F-105 THUNDERCHIEF UNITS OF THE VIETNAM WAR PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Peter E. Davies,Jim Laurier | 96 pages | 16 Feb 2010 | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | 9781846034923 | English | United Kingdom F Thunderchief in the Vietnam War As the new aircraft was intended as an interceptor rather than a fighter, early models possessed nine external hardpoints for missiles and bombs, but no gun. On May 27, , the type made its maiden flight with Robert C. Little at the controls. An evolution of the F-8 Crusader, the Vought entry was defeated by the XF4H-1 as the US Navy preferred the latter's performance and that the workload was split between two crew members. Setting several aviation records just prior to and in the years after introduction, the F-4 became operational on December 30, , with VF As the US Navy transitioned to the aircraft in the early s, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara pushed to create a single fighter for all branches of the military. Evaluating the aircraft, the USAF developed requirements for its own version with an emphasis on the fighter-bomber role. With the US entry in the Vietnam War , the F-4 became one of the most identifiable aircraft of the conflict. The F-4's first air-to-air victory occurred the following April when Lieutenant j. Terence M. An additional 66 were lost to missiles and ground fire. Also flown by the US Marine Corps, the F-4 saw service from both carriers and land bases during the conflict. Flying ground support missions, USMC F-4s claimed three kills while losing 75 aircraft, mostly to ground fire. As F Thunderchief losses grew, the F-4 carried more and more of the ground support burden and by the end of the war was the USAF's primary all-around aircraft. To support this change in mission, specially equipped and trained F-4 Wild Weasel squadrons were formed with the first deploying in late In addition, a photo-reconnaissance variant, the RF-4C, was used by four squadrons. During the Vietnam War, the USAF lost a total of F-4s of all types to enemy action with the majority being down by anti-aircraft fire or surface-to-air missiles. By , all F-4s had been retired from frontline units. During this time, the F-4 was retained in its Wild Weasel and reconnaissance role. During operations, the F-4G played a key role in suppressing Iraqi air defenses, while the RF-4C collected valuable intelligence. One of each type was lost during the conflict, one to damage from ground fire and the other to an accident. As the F-4 was initially intended as an interceptor, it was not equipped with a gun as planners believed that air-to-air combat at supersonic speeds would be fought exclusively with missiles. The fighting over Vietnam soon showed that engagements quickly became subsonic, turning battles that often precluded the use of air-to- air missiles. In , USAF pilots began mounting external gun pods on their aircraft, however, the lack of a leading gunsight in the cockpit made them highly inaccurate. This issue was addressed with the addition of an integrated 20 mm M61 Vulcan gun to the F-4E model in the late s. Another problem that frequently arose with the aircraft was the production of black smoke when the engines were run at military power. This smoke trail made the aircraft easy to spot. Tell us which branch and unit you served with in the comments below. Watch Sec. Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Ifeoma Ikedionwu is a sophomore Biology major on the pre-med track at Baylor University. She is originally from Cookeville, TN and is currently a writing and editing intern at the U. Posted on Aug 27, August 25, views. Posted on Aug 27, August 10, 1 comment views. Posted on Aug 25, August 20, 1 comment views. Posted on Aug 24, August 10, 1 comment views. I was a pilot in the Rat Pack Plt. I spent most of my time in Phuocvinh. Once I left Vietnam my contact with those men cease. However the older I get now the more I think about my fellow sky troopers. March 29th now will be a permanent date etch into my calendar. On that day and all others I will try to remember those brave men I served with. Everyone should take the time to not just say Thank You and Welcome Home but look a Vietnam Veteran in the eye and say thank you for the sacrifice. We as Americans do care about you. Myself as a fellow veteran truly care about each of you, your families and pray that peace in Honor finds a way into your lives. F-4 Phantom II in the Vietnam War The following month a trainer variant FC of the aircraft was created while the reconnaissance version RF was canceled in July. The largest single- engine fighter built for the US Air Force, the production model of FB possessed an internal bomb bay and five external weapons pylons. To continue a company tradition of employing "Thunder" in its aircraft names, which dated back to World War II 's P Thunderbolt , Republic requested that the new aircraft be designated "Thunderchief". As with many new aircraft, the Thunderchief was initially plagued by problems with its avionics systems. After these were dealt with as part of Project Optimize, the FB became a reliable aircraft. This was completed by Efforts were also made to restart the RF reconnaissance program based on the FD design. As with its predecessor, the FD suffered from early technological issues. These issues may have helped earn the aircraft the nickname "Thud" from the sound the FD made when it hit the ground though the true origins of the term are unclear. As a result of these problems, the entire FD fleet was grounded in December , and again in June , while the issues were dealt with at the factory. In , the issues in existing FDs were resolved as part of Project Look Alike though some engine and fuel system problems persisted for another three years. Through the early- and mids, the Thunderchief began to be developed as a conventional strike bomber rather than a nuclear delivery system. This was further emphasized during the Look Alike upgrades which saw the FD receive additional ordnance hard points. It was in this role that it was sent to Southeast Asia during the escalation of the Vietnam War. With its high-speed and superior low-altitude performance, the FD was ideal for hitting targets in North Vietnam and far superior to the F Super Sabre then in use. First deployed to bases in Thailand, FDs began flying strike missions as early as late A typical FD mission to North Vietnam included mid-air refueling and a high-speed, low altitude entry and exit from the target area. Though an extremely durable aircraft, FD pilots usually only had a 75 percent chance of completing a mission tour due to the danger involved in their missions. While the Thunderchief ceased to fulfill a strike role in Southeast Asia, it continued to serve as a "wild weasel. Possessing a second seat for an electronic warfare officer, the FF was intended for a suppression of enemy air defenses SEAD mission. Nicknamed "Wild Weasels," these aircraft served to identify and destroy North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile sites. The Marine Corps is also adding a new podcast to the list, which will come out at least every two weeks. David Berger. Vietnam War. Marines Rally to Replace Stolen Medals of Vietnam Veteran It was difficult to gauge his reaction when Frank Corona presented him a shadow box filled with replacement medals. Joe Heck Should women be required to register with U. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Ifeoma Ikedionwu is a sophomore Biology major on the pre-med track at Baylor University. She is originally from Cookeville, TN and is currently a writing and editing intern at the U. Posted on Aug 27, August 25, views. Posted on Aug 27, August 10, 1 comment views. Posted on Aug 25, August 20, 1 comment views. Posted on Aug 24, August 10, 1 comment views. I was a pilot in the Rat Pack Plt. I spent most of my time in Phuocvinh. Once I left Vietnam my contact with those men cease. However the older I get now the more I think about my fellow sky troopers. March 29th now will be a permanent date etch into my calendar. On that day and all others I will try to remember those brave men I served with. F Super Sabre in the Vietnam War Additionally, it worked to redesign the aircraft fuselage which initially employed a slab-sided look. Drawing on experiences from other aircraft producers, Republic employed the Whitcomb area rule by smoothing the fuselage and slightly pinching it in the center. The redesigned aircraft, dubbed the FB, proved able to achieve speeds of Mach 2. These enhancements were required to allow the aircraft to conduct its intended nuclear strike mission. With the alterations complete, the YFB first took to the sky on May 26, The following month a trainer variant FC of the aircraft was created while the reconnaissance version RF was canceled in July.