![]() ![]() ![]() So whether equipped with missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewider or bombs for close ground support, the F-105 was a big step forward in what military aircraft could be. A 20mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon in the nose supplemented the array of bombs and missiles that could be affixed to any of the 5 hardpoints underneath the aircraft, including the internal bomb bay. Capable of delivering 24,500 lbf of thrust with the afterburner engaged, the F-105’s top speed of Mach 2.08 is still competitive among current fighter aircraft. The designers built the F-105 around a well-established powerplant: the Pratt & Whitney J75 afterburning turbojet engine. Designed to supplant the aging F-86 Sabre fighters then still in service with US and Australian forces, the F-105 was a big step forward for its day. The Republic F-105 Thunderchief made its debut just before full US involvement in the war in Vietnam in 1958. No matter what the mission, the F-4 Phantom II is still an impressive bird. Many of the Vietnam-era F-4s did not carry defensive weapons like machine guns or cannons, but they made up for that with a huge payload of missiles in a variety of models or configurations. With a combat range of 585 miles, it functioned perfectly in either an interceptor or a strike role. Powered by two General Electric J79 axial compressor turbojets, the F-4’s top speed was a still-impressive Mach 2.23. While retired from US service, a look at the numbers indicates that the F-4 Phantom II was a force to be reckoned with in the skies of Southeast Asia. Originally developed for the United States Navy for carrier duty, the F-4 Phantom II saw a lot of action during the Vietnam War. It functions equally as well as either an interceptor or a fighter-bomber. Add in some advanced and consistently upgraded avionics, and the result is a near-perfect platform for hitting NVA targets wherever they were found.Īnother American aircraft, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather long-range supersonic jet aircraft. The armament is equally frightening, approximately 70,000 pounds of any variety of ordinance including bombs, mines, missiles, or even nuclear weapons. The net result is a top speed of 650 miles per hour with a maximum range of nearly 9,000 miles without refueling. With a crew of five, the B-52 aircraft gets its power from eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofan engines, each of which produces 17,000 lbf. The result was the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, a Vietnam War aircraft so powerful and versatile that it remains in service to this day. The US needed a long-range subsonic strategic bomber capable of delivering a huge amount of ordinance, either conventional or nuclear, to an enemy position deep within their airspace. This American project was first conceived in the immediate wake of the Second World War. ![]()
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