Requiem For A Heavyweight
THE STANDARD JOKE AROUND THE BAR IN THE OFFICER'S CLUB IN THE EARLY SIXTIES WOULD GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS: AN F-4 DRIVER WOULD RAISE HIS VOICE AND DEMAND, "WHAT'S THE SOUND AN F-105 MAKES WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND?" CAME THE ROUSING CHORUS RESPONSE, "THUD!!!" NUMEROUS CHORTLES, SNICKERS, AND GUFFAWS.
"THUD" - THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED NAMES IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN AVIATION. SHE WAS CALLED A LOT OF THINGS THEN...HYPER-HOG, ULTRA LEAD SLED, ULTRA HOG. DROP FORGED BY REPUBLIC AVIATION AND A LOT MORE NAMES THAT ARE UNPRINTABLE. NO ONE EVER CALLED THE F-105 BY HER OFFICIAL NAME "THUNDERCHIEF", EXCEPT THE PRESS. SHE WAS ONE BIG JOKE EARLY IN THAT DECADE. SHE WAS TO ALL, THAT IS, EXCEPT THOSE OF US WHO FLEW HER.
BUT, "THUD" STUCK. AND WE THUD CREWS JUST SMILED A KNOWING SMILE AND QUIETLY CONTINUED SEPARATING THE GIN FROM THE ICE. WE KNEW SOMETHING THE OTHERS DIDN'T. SHE WAS ONE OF A KIND. SHE WAS AS STABLE AS A SWISS FRANC AND SHE COULD HIT. SHE COULD HIT WITH THE GATLIN GUN AND SHE COULD HIT WITH BOMBS - LOTS OF BOMBS. SHE HAD LONG LEGS AT LOW ALTITUDE. SHE WAS FAST. IT WAS VERY EASY TO GO FAST WITH HER - ESPECIALLY ON THE DECK. AND NOBODY ELSE COULD GO THAT FAST.
THEN WE WERE PRESENTED WITH VIETNAM AND WE FOUND OUT SOME OTHER THINGS.
FROM 1966 TO 1968 SHE WAS THE ONE TO CARRY THE BIG IRON DOWNTOWN. SHE WASN'T EXACTLY DESIGNED FOR IT, BUT THUDS HAULED 75% OF THE SMASH CARRIED DOWN ROUTE PACK SIX. AND IN COMBAT, SHE MAINTAINED A 90 PERCENT IN-COMMISSION RATE.
MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS USED TO TAKING HITS FROM ANYONE AND EVERYONE, FOR WE FOUND OUT THAT SHE COULD TAKE OTHER KINDS OF HITS, THE REAL KIND, AS WELL, AND STILL FLY. AS AN EXAMPLE, NUMBERS 0512 AND 0376 (TWO DASH TENS) TOOK DIRECT SAM HITS AFT AND CAME BACK HOME. SO DID 0167 (A DASH FIVE), RETURNING WITH THE ENTIRE RIGHT STABILATOR SHOT OFF.
BUT SHE WASN'T PERFECT. NO REAL LADY IS. SHE COULDN'T TURN WORTH A DAMN. WE FOUND THAT OUT EARLY ON IN USAFE; ANYTIME WE TRIED TO ENGAGE A HUNTER OR A MARK SIX. WE FIGURED EVEN A FRISBEE WOULD OUTTURN THE THUD.
TO IMPROVE HER CHANCES IN THE AIR COMBAT ARENA, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL IN 1967 TO UPGRADE EACH THUD BY EXTENDING ITS WINGS 18 INCHES; REMOVING THE DUCT PLUGS AND DEPLACEMENT GEAR TO DECREASE WEIGHT; INCREASING INTERNAL FUEL CAPACITY BY SEALING THE BOMBAY; INSTALLING A LARGER TANK; INCREASING THRUST BY 5000 POUNDS; AND ADDING OTHER COMBAT IMPROVEMENTS.
AH, WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN! SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SUPER THUD!!
SHE DIDN'T ALWAYS COME BACK. SHE DIED A LOT. HER CORPSES LINE THUD RIDGE, HANOI, THANH HOA, AND A LOT OF OTHER PLACES UP NORTH. SHE WROTE THE EPITAPH FOR A LOT OF GOOD MEN LIKE KARL RICHTER. OVER HALF THE INVENTORY WAS GONE BY THE END OF 1968; MOST LOST IN COMBAT.
SHE BECAME A LEGEND AND LEGENDS FLEW HER. ROBBIE RISNER, KARL RICHTER AND LEO THORSNESS, TO MENTION A FEW. SHE WAS FLOWN BY OTHER GREATS SUCH AS DAVE WALDROP, BILLY SPARKS, AND PETE FOLEY. AND SHE WAS HANDLED BY MANY UNKNOWNS LIKE BOB GERLACH, JIM STILES, AND ME.
AS A WEASEL, SHE REIGNED SUPREME. SHE KILLED SAM SITES, SAMS, MIGS, AND EARNED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR TWO MEN; LEO THORSNESS AND MERLYN DETHLEFSEN.
THE THUD PILED UP THOUSANDS OF COMBAT HOURS ON EACH BIRD AND SHE WAS SAID TO BE WEARY AND WORN OUT. BUT ASK ANY F-15 DRIVER WHO TRIED TO PACE HER AT LOW ALTITUDE DURING RED FLAG 80-2. IT WAS "CHECK TWELVE, TURKEY", AND I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU AT THE CLUB BACK AT NELLIS. SHE'S THE ONLY BIRD I KNOW THAT CAN GIVE YOU "THE BIRD" WHETHER PARKED ON THE RAMP, TAXIING OUT, OR IN-FLIGHT.
SHE ENTERED THE INVENTORY ON 26 MAY 58 AND ON 12 JULY 1980, SHE MADE HER LAST SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL AIR FORCE FLIGHT AT GEORGE AFB BEFORE GOING ON FOR A BRIEF STINT WITH THE GUARD AND RESERVE.
SHE STAYS WITH US AS AN AMERICAN CLASSIC AND A REAL THOROUGHBRED. SHE COULD BREAK YOUR BACK BUT NEVER YOUR HEART. SHE IS GENUINELY LOVED BY ALL WHO FLEW HER AND A LOT WHO DIDN'T.
THE EPITAPH FOR ANOTHER AMERICAN LEGEND, JOHN WAYNE, "FEO, FUERTEY FORMAL" FITS THE F-105:
SHE WAS UGLY, SHE WAS STRONG, BUT SHE HAD DIGNITY.
By Blake Morrison
F-105 pilot and Editor, Fighter Weapons Review
