One of the most legendary planes of the Vietnam War era was the F-105 Thunderchief. It is an imposing specimen, with its sleek lines and shark mouth

markings. It is also the largest single-engine plane ever used by the U.S. forces, and one of the most powerful. With its small wing area and powerful

Pratt & Whitney J75 turbo jet, the F-105 was optimized for low level missions, and could attain Mach 1 speeds at sea level and Mach 2 at 30,000 ft.

The F-105 entered operational service in 1958. When production ended in 1964, over 800 had been delivered to the U.S. Air Force. Despite its “F”

designation, the Thunderchief was designed as a bomber intended to deliver a nuclear weapon against the Soviet Union at supersonic speeds from

bases in Europe. When the Vietnam War broke out, however, they were quickly modified to carry up to 14,000 lbs of conventional bombs and were

deployed in bases in Thailand. The F-105 bore the brunt of the very hazardous strike missions over North Vietnam. Nearly 400, about half of all

produced, were lost in that conflict.

ESAM’s F-105 is a two-seat “G” version, dedicated to the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), or Wild Weasel, mission. In this role, it would

accompany and protect other strike aircraft from surface-to-air missiles with its array of radar detection equipment and AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation

missiles. The SEAD mission was, and remains today, one of the most dangerous, and these air crew were often the “first ones in, and the last ones out”.

ESAM’s Thunderchief was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in 1964 and enjoyed a long career. It participated in the Vietnam War with the 355th Tactical

Fighter Wing from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa and at Takhli Air Base, Thailand. While undertaking a defense suppression mission on 4/16/69, Lt. Col.

Ralph Waddell earned a Distinguished Flying Cross in this aircraft. ESAM’s F-105 was among the last in service and was retired from the Georgia Air

National Guard in 1983.

THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.

Serial No. 62-4444

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