Time Period: Post-WW2
Country of Origin: United States
Type: Fighter Aircraft, Bomber Aircraft
Manufacturer: Republic Aviation
Republic F-105 Thunderchief Aircraft Overview
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is a supersonic fighter bomber that was used by the United States Air Force (USAF) during the Cold War and the Vietnam War. It was designed to serve as a single-seat, all-weather strike aircraft that could deliver nuclear weapons, as well as conventional bombs and missiles.
The F-105 Thunderchief was developed by Republic Aviation in the late 1950s as a successor to the F-84F Thunderstreak. It first flew in 1955 and entered service with the USAF in 1958. The aircraft was designed to fly at high speeds and low altitudes, with a maximum speed of Mach 2.1 and a range of over 2,200 miles. It was armed with a 20mm Vulcan cannon and could carry a variety of bombs, rockets, and missiles.
The F-105 Thunderchief is best known for its role in the Vietnam War, where it was used extensively for ground attack missions. It was often used to attack enemy air defenses, as well as to provide close air support to ground troops. The aircraft was also used in the Wild Weasel role, where it was equipped with radar detection equipment and tasked with finding and destroying enemy surface-to-air missile sites.
Despite its speed and versatility, the F-105 Thunderchief was not without its problems. The aircraft had a high accident rate; many were lost in combat or during training exercises. It was eventually replaced by newer aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom II and the F-15 Eagle. Despite its relatively short service life, the F-105 Thunderchief remains an important part of the history of military aviation.
Republic F-105D Specifications
- Crew: 1 (F-105F: 2)
- Length: 64 ft 4+3⁄4 in (19.628 m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft 11+1⁄4 in (10.649 m)
- Height: 19 ft 8 in (5.99 m)
- Wing area: 385 sq ft (35.8 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 3.18
- Airfoil: root: NACA 65A005.5; tip: NACA 65A003.7
- Empty weight: 26,855 lb (12,181 kg)
- Gross weight: 35,637 lb (16,165 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 52,838 lb (23,967 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 770 US gal (640 imp gal; 2,900 l) in three flexible fuselage tanks + 390 US gal (320 imp gal; 1,500 l) weapon-bay tank, with provision for 1 × 650 US gal (540 imp gal; 2,500 l) or 750 US gal (620 imp gal; 2,800 l) centerline drop tank and 2 × 450 US gal (370 imp gal; 1,700 l) underwing drop tanks; Total maximum fuel 2,810 US gal (2,340 imp gal; 10,600 l)
- Zero-lift drag coefficient: CD 0.0173
- Drag area: 6.65 sq ft (0.6 m2)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney J75-P-19W afterburning turbojet engine, 14,300 lbf (64 kN) thrust 26,500 lbf (117.88 kN) with afterburning and water injection
Republic F-105D Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,210 kn (1,390 mph, 2,240 km/h) / Mach 2.1 at 35,000 ft (10,668 m)
- Combat range: 676 nmi (778 mi, 1,252 km)
- Ferry range: 1,917 nmi (2,206 mi, 3,550 km)
- Service ceiling: 48,500 ft (14,800 m)
- Rate of climb: 38,500 ft/min (196 m/s)
- Time to altitude: 35,000 ft (10,668 m) in 1 minute 42 seconds
- Lift-to-drag: 10.4
- Wing loading: 93 lb/sq ft (450 kg/m2)
- Thrust/weight: 0.74
Republic F-105D Armament
- Guns: 1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatling cannon, 1,028 rounds
- Hardpoints: 5 total: 4 × under-wing, 1 × centerline pylon stations plus an internal bomb bay with a capacity of up to 14,000 lb (6,400 kg) of ordnance, with provisions to carry combinations of:
- Rockets:
- LAU-32/LAU-59 rocket pods with 7 × FFARs each
- Missiles:
- AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles
- AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-surface missiles
- AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missiles
- Bombs:
- M117 and Mark 80 series of general-purpose bombs
- M118 demolition bombs
- Nuclear weapons B28, B43 stored internally and B57, B61
- Cluster munitions of various types, including CBU-24
- Rockets:
