The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was a jet fighter-bomber used by the US Air Force during the Cold War. Also in service with the German and Italian Air Force, it was the mainstay of NATO fighter strength in the 1950s and 1960s, and it was the postwar Luftwaffe's first jet fighter aircraft. It was developed from the F-84 Thunderjet, whose straight wing was replaced by swept wings. Although it was a heavy, subsonic warplane, it was a versatile and reliable aircraft, which served the United States and Germany for over a decade. In the US Air Force, it would be phased out in 1964 and replaced by the North American F-100 Super Sabre.
The prototype of the F-84F, the XF-96A, flew for the first time on June 3, 1950. The trial period was long, with many engine problems to be solved. After four long years of flight tests, it was finally introduced into service on May 12, 1954, as the F-84F. Republic would built more than 3,000 Thunderstreaks, most of them being deployed in Europe, Japan, and South Korea. The aircraft introduced a new standard of precision as a fighter-bomber, but it never became an excellent dogfighter, since it was a heavy aircraft. It was fit to carry nuclear bombs. In a war against the Soviet Union, its mission would have taken it deep into Eastern Europe territory, or even Russia.
Technical Description
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was a single-seat, single-engine subsonic monoplane. Its fuselage was of all-metal construction. It was fitted with swept mid-wing, whose leading edge was swept sharply back at 38.5 degree. The wing had also a pronounced anhedral, a downward angle from the wing root. The tail assembly was of conventional type, with swept back tailplane, which was mounted on the large vertical fin. The aircraft was powered by one Wright J65-W-3 Sapphire turbojet engine, which was rated at 7,225 pounds of thrust. The engine air intake was in nose of aircraft. However, in the RF-84F reconnaissance variant, it was mounted in root of wing.
Specifications
Type: fighter-bomber aircraft
Length: 13.23 m (43 feet, 5 inches)
Wing Span: 10.24 m (33 feet, 7 inches)
Wing Area: 30.19 m2 (325 square feet)
Height: 4.38 m (14 feet, 4 inches)
Power Plant: one 7,225-lb, Wright J65-W-3 Sapphire turbojet engine.
Maximum Speed: 1,118 km/h (695 mph)
Combat Range: 1,304 km (810 miles), with drop tanks.
Service Ceiling: 14,020 m (46,000 feet)
Armament: six 12.7-mm (.50-cal) M-2 Browning machine guns; 2,722-kg (6,000-lb) of bombs/rockets.
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| The RF-84F reconnaissance variant flying over Arizona in 1957. |
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| Three Thunderstreak in flight from an Italian Air Force squadron. |
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| The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak in service with the German Luftwaffe. |
