When I saw the Thunderbirds fly the F-105's, it was before the team started painting the planes all white and then adding the T-Bird colors. The planes then were all polished aluminum and then the T-Bird trim was added, real DIAMONDS IN THE SKY, they shined, sparkled and glistened in the air. I understand why they eliminated the polished aluminum, can you imagine all the glare and blinding flashes from the other planes in the formation?
The Thunderbirds went to gloss white when they switched over to the F-4E. The phantom had to have its skin painted before it would accept any stencils or decals. Different type of metal composition for the F-4 in comparison to the "Century Series" fighters.
@@ironroad18 , Both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds flew the F-4 Phantom II. To this day, it is the only fighter jet flown by BOTH the major flight teams.
@@johneddy908 thanks. However, I think the original post, which I can't recall since it has been so many years, implied the Thunderbirds were a Navy team if I recall. The Thunderbirds flew F-4Es, the Blue Angles F-4Js. Been blessed enough to see a QF-4E and a F-4S (which was an upgraded F-4J), in person.
During a fly-in to another another show Captain Eugene J. Devlin's (Thunderbird #2) F-105B broke apart and killed him during a pull-up for landing. All the USAF's F-105Bs were grounded during that period and the Thunderbirds went back to the F-100. The Thud was a heavy aircraft btw and was not designed to be a highly maneuverable fighter. It was good at high speed and low level interdiction or deep strikes. Straight, fast, and low, while delivering large payloads of conventional or nuclear weapons. Until the F-111 came along it was one of the fastest US aircraft at low level.
The F-105 was known for falling out of the sky in Vietnam, the pilot ts would be in formation, one would say I have a problem and before he finished talking he was headed to gravity
June 2, 2019---Thanks for the video as I've never seen some of these aircraft used by the Thunderbirds before. 1953? The year I was born. I remember seeing the Thunderbirds using their F-100D's at Homestead AFB, Florida in 61-62? Dad was a line chief for one of the squadrons at Homestead, working on F-100's with TDY for 90 days at a whack to Turkey & Spain. Then returning home for 30 days, then off again for another 90 days TDY.Now going to see if you or anyone has videos of the Skyblazers which was a USAF demo team based at Bitburg, Germany. If I remember right, the Thunderbirds really couldn't make it across the pond without it being a major hassle due to short range flying issues even with multiple refueling. The Skyblazers flew F-86E's I think. As to the F-105's, think they got swapped out because of structural problems which lead to all 105's having "stiffeners" put near the tail of the plane. And I thought it was BS when they switched and used T-38's as a "cost saving measure" during the oil crisis of the 70's.
I wonder when/if the Thunderbirds are gong to go to the F-35? I was worried that the Blue Angels would beat the T-birds to it, but the Angels just took delivery of their new F-18 Super Hornets.
First saw them.1968 at Burlington airport they flew in from.peoria illinois dont have the program with pilot photos and slot positions but remember them well
