![]() But the Thunderchief was conceived from the outset with one purpose: to be a supersonic, low-altitude penetrator capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to a target deep within the Soviet Union.ĭesigned with a 45-degree swept wing that deliberately cut corners on maneuverability, the 50,000-pound Thunderchief-the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft ever fielded when it entered service in 1958-relied on speed for survival and an internal bomb bay to hold a nuke. The F-105 was intended to be a replacement for the F-84F and owed some of its design elements to its predecessor. The F-105 Thunderchief was designed by a team led by a Georgian emigre named Alexander Kartveli, who had previously designed Republic’s legendary P-47 Thunderbolt, F-84 Thunderjet, and F-84F Thunderstreak. Robin Olds, who was lining up the same MiG with a Sidewinder when Waldrop blew through his shot, chasing the 17. That kill had additional confirmation from famed F-4 pilot, Col. The 388th Fighter Wing at Korat Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand, from which Waldrop flew, gave him credit for two kills, but the Air Force later confirmed only the second.
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