This book continues the story of Republic's Mach-2 F-105 Thunderchief where previous books on this aircraft left off. Designed for nuclear strike during the Cold War but pressed into service delivering conventional weapons in Southeast Asia, the Thunderchief rose to the challenge. Initial Air Force requirements, design and development, flight testing, early problems, operational introduction, Vietnam service, and all continued systems development and improvement are covered in vivid detail. In-depth sidebars discuss topics ...
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This book continues the story of Republic's Mach-2 F-105 Thunderchief where previous books on this aircraft left off. Designed for nuclear strike during the Cold War but pressed into service delivering conventional weapons in Southeast Asia, the Thunderchief rose to the challenge. Initial Air Force requirements, design and development, flight testing, early problems, operational introduction, Vietnam service, and all continued systems development and improvement are covered in vivid detail. In-depth sidebars discuss topics such as specific aspects of flying the F-105, how the aircraft got its name, and the historic "Thud Out" ceremonies that ended the aircraft's service life. Author Dennis Jenkins uses rare archival Air Force documentation and original Republic factory material and photos never before seen by the public to tell the complete story of this legendary jet fighter-bomber. The book highlights the fact that the F-105 was one of the first aircraft ever designed as a total weapon system--an integrated and complex series of navigation and armament systems--which gave the Thunderchief an aerial battlefield capability second to none and allowed the aircraft to deliver 75 percent of all the ordnance dropped on North Vietnam. An example of the detail the author employs in this book is in the Vietnam War chapter, in which he describes the combat loss of a specific Thunderchief, identifies it by aircraft tail number, and, when possible, even includes the names of the crew. Other examples include his mention of exact numbers and types of ordnance and weapons expended and specific details on even minor battle operations. This book is a treasure trove of information for military historians and serious enthusiasts of the F-105, the heaviest and most powerful single-engine, single-seat aircraft ever built.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. Hardcover. 4to. Published by Specialty Press, Forest Lake, MN. 2018. 300 pgs. Illustrated. Signed by Dennis Jenkins on the limitation page. First Edition/First Printing. DJ has light shelf-wear present to the DJ extremities. Bound in illustrated paper covered boards with titles present to the spine and front board. Boards have light shelf-wear present to the extremities. No ownership marks present. Text is clean and free of marks. Binding tight and solid. Authored by one of America's top aviation writers, this book continues the story of Republic's Mach-2 F-105 Thunderchief where previous books on this aircraft left off. The Republic F-105 Thunderchief gained fame in the skies over Southeast Asia, carrying weapons it was not designed to use in a war it was not supposed to fight. It had been conceived to carry the new tactical nuclear weapons designed by the national laboratories during the early 1950s. Its target would be the Soviet Union during the height of the cold war, operating from well-equipped bases in Germany and Japan. Instead, it found itself in the jungles of Thailand, surrounded by heat and humidity, trying to fight a war as dictated by politicians 7, 000 miles away. Too many missions were flown with only a few bombs per aircraft, simply so Washington could count sorties. Too many crews never came back. This is the complete history of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, from its inception in the early 1950s to its retirement in the mid-1980s. The F-105 holds the distinction of being the only American combat aircraft withdrawn from service simply because there were not enough of them remaining to be tactically useful. The Thunderchiefs flew 159, 795 combat missions in Southeast Asia, resulting in the loss of 334 aircraft, most of them to North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire. This was almost half the combat-capable F-105s built. One hundred fifty-six crewmembers were listed as killed in action or missing in action. Two pilots received the Medal of Honor. EB; 10 X 0.75 X 10 inches; 300 pages.
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Seller's Description:
Very good in Good jacket. The format is approximately 10.25 inches by 10.25 inches. 300 pages. Endpaper illustration. Illustrations (some in color). Chapter One: Strange Road Taken 0 The YF-105A. Chapter Two: In Production-The F-105B. Chapter Three: Real Thunderchiefs: The F-105 D/F. Chapter Fours: Jungle Warfare-Southeast Asia. Chapter Five: Wild Weasels-The F105 F/G. Chapter Six: Airframe and Systems-The Details. Epilogue: The End-Thud Out. Appendix A: Serial Number List. Appendix B: Loss List. Appendix C: Notes and Citations DJ has some wear, soiling, and a small edge tear at top near spine. Foreword by Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson, Jr. USAF (ret.). Dennis R. Jenkins worked as a contractor to NASA for 33 years, mostly on the Space Shuttle Program in a variety of engineering and management roles. During the late 1990s Jenkins was the ground systems lead for the X-33 program. Afterward, he managed a variety of upgrade projects at KSC. Jenkins spent 2003 on the staff of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), 2004 as staff to the President's Commission on the Future of Human Spaceflight and as technical staff to the Return-to-Flight Task Group evaluating the readiness of space shuttle to support STS-114, 2005 as the Verville Fellow at the National Air and Space Museum, and then returned to KSC as a consultant to United Space Alliance. He became a noted aviation and space historian, specializing in producing works of high technical content and quality. Provides a level of detail unseen in any previous work on the F-105, including the complete history of this airplane in every sense of the term. Reveals new recently declassified Air Force material about the F-105's unique and highly dangerous Wild Weasel missions during the Vietnam War. Authored by one of America's top aviation writers, this book continues the story of Republic's Mach-2 F-105 Thunderchief where previous books on this aircraft left off. The Republic F-105 Thunderchief gained fame in the skies over Southeast Asia, carrying weapons it was not designed to use in a war it was not supposed to fight. It had been conceived to carry the new tactical nuclear weapons designed by the national laboratories during the early 1950s. Its target would be the Soviet Union during the height of the cold war, operating from well-equipped bases in Germany and Japan. Instead, it found itself in the jungles of Thailand, surrounded by heat and humidity, trying to fight a war as dictated by politicians 7, 000 miles away. Too many missions were flown with only a few bombs per aircraft, simply so Washington could count sorties. Too many crews never came back. This is the complete history of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, from its inception in the early 1950s to its retirement in the mid-1980s. The F-105 holds the distinction of being the only American combat aircraft withdrawn from service simply because there were not enough of them remaining to be tactically useful. The Thunderchiefs flew 159, 795 combat missions in Southeast Asia, resulting in the loss of 334 aircraft, most of them to North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire. This was almost half the combat-capable F-105s built. One hundred fifty-six crewmembers were listed as killed in action or missing in action. Two pilots received the Medal of Honor. After the Air Force withdrew them from Southeast Asia, leaving the war to the newer and more plentiful McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, the remaining Thuds settled into a quiet routine stateside until they were finally retired on 25 February 1984. By then, only 221 airframes were left of the 833 produced. In 2018, there is not a single flyable Thunderchief, although at least 100 of them are in museums, available to be admired at one's leisure.
