Author: Jaroslaw Dobrzynski
Reviewed by: Phil Peterson, IPMS# 8739
Company: Mushroom Model Publications
While the F-4 Phantom is the plane many people think of when they think of the Vietnam War, the F-105 Thunderchief is the one that has always interested me more. Designed to deliver a nuclear weapon in a bomb with a low-level toss bombing attack it instead found itself conducting the majority of the strike bombing missions over Vietnam. Known as the Thud, a description of it's gliding capability or lack thereof, the 105 would not only drop iron bombs on target but also shoot down its share of Migs and knock out SAM sites in the Wild Weasel mission.
This 160-page softback book covers the F-105 in full detail from history of the design, it's different versions, a short time as a Thunderbird and its missions in Vietnam. It also provides all the technical information anyone who wants to know more about the plane would need. This is helped by 260 photos in black and white and color.
The book starts with the birth of the plane. Designed to be a nuclear bomber during the Cold War the Thud owes its linage to the famous P-47 Thunderbolt, another big plane known for its ruggedness, air to air and ground attack.