In the explosive tragedy of the Vietnam War, the USAF’s Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a sleek supersonic hooligan raining down destruction. Fast, and extremely tough, the F-105 was a worthy descendent of the P-47. We spoke to Vietnam veterans Vic Vizcarra and Paul Metz to find out more about the experience of flying the ‘Thud’ into war.

(answers are by Vic unless otherwise marked)

Describe the F-105 in three words..

VV: Stable weapon platform

PM: Big, Rugged, Fast

What was the best thing about the F-105? 

VV: Its speed

PM:  Low attitude, high speed was unlike any airplane I have flown.  Above 600 knots it was a thoroughbred racehorse. At 800 knots even better.  

..and the worst? 

VV: Turning ability

PM:  It had a high wing loading and was not an air-to-air dogfighter.

What is the biggest myth about the aircraft? That it couldn’t hold its own in a dog fight and how it got the nickname “Thud” which I cover in the answer to your question #11.

What was your first combat mission like? Relatively easy since the target was not heavily defended.

What was your most memorable experience flying the F-105?  First flight since it was before the two-seat “F” Model. Only time in my Air Force career where I took off by myself in a plane I had never flown before. The Check Out process consisted of doing an engine start and all after start checks with an Instructor pilot standing on a stand next to the cockpit and observing the student the day before the first flight. Then The Powers At Be wanted students to go home and think about it overnight.

What was the role of the F-105 in Vietnam? It was the primary fighter-bomber conducting 75% of all Air Force Strikes in North Vietnam the first five years of the war.

How would you rate it in the following categories

A. Instantaneous turn rates Comparable to the majority of US Air Force Fighters. 
B. Sustained turn Slightly below the majority of US Air Force fighters.
C. Climb rate Good. Best Climb Was At Mach 0.9 until Intercepting and Maintaining 400 Kts.
D. General agility Good stable flight characteristics throughout its flight envelope.
E. High angle of attack performance? Excellent, Sufficient stall warning aircraft is about to depart
F. As a bomber Superior. Could carry largest weapons load further and faster than any other single engine Fighter-Bomber.
G. As a fighter Adequate. Maintained a positive air-to-air exchange record in Vietnam Even though That was not its mission.
H. As a SEAD platform Excellent. Duel seat F-105 â€œF” and Follow-On “G” Models were the primary Wild Weasel Platforms In Vietnam Era.

What was the mission of the F-105G and why was it so dangerous? 

PM: The F-105G Wild Weasel was a role created in the turmoil of battle.  It was a concept to counter the SA-2 radar guided surface to air missile (SAM).  The concept was that the 2-seat F-105G would enter the target area ahead of the larger strike force and entice the SAM operators to shoot at the F-105G, the Wild Weasel.  Then while the Weasels are dodging the SAMs, the strike force would attack and bomb the target and then quickly exit the target zone.  Then, when the strike force was safe, you, the Wild Weasel, could exit the target area.  This became an acronym which is stil used by the Weasels of today, “FILO” (“First In, Last Out“).  The Weasel mission was obviously dangerous and many Weasels were shot down by SAMs and enemy anti-aircraft artillery (Triple A).

I. In terms of combat effectiveness and survivability? Excellent. The aircraft was known for its toughness and ability to return to base with extensive battle damage, especially after a third hydraulic line was added along the top of the aircraft spine away from the redundant duel flight control lines that ran together along the top of the bomb bay. A hit on one line usually meant both lines would be cut. Original layout provided redundancy in peacetime operations but not in combat.

J. Cockpit layout and comfort? Best ergonomic designed cockpit, way ahead of its time. Allowed the aircraft to be designed as a single crew platform.

What is the biggest myth about the type? 

PM: I don’t know if there were any myths that stuck. Early in its life there were several accidents and there were suggestions of it being a “widow maker”. Meant originally as derogatory comment the nickname Thud was supposedly the sound it made when hitting the ground — “Thud”.  In the end it became a dive bomber, a far cry from the role of low level nuclear bomber it was designed for.  â€œThud driver” is a mark of honour to those who flew her.

What should I have asked you? You didn’t miss a thing! Excellent list of questions.

Did the aircraft have a nickname? Yes, “Thud”. There are a couple of myths about the origin of the nickname “Thud”. The most popular myth was that it came from a character named Thunderchief In a kids TV Show. But here is the real origin, you can take this to the bank. When the F-105 came into the inventory it was way ahead of its time and initially encountered a lot of maturation problems, Especially with maintenance. The aircraft experienced many aborts, ground and air. This and designed with a bomb bay, Gave the Non-F-105 fighter community ammunition to razz the new F-105 community with the rhetorical question, “What sound does an F-105 make when it hits the ground?…….Thud!   

Which weapons did you deploy and which was the most spectacular from the cockpit? The most common weapons load was the Mk 117 750-lb bomb with six loaded on the Multiple Ejector Rack (MER) carried On the centerline station on the belly, plus one on each outboard station. The outboard station bombs were replaced With AIM-9 Sidewinder Missile For self defense when MiG-17s started appearing. When SAMs started appearing, the ‘Winders were replaced with QRC-160 Electronic Jamming pods. The most spectacular from the cockpit was the CBU-58 which was a bomb that would split in half and release 650 Bomblets that had small vanes causing the bomblet to spin and arm. The bomblets would spread over a large area causing destruction of soft targets and personnel. Great Weapon Against Flack Sites. Beauty of the weapon was you didn’t have to be precise or that accurate upon release. Another spectacular weapon was the M-118 3,000 Lb bomb because of its size. We carried two, one at each inboard wing station. 

What was hardest about your combat deployment? Leaving the Family. This was pre-internet days so communicating with the family took close to two weeks to establish continuity between discussions.

Do you love the aircraft? Definitely. I feel honoured to have flown it with fellow pilots during an era In which this aircraft joined the annals of history.

Both pilots have books and I recommend them.      

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