@ Hampton, VA
May 2012
I checked out this roadside museum while in Virginia for the 2012 International Society for Aviation Photography symposium. Air Power Park recognizes Hampton’s role in America’s early space exploration and aircraft testing. This F-105 is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force and has been on display here since 1982. The Thunderchief was the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history, weighing approximately 50,000 pounds. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War and was the only U.S. aircraft to have been removed from combat due to high loss rates. First flown in 1955, the Thunderchief was in service from 1958-1984 and was commonly known as the “Thud” by its crews. Nikon D7000 w/18-200mm,
