Thud

Perhaps there are heavier aircraft. Maybe there are larger ones. And, most likely there are faster ones. But, to me, there is nothing more sexy than a Republic F-105 Thunderchief.

I know, you are saying, this is a site about wrecks, and so far you have not shown alot of wrecks, have you? I have not, you are right. Life has not allowed me that luxury. I have gotten a few accident reports, but, I have been busy with an adoption, life, and college. Fuel prices are no help, either. The fact is, this is the site where I can post about aircraft and not have to hear the steady whine of my wife's nag machine spool up (I love my wife, but she thinks my other blog is NOT a place for airplanes, at least not in the fatal doses I would like to post).

So, instead of wreck photos, I hope you will not mind a few personal photos I have taken of F-105s that I have visited. If you want facts about them, I can spout off a few, but you can look them up if you are terribly interested. I know, for instance, that it was blazing fast on the deck. Some sources suggest that it could outrun an F-15 on the deck. I don't know much about the F-15's low altitude characteristics, so I make no claim as to the accuracy of that statement. I do know that they could outrun a MiG, and even F-4s at low altitude.

The photos I give you are from three museums.

1. McClellan Air Museum (now the Aerospace Museum of Northern California) [Sacramento, CA]

2. Travis Air Museum (Jimmy Doolittle Museum or something) [Fairfield, CA]

3. PIMA Air Museum [Tucson, AZ]

What follows are some detail shots. They might help model makers, but these were for my own interest.

This is the business end...M-61 20mm

These are the petals...brakes

Nice gear.

Gotta have air...

looking over her back!