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Made by Republic Aviation around 1960, this F105 Thunderchief promotional film — originally classified "Secret" according to a card at the end — focuses on the aircraft's armament capability and spin tests. The film begins with astonishing shots of the aircraft's wide array of ordnance, and shows the supersonic aircraft's large bomb bay, equipped with an ejection system. The bay can also carry an extra fuel tank or small training bombs.

The aircraft is shown performing supersonic maneuvers at the 4:00 mark, with precision bomb release, including 1000 lb bombs. Sidewinder capable racks are shown installed at the 4:50 mark. A sidewinder vs. HVAC rocket is seen at the 5:40 mark. The F105's 20mm Vulcan gun is seen at the 5:50 mark.

Spin maneuvers are seen at the 7:30 mark, the location of many of the tests appears to be Edwards Air Force Base.

The Republic F105 Thunderchief was a supersonic fighterbomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it was the only U.S. aircraft to have been removed from combat due to high loss rates. Originally designed as a singleseat, nuclearattack aircraft, a twoseat Wild Weasel version was later developed for the specialized Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role against surfacetoair missile sites. The F105 was commonly known as the "Thud" by its crews.

As a followon to the Mach 1 capable North American F100 Super Sabre, the F105 was also armed with missiles and a cannon; however, its design was tailored to highspeed lowaltitude penetration carrying a single nuclear weapon internally. First flown in 1955, the Thunderchief entered service in 1958. The F105 could deliver a greater bomb load than some American heavy bombers of World War II such as the Boeing B17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B24 Liberator. The F105 was one of the primary attack aircraft of the Vietnam War; over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown, with 382 aircraft lost including 62 operational (noncombat) losses (out of the 833 produced). Although less agile than smaller MiG fighters, USAF F105s were credited with 27.5 kills.

The Thunderchief was the largest singleseat, singleengine combat aircraft in history, weighing approximately 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg). It could exceed the speed of sound at sea level and reach Mach 2 at high altitude; the F105 could carry up to 14,000 lb (6,400 kg) of bombs and missiles. The Thunderchief was later replaced as a strike aircraft over North Vietnam by both the McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom II and the swingwing General Dynamics F111 Aardvark. However, the "Wild Weasel" variants of the F105 remained in service until 1984 after being replaced by the specialized F4G "Wild Weasel V".

The initial reaction of the fighter pilot community to their new aircraft was lukewarm. Between its massive dimensions and troubled early service life, the F105 had garnered a number of uncomplimentary nicknames. In addition to the aforementioned "Thud", nicknames included the "Squat Bomber", "Lead Sled", and the "Hyper Hog" and/or "Ultra Hog". The latter two names arose from the F105's predecessors, the Republic P47 Thunderbolt and F84 Thunderstreak, nicknamed "Hog" and "Super Hog", respectively. According to F105 pilots and crews, the "Thud" nickname was inspired by the character "Chief Thunderthud" from the Howdy Doody television series.

The aircraft's offensive capabilities were sarcastically referred to as a "Triple Threat" — it could bomb you, strafe you, or fall on you. Positive aspects, such as the F105's responsive controls, strong performance at high speed and low altitude, and its outfit of electronics won over some pilots. For some, "Thud" was a term of endearment; retroactively the RF84F Thunderflash became known as "Thud's Mother". F105 pilot Colonel Jack Broughton said of the nickname: "The Thud has justified herself, and the name that was originally spoken with a sneer has become one of utmost respect through the air fraternity".

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