Hail to the Chief

The missile-age budget presented by President Eisenhower for fiscal 1961 gave the makers of manned aircraft little to cheer about (TIME, Jan. 25). But to one old-line plane maker it brought a wide, and somewhat surprised, smile. Among the funds requested were $440 million for another 220 of Republic Aviation's F-IO5 supersonic fighter-bombers, the only fighter plane in the Air Force budget. Together with orders already in hand, it brings Republic's F-105 program to 358 planes, and the Air Force plans eventually to buy 900 planes worth a hefty $1.8 billion.

Republic won the boost with a red-hot aircraft that can do everything but salute. Described by former Tactical Air Command Chief O. P. Weyland as "the world's most powerful one-man airplane," Republic's Thunderchief will fly 2,000 miles without refueling, hit speeds of Mach 2-plus (1,400 m.p.h.), go high or low and deliver any kind of a bang the Air Force wants. As a tactical strike aircraft in support of ground troops, it can whisk in with rockets, a 20-mm. cannon that fires at the rate of 6,000 rounds per minute and a bomb bay packing a heavier load, either conventional or nuclear, than a World War II B-17 bomber. Since the Thunderchief can carry either an H-bomb or Abomb, it can take a crack at the biggest and most important targets.

The orders represent quite a victory for Republic and its president. Mundy Peale. Traditionally a one-plane company, Republic built 15,329 of its famed P47 Thunderbolts during World War II, went on to the jet age with another 7.883 of its F-84 Thunderjet series between 1947 and 1957. But when the Air Force budget turned missile-heavy, Republic lost out. Working on the F-105, it had virtually no production in 1958, delivered only 55 planes in 1959 and had no guarantee that the program would not be washed out altogether. Sales tumbled from $547.4 million in 1955 to an estimated $200 million in 1959, while profits were down from $14.7 million to $3,000,000. From now on, with production scheduled well into 1964, the figures should all be up--if the Air Force does not later change its mind.

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