User:Mo-rikki-tik

F-105 Thunderchief Operational History Introduction 4th paragraph [ref. 66] "The origins of the nickname "Thud" were obscure; some claim that it stood for the sound of an F-105 crashing into the ground."

I have no specific supporting citations -- only "chatter" that I remember from my days as a USAF air traffic controller in Viet Nam. Authentic or not, it makes a lot of sense.

Like me, most 105 pilots were Baby Boomers, and like most Baby Boomers in the early '50s, they watched the "Howdy Doody Show." One of the characters on the show was Chief Thunderthud, originator of the word "Kowabonga!" which is often incorrectly attributed to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. For whatever reason, it didn't take long for these Baby Boomer 105 pilots to start referring to the "F-105 Thunderchief" as the "F-105 Thunderthud," then truncate "Thunderthud" simply to "Thud."

Like I said...no cites, so it may not be worthy of an [EDIT], but it makes sense.

Mo-rikki-tik (talk) 05:03, 21 December 2013 (UTC)