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.
Despite looking at lots of photographs all I can tell is that it's a loose-fitting bag and is removed before flight. It's numbered to match the aircraft, so my guess is that it's the crew's packed lunch bag, left there by the caterers before each mission.
I believe it might be a radar reflector. I was told by some Thud Drivers that the jet was very sleek and had a very small radar cross section. This made a radar controlled instrument approach in bad weather difficult. The plate is designed to enhance the size of that return, making it easier for the radar operator to track the jet. juvat
YouTube, Detailed tour around a Republic F-105 Thunderchief, 2:48 The explanation is exactly as Juvat says. I'm guessing a non-metallic, aerodynamic fairing over a corner reflector. I bet that the plane number was on it so that it was easy to identify the aircraft on the flight line.
F105 Wild Weasel. Does anyone know what the hexagonal orange piece above the landing lights is?
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa
Despite looking at lots of photographs all I can tell is that it's a loose-fitting bag and is removed before flight. It's numbered to match the aircraft, so my guess is that it's the crew's packed lunch bag, left there by the caterers before each mission.
DeleteI believe it might be a radar reflector. I was told by some Thud Drivers that the jet was very sleek and had a very small radar cross section. This made a radar controlled instrument approach in bad weather difficult. The plate is designed to enhance the size of that return, making it easier for the radar operator to track the jet.
ReplyDeletejuvat
YouTube, Detailed tour around a Republic F-105 Thunderchief, 2:48
DeleteThe explanation is exactly as Juvat says. I'm guessing a non-metallic, aerodynamic fairing over a corner reflector. I bet that the plane number was on it so that it was easy to identify the aircraft on the flight line.
In a revetment, maybe Thailand?
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