The second F-105B, in which the belly-landing was made, flying from Edwards before the mishap. Used as an armament test vehicle, it was the first 105 to drop an internal store and to fire the 20mm Vulcan “Gatling” gun.

In this shot of the F105B’s left console, the landing gear handle, in the “down” position just left of the stick, did not have the desired effect for the author. The equally ineffective emergency extension handle is just below it.

Look, no wheels! The author’s F-105B-1RE, serial 54-0101, rests sadly on its belly on the runway at Edwards AFB just after the incident recounted here. The small pods on the wing pylons are instrumentation/camera containers. As the Thunderchief had no fuel cells in the lower fuselage, the author elected not to have the runway foamed.

In this side view, the open door for the brake parachute can be seen just aft of the fin and rudder. The author's questionable over-confidence in not jettisoning the canopy meant that there was no need for the new one ordered during his final approach.