Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version.
Design and development
In 1949, Republic created a swept wing version of the F-84 hoping to bring performance to the F-86 level. The last production F-84E was fitted with a swept tail, a new wing with 38.5 degrees of leading edge sweep and 3.5 degrees of anhedral, and a J35-A-25 engine producing 5,300 pound-force (23.58 kN) of thrust.[1] The aircraft was designated XF-96A. It flew on 3 June 1950 with Otto P. Haas at the controls. Although the airplane was capable of 602 knots (693 mph, 1,115 km/h), the performance gain over the F-84E was considered minor.[1] Nonetheless, it was ordered into production in July 1950 as the F-84F Thunderstreak. The F-84 designation was retained because the fighter was expected to be a low-cost improvement of the straight-wing Thunderjet with over 55 percent commonality in tooling.[1]
In the meantime, the USAF, hoping for improved high-altitude performance from a more powerful engine, arranged for the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet engine to be built in the United States as the Wright J65. To accommodate the larger engine, YF-84Fs with a British-built Sapphire as well as production F-84Fs with the J65 had a vertically stretched fuselage, with the air intake attaining an oval cross-section. Production delays with the F-84F forced USAF to order a number of straight-wing F-84Gs as an interim measure.[1]
Production quickly ran into problems. Although tooling commonality with the Thunderjet was supposed to be 55 percent, in reality only 15 percent of tools could be reused.[1] To make matters worse, the F-84F utilized press-forged wing spars and ribs. At the time, only three presses in the United States could manufacture these, and priority was given to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet bomber over the F-84.[1] The YJ65-W-1 engine was considered obsolete and the improved J65-W-3 did not become available until 1954. When the first production F-84F finally flew on 22 November 1952, it differed from the service test aircraft. It had a different canopy which opened up and back instead of sliding to the rear, as well as airbrakes on the sides of the fuselage instead of the bottom of the aircraft.[1] The aircraft was considered not ready for operational deployment due to control and stability problems. The first 275 aircraft, equipped with a conventional stabilizer-elevator tailplane, suffered from accelerated stall pitch-up and poor turning ability at combat speeds. Beginning with Block 25, the problem was ameliorated by introduction of a hydraulically-powered one-piece stabilator. A number of aircraft were also retrofitted with spoilers for improved high-speed control. As a result, the F-84F was not declared operational until 12 May 1954.[1]
Operational history
Project Run In completed operational tests in November 1954 and found the aircraft to be to USAF satisfaction and considerably better than the F-84G. However, ongoing engine failures resulted in the entire fleet being grounded in early 1955. Also, the J65 engine continued to suffer from flameouts when flying through heavy rain or snow.[1] As the result of the problems, the active duty phaseout began almost as soon as the F-84F entered service in 1954, and was completed by 1958. Increased tensions in Germany associated with construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 resulted in reactivation of the F-84F fleet. In 1962, the fleet was grounded due to corrosion of control rods. A total of 1,800 man hours was expended to bring each aircraft to full operational capacity.[1] The aircraft were retired from active service in 1964. Stress corrosion forced retirement of ANG F-84Fs in 1971.
In what is probably one of the very few air-to-air engagements involving the F-84F, two Turkish Air Force F-84F Thunderstreaks shot down two Iraqi Il-28 Beagle bombers that crossed the Turkish border by mistake during a bombing operation against Iraqi Kurdish insurgents. This engagement took place on 16 August 1962.[2]
Thunderflash
The second YF-84F prototype was completed with wing-root air intakes. These were not adopted for the fighter due to loss of thrust. However, this arrangement permitted placement of cameras in the nose and the design was adopted for the RF-84F Thunderflash reconnaissance version. The first YRF-84F was completed in February 1952.[1] The aircraft retained an armament of four machine guns and could carry up to fifteen cameras. Innovations included computerized controls which adjusted camera settings for light, speed, and altitude, a periscope to give the pilot better visualization of the target, and a voice recorder to let the pilot narrate his observations. Being largely identical to the F-84F, the Thunderflash suffered from the same production delays and engine problems, delaying operational service until March 1954. The aircraft was retired from active duty in 1957, only to be reactivated in 1961, and finally retired from the ANG in 1972.[1]
Several modified Thunderflashes were used in the FICON project.
Flying the Thunderstreak
The Thunderstreak suffered from the same poor takeoff performance as the straight-wing Thunderjets in spite of having a more powerful engine. In reality, almost 700 pounds-force (3.11 kN) or 10 percent of total thrust was lost because the J65 was installed at an angle and its exhaust had a prominent kink. On a hot day, 7,500 feet (2,285 m) of runway were required for takeoff roll.[3] A typical takeoff speed was 160 knots (185 mph, 300 km/h).[3] Like the Thunderjet, the Thunderstreak excelled at cruise and had predictable handling characteristics within its performance envelope. Like its predecessor, it also suffered from accelerated stall pitch-up and potential resulting separation of wings from the airplane. In addition, spins in the F-84F were practically unrecoverable and ejection was the only recourse below 10,000 feet (3,000 m).[3]
With the appearance of Republic's F-105 Thunderchief, which also used wing-root mounted air intakes, the Thunderstreak became known as the Thud's Mother.[3] The earlier F-84A had been nicknamed the "Hog" and the F-84F "Super Hog," the F-105 becoming the "Ultra Hog."
By the mid-1960s, the F-84F was replaced by the North American F-100 Super Sabre and the RF-84F by the RF-101 Voodoo in USAF units, being relegated to duty in the Air National Guard. The last F-84F Thunderflash retired from the ANG in 1971. Three Hellenic Air Force RF-84Fs that were retired in 1991 were the last operational F-84s.
Richard Bach, who later wrote the bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, was an ANG F-84F pilot who was once activated for duty in Europe. His first book, Stranger to the Ground, described in detail what it was like to fly the Thunderstreak in the course of an operational flight at night from England to France in adverse weather.
Variants
- YF-84F
- Two swept-wing prototypes of the F-84F, initially designated YF-96.
- F-84F Thunderstreak
- Swept wing version with Wright J65 engine. Tactical Air Command aircraft were equipped with Low-Altitude Bombing System (LABS) for delivering nuclear bombs. 2,711 built, 1,301 went to NATO under Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP).
- GRF-84F
- 25 RF-84Fs were converted to be carried, and launched from the bomb bay of a GRB-36F bomber as part of the FICON project. The aircraft were later redesignated RF-84K.
- RF-84F Thunderflash
- Reconnaissance version of the F-84F, 715 built.
- XF-84H
- Two F-84Fs were converted into experimental aircraft. Each was fitted with an Allison XT40-A-1 turboprop engine of 5,850 shaft horsepower (4,365 kW) driving a supersonic propeller. Ground crews dubbed the XF-84H the Thunderscreech due to its extreme noise output.[1]
- YF-84J
- Two F-84Fs were converted into YF-84J prototypes with enlarged nose intakes and a deepened fuselages for the General Electric J73 engine; the YF-84J reached Mach 1.09 in level flight on 7 April 1954.[1] The project was cancelled due to the excessive cost of converting extant F-84Fs.
Operators
- Belgium
- Republic of China
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Iran
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- Turkey
- United States
Survivors
Belgium
- F-84F (s/n 52-7133) (s/n FU-6) in deep store at RAF Museum Cosford as '6771'
- F-84F (s/n 52-7169) (s/n FU-30) is on display at the Brussels Air Museum,
- F-84F (s/n 52-7192) (s/n FU-33) is on display at gate guard at Chievres, Belgium.
- F-84F (s/n 52-10519) (s/n FU-63) is used as a target at Pampa Range, Helchteren, Belgium. (marked as 'BA-56')
- F-84F (s/n 53-6677) (s/n FU-66) is on display at Kleine Brogel Airbase, Belgium.
- F-84F (s/n 53-6716) (s/n FU-74) is used a diving object at the flooded quarry of 'La Gombe' at Esneux, Belgium.
- F-84F (s/n 53-6536) (s/n FU-76) is preserved at L'Epopée de l'Industrie et de L'Aéronautique, 16 rue de l'Industrie, 80300 Albert (France) as '28946/11-RQ'
- F-84F (s/n 53-6587) (s/n FU-82) is on display next to the clubhouse of the dive club at the quarry "Carrière de Roche Fontaine" te Franchimont, Belgium. (fitted with tail of FU-28)
- F-84F (s/n 53-6597) (s/n FU-103) is on display at Florennes Airbase, Belgium as 'FU-66/YL-A'
- F-84F (s/n 53-6783) (s/n FU-144) is on display at Florennes Airbase, Belgium as 'FU52/UR-H'
- F-84F (s/n 53-6613) (s/n FU-145) is on display at Kleine Brogel Airbase, Belgium.
- F-84F (s/n 53-6806) (s/n FU-154) is on display on roundabout on road Dinant-Philippeville, near Florennes, Belgium.
- F-84F (s/n 53-6888) (s/n FU-177) is on display at Sanicole aeroclub.
- F-84F (s/n 52-6371) (s/n FU-181) is used as a target at Pampe Range, Helchteren, Belgium. (marked as 'BA-02'
- F-84F (s/n 52-6403) (s/n FU-183) is used as a target at Pampa Range, Helchteren, Belgium. (marked as 'BA-06'
- F-84F (s/n 52-6369) (s/n FU-188) is stored at Kleine Brogel Airbase, Belgium
- F-84F (s/n 52-6584) (s/n FU-197) is on display at Keiheuvel Airfield, Balen, Belgium.
- RF-84F (s/n 51-1922) (s/n FR-27) is on display at Spa Airfield, Belgium.
- RF-84F (s/n 51-1945) (s/n FR-28) is on display at Royal Army Museum, Brussels, Belgium.
- RF-84F (s/n 51-11279) (s/n FR-29) is used as a gateguard at Florennes Airbase, Belgium.
- RF-84F (s/n 53-7646) (s/n FR-32) is on display at Beauvechain Airbase, Belgium
Denmark
- RF-84F is on display at Dansk Veteranfly Samling, Stauning.
France
- F-84F (s/n 52-7170) (s/n FU-21 Belgian Air Force) preserved at Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse, Montélimar-Ancône (F) (bare metal)
- F-84F (s/n 53-6539) (s/n FU-97 Belgian) stored at Savigny-lès-Beaune, France
- F-84F (s/n 53-6760) (s/n FU-125 Belgian Air Force) preserved at 'Ailes Anciennes' at Toulouse/Blagnac, France (tail of FU-106)
- RF-84F (s/n 51-1886) (s/n FR-21 Belgian Air Force) is on display at museum in Savigny-lès-Beaune, France.
- RF-84F (s/n 51-17015) (s/n FR-30 Belgian Air Force) is stored at Paris-Le Bourget Dugny. (storage facility of Le Bourget Museum)
Germany
- F-84F (s/n 51-1645) (Luftwaffe as DE+106, DE+364, DD+367) is on display as DB+232 at Lechfeld Kaserne, Germany.
- F-84F (s/n 51-1702) (Luftwaffe as DE+254, DE+374, DE+110, DD+371, DD+380) is on display at Hermeskeil Museum, Germany.
- F-84F (s/n 51-1733) (Luftwaffe as DE+255, DE+378, DE+126, DD+374) is on display as DJ+134 at Frankfurt, Germany.
- F-84F (s/n 52-6639) (Luftwaffe as DD+233, DD+371, DD+106, DD+306) is on display as DD+113 at Messtetten, Germany.
- F-84F (s/n 52-6714) (Luftwaffe as DE+239, DE+372, DE+126) is on display at Gatow Museum, Berlin, Germany.
- F-84F (s/n 52-6737) (Luftwaffe as DD+244, DD+344) is on display as DD+244 at Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany.
- F-84F (s/n 52-6746) (Luftwaffe as DD+239, DD+339) is on display as DD+313 at Gatow Museum, Berlin, Germany.
- F-84F (s/n 53-6899) (s/n FU-160 Belgian Air Force) 'preserved' (in very bad condition) at the Schwäbischer Bauern und Technik Museum te Seifertshofen (D)
Greece
- F-84F (s/n 53-7216) (ex-Luftwaffe as DB+344) of the Hellenic Air Force is on display at the Athens War Museum.
- RF-84F (s/n 52-7468) of the Hellenic Air Force is on display at Heraklion air base.
Italy
The Netherlands
- F-84F (s/n 53-6612) is on display in the "Militair Luchtvaart Museum" in Soesterberg, marked P-226 (Royal Dutch Air Force)
- F-84F (s/n 52-7115) (s/n FU-10) preserved Baarlo (Kessel storage) as 'FU-10'
- RF-84F (s/n 53-7644) (s/n FR-31 Belgian Air Force) is on displayed on pole before building 85 at Schaarsbergen, marked as 'P-7' (Royal Dutch Air Force)(has wooden tail !)
Norway
Poland
- F-84F (s/n 52-7157) (s/n FU-36) is preserved at Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego, Kraków-Rakowice
Russia
United Kingdom
United States
- F-84F (s/n 52-6526) is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
- F-84F (s/n 51-9495) is on display at the Air Force Armament Museum near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
- F-84F (s/n 51-9522) is on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon
- F-84F is on display in a park in Indian Springs, Nevada; tail number 1776, painted in Thunderbird colors.
- F-84F is on display at the Sacramento Aerospace Museum, Sacramento, California
- F-84F (s/n 51-1714) is on display at the Strategic Air and Space Museum, Ashland, Nebraska.
- F-84F is on display at the local Municipal Airport of David City, Nebraska.
- F-84F is on display in Cheyenne, Wyoming
- F-84F is on display at the Fairfield Municipal Airport (Iowa).
- F-84F is on display at Wilson Park in Granite City (Illinois).
- F-84F is on display at Mitchell Fields VFW, in Athens, Georgia
- F-84F (s/n 51-1653) is on display at Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama
- F-84F is on display at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Illinois
- F-84F is on display at Camp Lincoln in Springfield. Illinois
- RF-84K (s/n 52-7266) at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver, Colorado.[4] in the Restorations Department.
- F-84F (s/n 51-9433) at Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California
- F-84F is on display at Dobbins ARB in Marietta, Georgia
- F-84F (s/n 51-1639) is on display at 3DW Springfield Downtown Airport in Springfield, Missouri.
- F-84F (s/n 52-9089) is on display at the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, Kansas
- F-84F (s/n 52-6782 was painted as s/n 52-6779 of the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds) is on display at Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona
- RF-84F is on display at the ROTC building at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma
- F-84F (s/n 51-9444) is on display at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- F-84F, in Thunderbird colors, tail number 26456, is on display at VFW Post #6791 in West Chicago, Illinois
Turkey
- F-84F (s/n 52-8941) is on display at Istanbul, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-6867) (ex-Luftwaffe as DF+366) is on display at Merzifon, Amasya, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-7007) (ex-Luftwaffe as DC+369) is on display at Diyarbakir, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-7026) (ex-Luftwaffe as DC+330) is on display at Konya, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-7040) (ex-Luftwaffe as DB+381) is on display at Bandirma, Balikesir, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-7123) (ex-Luftwaffe as DB+127) is on display at Eskisehir, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-7142) (ex-Luftwaffe as DB+340) is on display at Eskisehir, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-7186) (ex-Luftwaffe as DB+323) is on display at Etimesgut, Ankara, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-7196) (ex-Luftwaffe as DF+349) is on display at Gaziemir, Izmir, Turkey.
- F-84F (s/n 53-7214) (ex-Luftwaffe as DB+169) is on display at Balikesir, Turkey.
- RF-84F (s/n 51-1901) is on display at Etimesgut, Ankara, Turkey.
- RF-84F (s/n 51-1924) is on display at Istanbul, Turkey.
- RF-84F (s/n 52-8733) is on display at Eskisehir, Turkey.
Specifications (F-84F)
Data from Fighters of the United States Air Force,[5] Combat Aircraft since 1945[6]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Avionics
- A-1CM or A-4 gunsight with APG-30 or MK-18 ranging radar
Accidents and incidents
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Knaack 1978, p. 42.
- ^ Cooper, Tom. "Europe & Cold War Database: Cyprus, 1955-1973." Air Combat Information Group, 26 October 2003. Retrieved: 8 September 2009.
- ^ a b c d Higham, Robin and Carol Williams. Flying Combat Aircraft of USAAF-USAF (Vol.2). Rockville, Maryland: Air Force Historical Foundation, 1978. ISBN 0-8138-0375-6.
- ^ "RF-84K FICON." Wings Over the Rockies Museum.org. Retrieved: 19 January 2011.
- ^ Dorr and Donald 1990, p. 134.
- ^ Wilson 2000, p. 119.
- ^ "Alpine Rescue Ends Terror." Spokane Daily Chronicle, 30 August 1961, p. 6.
- ^ "Strauss-Befehl: Bier-Order 61"(German). Der Spiegel, 9 May 1962. Retrieved: 30 November 2010.
- Bibliography
- Bowers, Peter M. and Enzo Angellucci. The American Fighter. New York: Orion Books, 1987. ISBN 0-517-56588-9.
- Donald, David and Jon Lake, eds. Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft. London: AIRtime Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-880588-24-2.
- Dorr, Robert F. and David Donald. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Temple Press Aerospace, 1990. ISBN 0-600-55094-X.
- Forrer, Frits T. The Fun of Flying. Gulf Breeze, Florida: Holland's Glory, 1992. ISBN 0-9714490-3-1.
- Hiltermann, Gijs. "Republic F-84F Thunderstreak." Vliegend in Nederland 1 (in Dutch). Eindhoven, Netherlands: Flash Aviation, 1988. ISBN 978-9-0715-5304-2.
- Keaveney, Kevin. Republic F-84/Swept-Wing Variants (Aerofax Minigraph, No 15). London: Aerofax, 1987. ISBN 0-942548-20-5.
- Knaack, Marcelle Size. Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems: Volume 1 Post-World War II Fighters 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
- Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft Since 1909. Washington, DC: Smithsonian, 1989. ISBN 0-87474-880-1.
- United States Air Force Museum Guidebook. Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975.
- Wagner, Ray. American Combat Planes, Third Enlarged Edition. New York: Doubleday, 1982. ISBN 0-385-13120-8.
- Wilson, Stewart. Combat Aircraft since 1945. Fyshwick, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 2000. ISBN 1-875671-50-1.
External links
|
|
Seversky aircraft |
|
|
Republic aircraft (by role) |
|
|
Republic aircraft (by name) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pursuit (pre-1948)
Fighter (post-1948) |
|
|
Pursuit, Biplace |
|
|
Fighter, Multiplace |
|
|
See also: F-24 (redesignation of A-24 in 1948) • F-117 • Post-1962 list
|
|
|
|
General |
|
|
Military |
|
|
Accidents/incidents |
|
|
Records |
|
|