@ Nellis AFB. NV
March 2010
Originally delivered to the USAF in 1963 as a F-105F two-seat trainer, this Thunderchief would later be upgraded to the F-105G Wild Weasel variant designed to suppress enemy air defenses. Retired in 1988, the aircraft eventually found its way here to Freedom Park located on Nellis AFB. When it entered service, the Thunderchief was the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history. The F-105 had the distinction of being the only U.S. aircraft to be removed from combat due to high loss rates, with almost half of the inventory lost in combat. First flown in 1955, the Thunderchief was commonly known as the “Thud” by its crews (named after the sound the airplane made when it hit the ground). 143 of these two-seat trainer versions were produced, many being converted to F-105G Wild Weasels. Nikon D70s w/35-70mm.
