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Republic F-84 Thunderjet

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The Republic F-84 Thunderjet is an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thunderjet was plagued by such a large amount of structural and engine problems that a 1948 U.S. Air Force review declared it unable to execute any aspect of its intended mission and considered canceling the program. The aircraft was not considered fully operational until the 1949 F-84D model and the design matured only with the definitive F-84G introduced in 1951. In 1954, the straight-wing Thunderjet was joined by the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak fighter and RF-84F Thunderflash photo reconnaissance aircraft.

The Thunderjet became the USAF's primary strike aircraft during the Korean War, flying 86,408 sorties and destroying 60% of all ground targets in the war as well as eight Soviet-built MiG fighters. Over half of the 7,524 F-84s produced served with NATO nations, and it was the first aircraft to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team. The USAF Strategic Air Command had F-84 Thunderjets in service from 1948 through 1957.

The F-84 was the first production fighter aircraft to utilize inflight refueling and the first fighter capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, the Mark 7 nuclear bomb. Modified F-84s were used in several unusual projects, including the FICON and Tom-Tom dockings to the B-29 Superfortress and B-36 bomber motherships, and the experimental XF-84H Thunderscreech turboprop.

The F-84 nomenclature can be somewhat confusing. The straight-wing F-84A to F-84E and F-84G models were called the Thunderjet. The F-84F Thunderstreak and RF-84F Thunderflash were different airplanes with swept wings. The XF-84H Thunderscreech (not its official name) was an experimental turboprop version of the F-84F. The F-84F swept wing version was intended to be a small variation of the normal Thunderjet with only a few different parts, so it kept the basic F-84 number. Production delays on the F-84F resulted in another order of the straight-wing version; this was the F-84G.

Design and developmentEdit

File:F-84g-51-1231-48fbg-chm-0853.jpg
An F-84G at Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France, in 1953

In 1944, Republic Aviation's chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, began working on a turbojet-powered replacement for the P-47 Thunderbolt piston-engined fighter aircraft. The initial attempts to redesign the P-47 to accommodate a jet engine proved futile due to the large cross-section of the Thunderbolt's fuselage. Instead, Kartveli and his team designed a new aircraft with a much-slimmer fuselage housing an axial compressor turbojet engine in the rear fuselage, and an air intake in the nose of the fuselage, with air ducts running from the nose to the engine and taking up much of the fuselage volume. Fuel was mainly stored in tanks in the thick, but laminar flow airfoil, unswept wings.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

On 11 September 1944, the USAAF released General Operational Requirements for a day fighter with a top speed of Template:Convert, a combat radius of Template:Convert, and armament of either eight Template:Cvt or six Template:Cvt machine guns. In addition, the new aircraft had to use the General Electric TG-180 axial turbojet which entered production as the Allison J35. These specifications proved to be too ambitious, however, and the radius requirement was reduced to Template:Convert and the armament suite was reduced to six .50-caliber or four .60-caliber machine guns in order to reduce weight.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

On 11 November 1944, Republic received an order for three prototypes of the new XP-84—known to Republic as the Model AP-23.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Since the design promised superior performance to the Lockheed-built P-80 Shooting Star and Republic had extensive experience in building single-seat fighters, no competition was held for the contract. The name "Thunderjet" was chosen to continue the Republic Aviation tradition started with the P-47 Thunderbolt, while emphasizing the new method of propulsion.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn On 4 January 1945, even before the aircraft took to the air, the USAAF placed an additional order for 25 service test YP-84As and 75 production P-84Bs (later modified to 15 YP-84A and 85 P-84B).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Meanwhile, wind tunnel testing by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics revealed longitudinal instability and stabilizer skin buckling at high speeds.Template:Sfn The weight of the aircraft, a great concern given the low thrust of early turbojets, was growing so quickly that the USAAF had to set a gross weight limit of Template:Convert.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The results of this preliminary testing were incorporated into the third prototype, designated XP-84A, which was also fitted with a more powerful J35-GE-15 engine with Template:Convert of thrust.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The first prototype XP-84 was rolled out in December 1945,Template:Sfn but availability of suitable engines delayed flight testing.Template:Sfn The first prototype was transferred to Muroc Army Air Field (present-day Edwards Air Force Base) where it flew for the first time on 28 February 1946 with Major Wallace A. "Wally" Lien at the controls. It was joined by the second prototype in August, both aircraft flying with J35-GE-7 engines producing Template:Convert.Template:Sfn On 8 September 1946, the second XP-84 set a US national airspeed record of Template:Convert, but failed to match the world speed record of Template:Convert set the day before by a British Gloster Meteor.Template:Sfn The effort to break the speed record delayed the test program with the second prototype.Template:Sfn The 15 YP-84As, which were delivered to Patterson Field (present-day Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) for service tests from January 1947, differed from XP-84s by having an upgraded J35-A-15 engine, carrying six 0.50 in M2 Browning machine guns (four in the nose and one in each wing root), and having the provision for wingtip fuel tanks holding Template:Convert each.Template:Sfn

Due to delays with delivery of jet engines and production of the XP-84A, the Thunderjet had undergone only limited flight testing by the time production P-84Bs began to roll out of the factory in 1947. In particular, the impact of wingtip tanks on the aircraft's structure was not thoroughly studied. This proved problematic later.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn After the creation of the United States Air Force by the National Security Act of 1947, the "Pursuit" designation was replaced with "Fighter", and the P-84 became the F-84.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Operational historyEdit

The F-84B, which differed from the YP-84A only in having faster-firing M3 machine guns (later F-84s also had provision to carry eight Template:Convert High Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVAR) underwingTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn), became operational with 14th Fighter Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine, in December 1947.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Flight restrictions followed immediately, limiting maximum speed to Mach 0.8 due to control reversal, and limiting maximum acceleration to 5.5 g-force (54 m/s2) due to wrinkling of the fuselage skin. To compound the problem, parts shortages and maintenance difficulties earned the aircraft the nickname, "Mechanic's Nightmare".Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn On 24 May 1948, the entire F-84B fleet was grounded due to structural failures in the aircraft's wings.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The F-84C featured a somewhat more reliable J35-A-13C engine of the same power as the A-15-C used by the F-84B,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and modified fuel and electrical systems.Template:Sfn Beyond these modifications, the F-84C was virtually identical to the F-84B, and suffered from the same defects.Template:Sfn

File:14fw-f-84-1948.jpg
P-84Bs of the 48th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, 1948

A 1948 review of the F-84 program discovered that none of the F-84B or F-84C aircraft could be considered operational or capable of executing any aspect of their intended mission. The program was saved from cancellation because the F-84D, whose production was well underway, had satisfactorily addressed the major faults. A fly-off against the F-80 revealed that while the Shooting Star had a shorter takeoff roll, better low altitude climb rate and superior maneuverability, the F-84 could carry a greater bomb load, was faster, had better high altitude performance and greater range.Template:Sfn As a compromise, the USAF in 1949 committed US$8 million to implement over 100 upgrades to all F-84Bs and F-84Cs, most notably reinforcing the wings to a similar standard to the F-84D.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Despite the resultant improvements, both the F-84B and F-84C were withdrawn from service during 1952.Template:Sfn

The structural improvements were factory-implemented in the F-84D, which entered service in 1949. Wings were covered with thicker aluminum skin, the fuel system was winterized and capable of using JP-4 fuel, and a more powerful J35-A-17D engine with Template:Convert was fitted. It had been discovered that the untested wingtip fuel tanks contributed to wing structural failures by inducing excessive twisting during high-g maneuvers. To correct this, small triangular fins were added to the outside of the tanks.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The F-84D was phased out of USAF service in 1952 and left Air National Guard (ANG) service in 1957.Template:Sfn

The first effective and fully capable Thunderjet was the F-84E model which entered service in 1950. The aircraft featured the J35-A-17 engine, further wing reinforcement, a Template:Convert fuselage extension in front of the wings and Template:Convert extension aft of the wings to enlarge the cockpit and the avionics bay, an A-1B gunsight with AN/APG-30 range-finding radar, and provision for an additional pair of Template:Convert fuel tanks to be carried on underwing pylons.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The latter increased the combat radius from Template:Convert to over Template:Convert.Template:Sfn

One improvement to the original F-84 design was rocket racks that folded flush with the wing after the 5-inch HVAR rockets were fired, which reduced drag over the older fixed mounting racks. This innovation was adopted by other US jet fighter-bombers.Template:Sfn

File:Js-municiamento f-84.jpg
A Portuguese F-84 being loaded with ordnance in the 1960s, at Luanda Air Base, during the Portuguese Colonial War.

Despite the improvements, the in-service rates for the F-84E remained poor with only half of the aircraft operational in April 1950.Template:Sfn This was primarily due to a severe shortage of spares for the Allison engines. The expectation was that F-84Es would fly 25 hours per month, accumulating 100 hours between engine overhauls. The actual flight hours for Korean War and NATO deployments rapidly outpaced the supply and Allison's ability to manufacture new engines.Template:Sfn The F-84E was withdrawn from USAF service in 1956, serving with the Air Force Reserve until 1957 and lingering with ANG units until 1959.Template:Sfn

The final straight-wing F-84 was the F-84G, intended as a stop-gap until the swept wing F-84F entered service, but ordered in large numbers to build-up NATO air forces.Template:Sfn It introduced a refueling boom receptacle in the left wing,Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn autopilot, Instrument Landing System, J35-A-29 engine with Template:Convert of thrust, a distinctive framed canopy (also retrofitted to earlier types), and the ability to carry a single Mark 7 nuclear bomb.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The F-84G entered service in 1951, although deliveries were slowed by shortages of engines. Production continued until July 1953 with 3,025 F-84Gs delivered, with 789 going to the USAF and 2,236 to US allies as part of US military aid.Template:Sfn The F-84G was retired from the USAF in mid-1960.Template:Sfn

Flying the ThunderjetEdit

Typical of most early jets, the Thunderjet's takeoff performance left much to be desired. In hot Korean summers with a full combat load, the aircraft routinely required Template:Cvt of runway for takeoff even with the help of RATO bottles (two or four of these were carried, each producing 1,000 lbf (4.4 kN) of thrust for 14 seconds).Template:Sfn All but the lead aircraft had their visibility obscured by the thick smoke from the rockets. F-84s had to be pulled off the ground at 160 mph (140 kn, 260 km/h) with the control stick held all the way back.Template:Sfn Landings were made at a similar speed. For comparison, the North American P-51 Mustang landed at approximately 120 mph (100 kn, 190 km/h).Template:Sfn Despite the "hot" landing speeds, the Thunderjet was easy to fly on instruments and crosswinds did not present much of a problem.Template:Sfn

File:F-84E launchs rockets.jpg
An F-84E launching rockets.

Thanks to the thick straight wing the Thunderjet rapidly reached its Mach 0.82 limitation at full throttle and low altitude. The aircraft had sufficient power to fly faster, but exceeding the Mach limit at low altitudes resulted in a violent pitch-up and structural failure causing the wings to break off.Template:Sfn Above Template:Convert, the F-84 could be flown faster but at the expense of severe buffeting. However, the airspeed was sufficiently easy to control to make safe dive bombing from 10,000 ft possible.Template:Sfn The top speed limitation proved troublesome against Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s in Korea. Slower than the MiG, the F-84 was also unable to turn tightly with a maximum instantaneous-turn load of only 3 gs followed by rapid loss of airspeed. One F-84E pilot credited with two MiG kills achieved his second victory by intentionally flying his aircraft into pitch-up. The MiGs chasing him were unable to follow the violent maneuver and one crashed into the ground. Luckily for the F-84E pilot, the aircraft did not disintegrate but the airframe did suffer heavy warping.Template:Sfn The F-84 was a stable gun platform and the computing gunsight aided in accurate gunnery and bombing. Pilots praised the aircraft for Republic's legendary ruggedness.Template:Sfn

Pilots nicknamed the Thunderjet "The Lead Sled".Template:Sfn It was also called "The Iron Crowbar", "a hole sucking air", "The Hog" ("The Groundhog"), and "The World's Fastest Tricycle", "Ground Loving Whore" as a testament to its long takeoff rolls.Template:Sfn F-84 lore stated that all aircraft were equipped with a "sniffer" device that, upon passing takeoff safety speed, would look for the dirt at the end of the runway. As soon as the device could smell the dirt, the controls would turn on and let the pilot fly off the ground. In the same vein, it was suggested a bag of dirt should be carried in the front landing gear well. Upon reaching takeoff safety speed, the pilot would dump the dirt under the wheels, fooling the sniffer device.Template:Sfn

Korean WarEdit

The Thunderjet had a distinguished record during the Korean War.Template:Sfn After the entry of the People's Republic of China into the war in October 1950, the US Fifth Air Force requested that a wing of F-84s be sent to Korea.Template:Sfn While the F-84B and F-84C could not be deployed overseas because their J35 engines had a service life of only 40 hours, the F-84D and F-84E were more suitable,Template:Sfn and so the F-84E-equipped 27th Fighter Escort Group was sent to the Far East aboard the aircraft carrier Template:USS, which arrived in Japan on 30 November 1950. After maintenance, the F-84s moved to Taegu airfield (known as K-2), flying its first operational missions on 7 December 1950.Template:Sfn The aircraft were initially tasked with escorting the B-29 Superfortress bombers. The first Thunderjet air-to-air victory was scored on 21 January 1951 at the cost of two F-84s.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The F-84 was outmatched by the swept-wing Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, which was both faster and more manoeuvrable,Template:Sfn and the MiG counter-air mission was soon given to the F-86 Sabre. The F-84 switched to the ground attack role at which it excelled.Template:Sfn

File:KB-29 refueling F-84E over Korea c1952.jpg
A KB-29M tanker refueling an F-84E over Korea. F-84Es could only refuel the wingtip tanks separately.
File:Republic F-84G-26-RE Thunderjet 51-16719.jpg
F-84G-26-RE Thunderjet 51-16719 while assigned to the 3600th Air Demonstration Team (USAF Thunderbirds), 1954.

The number of units operating the F-84 over Korea gradually increased, both by bringing over Air National Guard Groups from the US, and converting F-80 squadrons already in theater.Template:Sfn The F-84 flew a total of 86,408 missions,Template:Sfn dropping 55,586 tons (50,427 metric tons) of bombs and 6,129 tons (5,560 metric tons) of napalm, and firing 22,154 rockets.Template:Sfn The USAF claimed F-84s were responsible for 60% of all ground targets destroyed in the war.Template:Sfn Notable F-84 operations included the 1952 attack on the Sui-ho Dam. During the war, the F-84 became the first USAF fighter to utilize aerial refueling. In aerial combat, F-84 pilots were credited with eight MiG-15 kills against a Soviet-claimed loss of 64 aircraft. The total losses were 335 F-84D, E and G models.Template:Sfn According to the USAF FY1953 statistical digest, during the Korean war, 305 F-84s were lost, including 249 in combat missions and 56 non-combat losses.Template:Sfn

Western EuropeEdit

Air battle over Merklín - A notable incident occurred on 10 March 1953, when two Czech MiG-15 fighters intercepted two US Air Force F-84Es that were claimed to have strayed from German to Czechoslovakian airspace and shot one down. It crashed on the German side of the border and the pilot successfully ejected.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

PortugalEdit

Portugal received its first F-84s in January 1953, with 25 new build F-84Gs later supplemented by USAFE stocks and from other European operators, with deliveries eventually reaching 125 F-84Gs.Template:Sfn They were the Força Aérea Portuguesa's first operational jet fighters.Template:Sfn Two squadrons were formed in Portugal, operating the F-84 in both air-defense and ground attack roles,Template:Sfn with the Thunderjet also equipping an aerobatic display team, the Dragões.Template:Sfn In 1960, the two operational F-84 squadrons were disbanded and the remaining F-84s transferred to training units.Template:Sfn In 1961, however, an uprising against Portuguese rule began in Angola, and as a result, 25 F-84Gs were refurbished by OGMA and sent to Angola, with the first aircraft arriving at Luanda in August that year. There, they formed the Esquadra 91 (91st Squadron), carrying out bomb, rocket and gun attacks against separatist forces.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In 1966, after Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence, and the imposition of the Beira Patrol by the British Royal Navy to attempt to stop the flow of fuel to Rhodesia via the port of Beira, Mozambique, a detachment of eight F-84s was sent from Luanda to Mozambique to guard against potential clashes with British forces, with the aircraft returning to Angola when the threat of military action receded.Template:Sfn Attrition of the F-84s was heavy, and by 1973, only five F-84s remained operational, with the last examples withdrawn from use that year, although the F-84G nominally remained in Portuguese service until October 1975.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Republic of ChinaEdit

File:ROCAF F-84G Crew 1954.jpg
Pilots of the ROCAF 4th Squadron at Chiayi Air Base following the "21 July Matsu Air Battle" in 1956. From left to right: Lieut. Ouyang Yi-Fen, Capt. Tsai Yun-Hui, Lieut. Yu Chu, and Maj. Niu Hsun. During the mission, Lieutenant Ouyang single-handedly shot down two MiG-17 fighters and damaged two others, securing a major aerial victory for the Republic of China Air Force.

The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) began operating surplus F-84G Thunderjets acquired from the United States Air Force in 1953,Template:Sfn with the aircraft serving in both ground-attack and interceptor roles amid rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait. The ROCAF also received the reconnaissance variant, the RF-84.

Following their introduction, F-84G Thunderjets were primarily employed for low-level strafing missions against People's Liberation Army (PLA) ground and maritime targets along the Chinese coastline. Meanwhile, RF-84 variants were tasked with tactical reconnaissance operations, gathering intelligence on coastal regions of mainland China.

On 21 July 1956, four ROCAF F-84G aircraft from the 4th Squadron, based at Chiayi Air Base, undertook an escort mission over the Matsu Islands to protect an RF-84 reconnaissance aircraft. The formation was led by Major Niu Hsun (Template:Lang-zh), and included Lieutenant Yu Chu (Template:Lang-zh) as No.2, Captain Tsai Yun-Hui (Template:Lang-zh) as No.3, and Lieutenant Ouyang Yi-Fen (Template:Lang-zh) as No.4 aircraft.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the mission, the formation encountered MiG-17 fighters from the 45th Regiment, 15th Division of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). In the ensuing engagement, Lieutenant Ouyang Yi-Fen distinguished himself by shooting down two MiG-17s—one piloted by Song Yi-Chun (Template:Lang-zh) and the other by Liu Ye-Chen (Template:Lang-zh)—and damaging two additional MiG-17s. PLAAF records later confirmed that both enemy pilots were killed in action. None of the five ROCAF Thunderjets, include the RF-84 reconnaissance aircraft, were lost or damaged. The engagement, later known as the "21 July Matsu Air Battle," was regarded as a major aerial victory for the ROCAF, showcasing the effective use of the F-84G when operated with tactical flexibility and strong leadership.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

F-84G units remained active during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958, engaging PLA MiG-15 and MiG-17 fighters in a series of aerial skirmishes. Although both sides sustained losses, the F-84G continued to play a vital role until late 1958, when it was gradually replaced by the more advanced F-100 Super Sabre.Template:Sfn

Notable achievementsEdit

CostsEdit

Costs, US$ F-84BTemplate:Sfn F-84CTemplate:Sfn F-84DTemplate:Sfn F-84ETemplate:Sfn F-84GTemplate:Sfn F-84FTemplate:Sfn RF-84FTemplate:Sfn
Airframe 139,863 139,863 150,846 562,715 482,821
Engine 41,654 41,654 41,488 146,027 95,320
Electronics 7,165 7,165 4,761 9,623 21,576
Armament 23,559 23,559 37,433 41,713 63,632
Ordnance 2,719 9,252 4,529
Flyaway cost 286,407 for the first 100
163,994 for the next 141		 147,699 212,241 212,241 237,247 769,300 667,608
Cost per flying hour 390
Maintenance cost per flying hour 185 185

Notes: The costs are 1950 estimates and have not been adjusted for inflation.

VariantsEdit

Straight-wing variantsEdit

File:Republic XP-84A and YP-84As.jpg
The XP-84A (foreground) and YP-84As
XP-84
The first two prototypes. Powered by Template:Convert J-35-GE-7 engine,Template:Sfn and armed with four .50 in (12.7mm) machine guns.Template:Sfn
XP-84A
The third prototype with a more powerful (Template:Convert) J35-GE-15 engine.Template:Sfn This airframe was subsequently modified with a pointed fairing over the intake and lateral NACA intakes were installed into the intake trunks.Template:Citation needed
YP-84A
Service test aircraft with J35-A-15 engines and six guns; 15 built.Template:Sfn
P-84B (F-84B)
First production version, J35-A-15 engine; 226 built.Template:Sfn
F-84C
Reverted to the more reliable J35-A-13 engine, improved fuel, hydraulic and electrical systems; 191 built.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
F-84D
J35-A-17 engine, various structural improvements. The pitot tube was moved from the tail fin to the splitter in the air intake with fins added to the wingtip fuel tanks; 154 built.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
File:F84E&G-frenchweb.jpg
F84 E&G Thunderjet French Air Force 1951–1955
EF-84D
Two F-84Ds, EF-84D 48-641 and EF-84D 48-661 were modified with wing-tip coupling devices to allow them to link in-flight with the wingtips of a B-29 bomber and extend the range of the fighters. The B-29 and one of the EF-84s were lost in an accident on 24 April 1953, when the F-84s automatic flight controls were activated after link-up.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
F-84E
J35-A-17D engine, Sperry AN/APG-30 radar-ranging gunsight, retractable attachments for RATO bottles, inboard wing hardpoints made "wet" to permit carrying an additional pair of Template:Convert. Stretched fuselage and enlarged cockpit.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Most aircraft were retrofitted with F-84G-style reinforced canopies.Template:Sfn 843 built.Template:Sfn Some aircraft used as interim reconnaissance aircraft, with cameras in the wingtip fuel tanks, by Netherlands and Norway until RF-84Fs became available.Template:Sfn
EF-84E
F-84Es modified for testing - examples included testing of air-to-air refuelling systems,Template:Sfn use as a FICON test aircraft with a B-36 hostTemplate:Sfn and use as test aircraft for the ZELMAL (Zero-length launch, Mat landing) experiments for operations away from airfields vulnerable to nuclear attack using the booster rocket from the MGM-1 Matador cruise missile.Template:Sfn
F-84G
Single-seat fighter-bomber capable of delivering the Mark 7 nuclear bomb using the LABS, J35-A-29 engine, autopilot, capable of inflight refuelling using both the boom (receptacle in left wing leading edge) and drogue (probe fitted to wingtip fuel tanks), introduced the multi-framed canopy which was later retrofitted to earlier straight-winged F-84s.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn A total of 3,025 were built (789 for the USAF for other users under MAP).Template:Sfn Some used by Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy and Yugoslavia as interim reconnaissance aircraft with cameras in the wingtip fuel tanks.Template:Sfn
F-84KX
Conversion of ex-USAF F-84Bs into target drones for the United States Navy. Sometimes claimed that 80 aircraft converted but programme may have been cancelled prior to conversion or use of the aircraft.Template:Sfn
Tip-Tow
See EF-84D above, did not become operational.Template:Sfn See FICON project
Tom-Tom
Two RF-84K and B-36 wingtip coupling experiment, did not become operational.Template:Sfn See FICON project
FICON
F-84E and GRB-36D trapeze system, became operational.Template:Sfn See FICON project
B.Kh.16
(Template:Langx) Royal Thai Air Force designation for the F-84G.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Swept-wing variantsEdit

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YF-96A aka YF-84F aka YRF-84K
F-84E 49-2430 converted to swept wing configuration, and powered by J35-A35. The "first prototype" for the F-84F Thunderstreak.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
YF-84F
Modified prototypes with Wright J65 engine and deeper fuselage. Two built.Template:Sfn
F-84F Thunderstreak
Production version with swept wing and J65 engine.Template:Sfn
RF-84F Thunderflash
Reconnaissance version of the F-84F, 715 built.Template:Sfn
RF-84K FICON project
Reconnaissance version of the F model, 25 built to hang from the Consolidated B-36 Peacemaker.Template:Sfn
XF-84H Thunderscreech
Experimental supersonic-turboprop version.Template:Sfn
YF-84J
Two conversions with the General Electric J73 engine.Template:Sfn

OperatorsEdit

File:RMM Brussel Republic F84 Thunderjet 2.JPG
Republic F-84 Thunderjet in the Royal Military Museum at the Jubelpark, Brussels.
File:F-84G of the Golden Crown.jpg
Imperial Iranian Air Force F-84G of the Golden Crown aerobatic team.
File:Thunderjet.JPG
Republic F-84 Thunderjet at the Italian Air Force Museum, Vigna di Valle in 2012.
File:Norwegian Air Force Republic F-84G Thunderjet Bidini-1.jpg
Royal Norwegian Air Force Republic F-84G Thunderjet.
File:F-84 Portugues.jpg
Portuguese Air Force F-84 Thunderjet.
File:Самолёт в Пивке (40983243861).jpg
Yugoslav F-84 Pivka
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  • Belgian Air Force operated 21 F-84Es and 192 F-84Gs, with deliveries from April 1951.Template:Sfn Replaced by F-84Fs and RF-84Fs in 1956. 54 Thunderjets were destroyed in crashes in Belgian service, with 23 pilots killed.Template:Sfn
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  • Yugoslav Air Force operated 219 F-84Gs from June 1953 until 1974.Template:Sfn In May 1963 one Thunderjet crashed and exploded on a building in Slavina, Postojna. Two people and a pilot died in the incident. It is the only military airplane incident in Slovenia after the end of World War 2.Template:Sfn

Major USAF operational F-84 unitsEdit

File:F84 Thunderjet in Korea.jpg
Republic F-84E-15-RE Thunderjet Serial 49-2338 of the 136th Fighter-Bomber Wing, South Korea

Royal Netherlands Air Force operational F-84 unitsEdit

Aircraft on displayEdit

File:F-84 Thunderjet ZELL.jpg
An F-84 during Zero-length launch testing

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Specifications (F-84G Thunderjet)Edit

File:Republic F-84 Thunderjet 3-view.svg
Line drawing of F-84C

Template:Aircraft specs

See alsoEdit

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ReferencesEdit

CitationsEdit

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BibliographyEdit

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External linksEdit

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Template:Republic aircraft Template:USAF fighters Template:Thai fighter designations Template:YAF aircraft

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