Republic F-105K Thunderchief S.1

[Spinners 15,986]

Republic Thunderchief S.1 - No.207 Squadron, Royal Air Force, 1966

 

At the onset of the fatigue problems suffered by the Vickers Valiant in 1964 it wasn't only the RAF that urgently looked for a quick replacement. With the October 1962 Cuban Missile crisis relatively fresh in their minds the American administration led by LBJ realised that a quick infusion of European striking power was required and authorised the transfer of a batch of 39 F-105D-25's from US stocks to the RAF and these arrived in December 1964 under "Operation Hastings" (later discovered to be an American jibe at the incoming British Prime Minister Harold Wilson).

 

Entering service with No.207 squadron at RAF Marham in February 1965 the Thunderchief S.1 soon also re-equipped No.49 and No.148 squadrons (also based at RAF Marham) and were initially armed with American Mk28 (B-61) free-fall tactical nuclear bombs before switching to the UK WE.177B in late 1966. Due to their relative short range the Thunderchief S.1's were regularly deployed to RAF Germany until the Victor K.1 tanker force had built up in sufficient numbers. In RAF service the Thunderchief suffered from a high attrition rate and the type was never popular with pilots and began to be supplanted in RAF service by Blackburn Buccaneer S.2's in 1968 with the last squadron (No.148) disbanding in 1970.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2012 by Spinners

[Spinners 15,986]

Revised thanks to the release of some excellent 'Thud' templates by ludo.m54 - merci mon ami!

[dsawan 624]

Hi, can you release this one? Thx.

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

Somehow seems really fitting with the UK anti-flash scheme. Nice work!

[Stratos 3,192]

I will love a release too... IIRC there was a US SAC version too, right?

[+daddyairplanes 10,251]

no straight TAC, although primary mission was to deliver a nuclear bomb somewhere over the FEBA........ then they went to nam and the internal bomb bay became permanant fuel tankage...

 

 

now say somewhere over the FEBA but think of the Wizard of Oz

[Stratos 3,192]

Spinners, any chance of this one being released? Together with the USAAC version too will be a great addition!!

[Spinners 15,986]

Spinners, any chance of this one being released? Together with the USAAC version too will be a great addition!!

 

Give me a few days.

[Stratos 3,192]

Give me a few days.

 

 

Thanks!!

[Spinners 15,986]