Post Vietnam F-105 loadouts?

[+Viggen 678]

I'm thinking about adding the F-105 (D, F, or G) to the 1979 SF2E campaign since that'd make for a fun challenge. But I can't find any information on what the loadouts would have been during its time with the Guard/Reserves. Anyone here have any good information on that?

[Wrench 10,123]

be the same as SEA. BTW, don't forget that F & G models are Wild Weasels. Only. High Value Assets (tm)

[+daddyairplanes 11,004]

agree with the other Kevin

Vietnam wiped out half the production run in losses, and pretty much broke what was left. thats why by the early 70s most were in the Guard and Reserves, except the Weasels. they went there too once enough F-4Gs were available (to GA ANG to be specific)

pretty much it was not worth the investment to upgrade to any newer weapons or systems, and they got used until they had enough new stuff to replace them

[+Viggen 678]

1 hour ago, Wrench said:

BTW, don't forget that F & G models are Wild Weasels. Only. High Value Assets (tm)

Oh yeah fully prepared to do a SEAD campaign.

Follow up question, would the surviving single seaters have been used solely as strike aircraft or would they have have carried out other air to ground missions too?

[macelena 1,070]

I have no clue, to be honest, but if the airframes were in bad shape and they had not had their ECM and avionics gear updated, wouldn't it make sense to use them as bomb trucks to get more bombs within a better prepared strike package, to complement better suited aircraft? As in, you have Phantoms doing most of the SEAD, the main strike, F-15s claering the air, some EW to scramble it all and then the thuds come behind to drop a few more dumb bombs to add tons on targets that may need them, either airfields, staging areas and so on.

[+daddyairplanes 11,004]

17 hours ago, Viggen said:

Follow up question, would the surviving single seaters have been used solely as strike aircraft or would they have have carried out other air to ground missions too?

straight strike.

in all things, think of the Thud then as you would a 2001 Nissan Sentra with 250,000 miles on it. you will drive it if you have it and its paid for. you might not carry a couch the next town over or street race it on a saturday night. but it will carry some load around town and the A/C will work if youre lucky.

thats the state most of the Thuds were in after 1973, single seat or Weasel. the Weasels got better upkeep given their active duty mission. but probably advisable not to be pulling CAS or even fast FAC

Its just our Uncle Sam has more money to keep things running than most folks do. so they were kept flyable until the next generation came online

 

[+Viggen 678]

I never really thought about the fact that the 105s would have been so worn out, and I was a maintainer ffs lol. It makes sense though. Well, even just doing strike or SEAD, whichever 105 I choose, will still be a challenge. Thanks.

[Mike Dora 171]

I’m reminded by all this that round about 1970 I saw a report in the aviation press of the F-105 “Thunderstick” mod. This was a complete modernisation of the ac’s avionics to give it an all-weather strike capability. Must have made the Thud’s Vietnam veterans smile (sidebar: the USAF exchange instructor when I was at RAFC Cranwell in 1976 was a 100-mission Thud driver. Although RAF exchange pilots with the USAF weren’t allowed to fly in Vietnam, with our traditional extensive cross-embedding we still got to learn all the operational lessons. Thank you USAF)

The Thunderstick’’s visible difference from a regular Thud  was a much bigger spine fairing, with the canopy cross-section being carried back all the way to the base of the fin. I don’t think many were converted though, maybe only a couple of dozen.

Edited June 6, 2021 by Mike Dora

[+Viggen 678]

Now that raises another question, would the Thunderstick mods provide the Thud in SF2 any meaningful or noticeable change in capabilities over the stock aircraft or would it just be a visual change? I'm aware it'd require a new 3D model or fake pilot trickery to be accurate.

Edited June 6, 2021 by Viggen

[Wrench 10,123]

wouldn't change a thing

[NIELS 421]

Couple of pics of ‘T’ Stick II modded THUD’s. I think there was only two reserve units that flew these beasts. One was a Carswel AFB Texas. Not sure about the other unit?

[NIELS 421]

Not sure about the avionics fit? But you can see the hump back dorsal spine change.

[+daddyairplanes 11,004]

OK, from the book Century Jets( itself a compilation of AIRTime Publishing magazine articles).

the prgramme, called Thunderstick II, applied to D and F models. it involved installation of AN/ARN-92 LORAN and put solid state components in the NASRR radar system, now being designated R-14K. with these systems a Thud pilot could reasonably expect a CEP of +/- 50 ft from and altitude of 15000 ft

they were easily distinguishable by teh large dorsal spine to house the LORAN and Doppler equipment. at least 30 d models were modified.

although designed to help the crews in Southeast Asia, none of the Thunderstick II aircraft left the US. they were assigned to the 563d TFS, 23d TFW at McConnel AFB KS; then transferred to the 457th TFS (AFRES) at Carswell AFB TX remaining until 1980 when they were replaced with LORAN equipped F-4Ds

 

NIELS top pic would be the 563d TFS, his bottom pic would be the 457th. dig a little deeper into pics  on google, as Guard/Reserve units tend to change fin colors by flight (four aircraft) rather than squadron (18-24 aircraft) like the Active duty folks

[NIELS 421]

Outstanding info! Much appreciated daddyairplanes.

[+dtmdragon 2,751]

Was there ever a fake pilot spine for this?