war, there were still occasional dogfights and US and North Vietnamese aces.

What is the fastest fighter jet in the world?

The fastest fighter jet ever created was the NASA/USAF X-15. It was an experimental aircraft that resembled more of a rocket with wings but managed to reach a record 4,520mph. The fastest fighter jet in the world today is the MiG-25 Foxbat, with a top speed of 2,190mph, half the speed of the X-15.

How many helicopters were shot down in Vietnam War?

According to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, a total of 11,846 helicopters were shot down or crashed during the war, resulting in nearly 5,000 American pilots and crew killed. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous “Huey.”

Did the F-4 Phantom have flares?

Yes, the F-4 carried the AN/ALE 29 chaff/flare dispenser. It consisted two dispensers, a chaff programmer and a cockpit control unit. Each dispenser of the ALE-29A carried 30 RR-129/RR-144 chaff cartridges or 30 MK46/47 IR decoy flares.

Do f15 have guns?

The Eagle can be armed with combinations of different air-to-air weapons: AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles on its lower fuselage corners, AIM-9L/M Sidewinder or AIM-120 missiles on two pylons under the wings, and an internal 20mm Gatling gun in the right wing root.

Is there an f17 jet?

YF-17 “Cobra”National originUnited StatesManufacturerNorthropFirst flight9 June 1974StatusRetired

Can a fighter jet fly across the Atlantic?

Fighters just do not have the range to make it a cross the ocean. … Jets don’t have the range to fly over oceans. Many of our fighter jets, when being deployed overseas, do fly there but are refueled in mid-air until they reach their destination.

What does Ygbsm mean?

AcronymDefinitionYGBSMYou Gotta Be Spoofin’ Me! (polite form)YGBSMYou Gotta Be Stuffing Me (polite form)

What airplane was converted for the Wild Weasel program in Vietnam?

Over the next two years, the Air Force and Navy tested aircraft platforms outfitted with radar-seeking missiles, relying on volunteer crews. The F-105F, a two-seater, was converted for the role in 1966 and was designated “Wild Weasel III.”

Where Are Wild weasels located?

Habitat. Weasels are adaptable and live all over the world. For example, the long-tailed weasel lives in North America, while the tropical weasel lives in South America. Japanese weasels are found in habitats grasslands, forests, villages and suburbs across Japan.