Vietnam Farmers Transform Airplane Fuel Tanks into Canoes

January 20, 2014 by Aneri Pattani

During the Vietnam War, jet fuel tanks were dropped across farmland in South Vietnam. Years later, those tanks are still being put to use… as canoes.

Military tactical jet planes during the war used JP-8 fuel that’s loaded into external fuel tanks. Once the fuel is burnt, though, the tanks are removed in order to reduce the overall weight of the plane. These tanks were dumped onto the Vietnam countryside by USAF jets.

Rather than letting these tanks create waste, they were eventually recovered and repurposed. Vietnamese citizens transformed them into canoes, which are viable for water travel.

The farmers found a way to turn the remnants of war into an element of productivity.

F-105 “Thunderchief”

August 28, 2012 by John M. Guilfoil

The F-105 “Thunderchief” was an American fighter-bomber capable of Mach 2 speeds that could carry more bombs than most strategic bombers of World War II.

But just because it was faster than bombers doesn’t mean it didn’t get shot down like a traditional bomber. In fact, the “Thunderchief” crashed so much that many believe its nickname, “Thud,” originated because of how often the plane hit the ground.

While the F-105 conducted thousands of sorties and did the bulk of the strike bombing missions at the onset of Vietnam, it became the only American aircraft to be pulled from active duty due to high loss rates.

The F-105 was designed as a single-seat nuclear attacker, like many of the jets unleashed in the 1950s. The jet first flew in 1955, entered service in 1958, and had its final Air National Guard units retired in 1984.

The F-105 was a speedier successor to the North American F-100 “Super Sabre” and was like-armed with bombs, missiles, and a cannon. The F-105 was exceptionally well-armed. It carried up to 16 750-pound bombs. It carried more payload than a B-17.

Out of the 833 aircraft produced, 382 — nearly half — were lost. It was bigger and less maneuverable than MiG fighters and managed only 27.5 air-to-air kills in its career. At 50,000 pounds, the F-105 was the biggest single-seat, single-engine airplane ever built.

The “D” variant of the F-105 was the most common. It featured all-weather capability, blind bombing capability, upgraded ejection seat and gun sight, and better armor than earlier models. The F-105F/EF-105F and F-105G variants were “Wild Weasel” versions used for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions.

The F-105F was used in legendary missions that may perhaps save the airplane’s reputation in history. The two-seater hosted two Medal of Honor Recipients: Captain Merlyn H. Dethlefsen and Captain Leo K. Thorsness.

Captain Dethlefsen was awarded the Medal of Honor and Capt Kevin “Mike” Gilroy the Air Force Cross for an F-105F Wild Weasel mission on 10 March 1967. With their aircraft damaged by antiaircraft fire, the pair decided to keep heir F-105F in harm’s way, flying above Thai Nguyen until an enemy missile site was found and destroyed.

Republic F-105D-30-RE Thunderchief in flight with a full bomb load of M117 750 lb bombs. Normally drop tanks were carried on the inboard wing pylons. This aircraft was shot down on 24 December 1968 over Laos

Captain Thorsness was awarded the Medal of Honor and Capt Harold Johnson the Air Force Cross for an F-105F Wild Weasel mission on 19 April 1967. The pair attempted to rescue another Wild Weasel crew that had been shot down. Thorsness shot down two enemy MiG-17s in the process and stayed in the area, acting as a decoy for enemy MiGs after he ran out of ammo.

The F-105 almost never came to fruition. The Air Force ordered the fighter-bomber to fight the North Koreans, but that conflict ended before the F-105 entered service. The Air Force reduced its 199 aircraft order down to 46 in 1953 and cancelled the program altogether months later.

The program was brought back to life in 1954, but the Air Force was looking for something more advanced. The F-105D all-weather, nuclear-capable variant filled the need, and the F-105 had life.

By 1961, the Air Force fell in love with the Navy’s F-4 Phantom II and eventually the General Dynamics F-111 “Aardvark,” and the F-105 was already past its prime.

The F-105 got its name after Republic Aviation requested “Thunderchief,” naming the airplane along the same lines as its other “Thunder” aircraft, the P-47 “Thunderbolt,” F-84 “Thunderjet,” and F-84F “Thunderstreak.”

Specifications

General

Crew: 1 (2 for C/E/F/G variants)
Length: 64 ft 4.75 in
Wingspan: 34 ft 11.25 in
Height: 19 ft 8 in
Empty weight: 27,500 lb
Max. takeoff weight: 52,546 lb
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney J75-P-19W afterburning turbojet

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 2.08 (1,372 mph)
Combat radius: 780 mi
Ferry range: 2,210 mi
Ceiling: 48,500 ft
Rate of climb: 38,500 ft/min
Thrust/weight: 0.74

Armament

Guns: One 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon, 1,028 rounds
Hardpoints: Five total and internal bomb bay with a capacity of Up to 14,000 lb. Could carry conventional and nuclear bombs, and AIM-9 Sidewinder and AGM-12 Bullpup missiles.

Photo Gallery

U.S. Air Force Republic F-105D Thunderchief fighters refuel from a Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker en route to North Vietnam in 1966.

View of the cockpit of an U.S. Air Force Republic F-105D Thunderchief.

F-105s take off on a mission to bomb North Vietnam, 1966. (U.S. Air Force photo)

On June 4, 1983, the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing, Utah's only Air Force Reserve flying unit, began retiring the renowned F-105 Thunderchief with a 24-ship flyover of Hill Air Force Base. Personnel who had distinguished themselves in combat operations years before in Southeast Asia led and participated in the singular final tribute. — On June 4, 1983, the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing, Utah’s only Air Force Reserve flying unit, began retiring the renowned F-105 Thunderchief with a 24-ship flyover of Hill Air Force Base. Personnel who had distinguished themselves in combat operations years before in Southeast Asia led and participated in the singular final tribute.

A surviving F-105D Thunderchief at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the "Memphis Belle II". — A surviving F-105D Thunderchief at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the “Memphis Belle II”.

The F-105 was built for the Korean War, but it ended before the plane could enter service

Essential Reading and More

Amazon.com Widgets

Online Resources:

Wikipedia
Break-Left.org — Good narrative
Craig Baker’s F-105 Site — Older site but great info
National Museum of the United States Air Force Official Fact Sheet
Heavyweight — Great stories

O-1 “Bird Dog”

July 20, 2012 by John M. Guilfoil

O-1 tail number "N4796G" parked at Franconia Airport/Franconia Soaring Center Glider Port in Franconia, N.H. in July 2012 (Air Cache Photo/John M. Guilfoil) — O-1 tail number “N4796G” parked at Franconia Airport/Franconia Soaring Center Glider Port in Franconia, N.H. in July 2012 (Air Cache Photo/John M. Guilfoil)

FRANCONIA, N.H. — The versatile Cessna O-1 “Bird Dog” has been flown since 1949, and many variants still exist in private hands.

It was an airplane for a different time. It was an airplane before there were unmanned aerial vehicles. Back when, if you wanted to know what was ahead or what was behind the lines, you had to put a gutsy pilot in an actual airplane and have him fly out to see for himself. This was the plane those gutsy pilots used from Korea to Vietnam.

The website, Talking Proud, sums it up nicely:

There are countless ways to come to grips with the almost indescribable courage and bravery of our armed forces in the Vietnam-Laos Wars. Understanding the men who flew the O-1 “Bird Dog” Forward Air Controller is one. The valor of those Americans who fought these wars creates an inexplicable reverence in our hearts. Much has been capably written about these FACs and their machines. More must be written, more must be read, more must be understood. These were “chariots with wings,” the toughest little dogs in the fight, the eyes in the sky, a warbug, a centerpiece of the hunter-killer team that heaped lead upon the enemy’s head.

The U.S. Army developed the O-1 from the successful Cessna 170. It was originally called the L-19 until the naming convention changed. The O-1 was built for Forward Air Control. That is, ensuring that attackers hit their targets and avoid friendlies. They could provide bearings for artillery or give forces on the ground an indication of what they were up against. During Vietnam, they would give air strike packages of F-4’s and other jets proper directions to ensure they attacked the enemy and didn’t drop their bombs on an American platoon. It is a gritty job, neither glamorous nor flashy.

The O-1 sat two people, a pilot in the front and an observer in the rear. The plane was remarkably simple and inexpensive, which is one reason why it remains popular with hobbyists. Despite the newer, faster O-2 “Skymaster” that came about in the mid-1960s, the Viet Cong still feared the “Bird Dog” more because it was whisper quiet and provided a better field of view. The observer could see behind him, which could not be done with newer observation planes. And when an O-1 was finally spotted, a VC commander knew a barrage or airstrike was not far behind.

The O-1 was widely used by the friendly South Vietnamese Air Force pilots and by clandestine forces during the war.

In a paper for the Air War College in 1979, Major Donald K. Schneider summed up the life of an O-1 pilot:

The light craft was often buffeted by gusty winds and turbulence, and the cockpit was noisy, cramped, and uncomfortable. Without the benefit of air conditioning, and surrounded by his survival kit, M-16 rifle, sidearm, knife, and maps, the FAC sweltered in the tropical heat and humidity. The Bird Dog had no offensive firepower, and its thin metal skin offered little protection. His skill in maneuvering the tiny craft was the only defense against enemy ground fire. The unsophisticated machine was anything but glamorous, and the FAC would never love the Bird Dog as he did the sleek Super Sabre or the swift Phantom. Though he often looked forward to a return to jet fighter duty, the FAC knew that his job was vital and challenging.

VNAF Major Buang-Ly, with family aboard, lands his O-1 on the USS Midway in 1975 during Operation Frequent Wind, which signified the end of the Vietnam War

During the Vietnam war, 469 O-1s were lost, many to ground fire, but only three to enemy surface-to-air missiles.

One of the most famous flights (and landings) of an O-1 occurred on April 29, 1975, the day before Saigon fell to the south. South Vietnamese Air Force Major Buang-Ly crammed his wife and five children onto his two-seated O-1 and took off from Con Son Island. He managed to evade heavy ground fire as he headed out to sea. Finally he found the USS Midway aircraft carrier, which was taking on scores of helicopters and hundreds upon hundreds of refugees during Operation Frequent Wind. Buang-Ly flew past the carrier and dropped a note saying: “Please rescue me. Major Buang, wife and 5 child.” The Midway’s captain ordered the flight deck cleared (The ships were so full that people literally pushed millions of dollars worth of empty helicopters off the deck and into the sea.)

Buang-Ly made a perfect landing on deck, which was all the more remarkable given that the O-1 was not designed to land on an aircraft carrier, and the wind coming off the water must have been terrible on the light airplane as he approached. The plane Buang-Ly flew is now on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

About 20 countries flew some variant of the O-1. More than 300 are still registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. In Canada, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets still use former Canadian Air Force L-19/O-1 planes to tow gliders.

Air Cache found an O-1 in July 2012 at the tiny turf-runway Franconia Airport in New Hampshire, where the Franconia Soaring Association uses it to tow its gliders, including Schweizer SGS 1-26 gliders and Grob G103 Twin Astir and Pilatus B4-PC11 sailplanes.