And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
F-105 Thunderchief All nose maintenance hatches open.
Thud crew chief, '69-73. On their return runs from N. Viet Nam, they would be flying low and sometimes, slick (no external tanks). Occasionally, they would get vectored to do a low, super sonic run over some village. Amazingly destructive. I didn't find this out until 15 years later, talking to a retired Thud driver. On one of his runs home he was hugging a river, came around a corner and there's a train, with steam locomotive, crossing, he wiggled the rudder and hosed it with the 20 mil Vulcan. Blew it it off the trestle, He thought he probably hit the trestle too, helping the results.
Cheer up, Mr. Pilot Man....not ALL of those systems have to work for you to fly the plane.....
ReplyDeleteAre there any left after Vietnam? The Thuds did more than their share of the bombing in the North.
ReplyDeletePer various internet sources (non of which seem to totally agree), there were just over 800 Thuds built and almost 400 lost in Vietnam.
ReplyDeleteThud crew chief, '69-73. On their return runs from N. Viet Nam, they would be flying low and sometimes, slick (no external tanks). Occasionally, they would get vectored to do a low, super sonic run over some village. Amazingly destructive. I didn't find this out until 15 years later, talking to a retired Thud driver. On one of his runs home he was hugging a river, came around a corner and there's a train, with steam locomotive, crossing, he wiggled the rudder and hosed it with the 20 mil Vulcan. Blew it it off the trestle, He thought he probably hit the trestle too, helping the results.
ReplyDeleteWho's the guy with 10 foot legs ?
ReplyDeleteUsed to watch them launch out of Korat RTAFB as Wild Weasel's to take out SAMS so our F-4s and A-10s were protected.
ReplyDeleteWow, my bad they protected A-7s (Sandys) , I worked on the A-10 several years later. Guess I'm getting old.
ReplyDelete