Affectionately called "Thud" by its crews the Thunderchief was the first supersonic tactical fighter-bomber developed from scratch rather then from an earlier design. The F-105 was selected over the F-107 for production in a fly-off competition. The F-105F is a slightly larger two-seat version of the F-105 introduced in 1963. Both cockpits are virtually identical and the aircraft can be flown from either one. The addition of the second crewman was intended to reduce the workload on the individual crewmen. The F-105F was adapted to the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), or “Wild Weasel” mission in 1965. This mission involves the very dangerous job of attracting the attention of enemy air defenses, in particular that of radar-guided surface-to-air missiles so that the aircraft can locate and destroy the ground radars. The F-105G is a modified and improved F-105F that was introduced in 1967. The F-105G were retired from the Air National Guard in 1983.
Wingspan
34 ft 11 in .
Length
67 ft
Height
20 ft 2 in.
Weight
54,580 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed
1,386 MPH
Service Ceiling
50,000 ft
Range
1,500 miles
Engine
One Pratt & Whitney J-75-P-19W, 26,500 pounds of thrust
Crew
2
Manufacturer Republic
Markings 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, George AFB, California, 1979
Serial Number 62-4427
Designation F-105G
Pima Air & Space Museum
Creating unlimited horizons in aerospace education through the preservation and presentation of the history of flight.