The original F-84 "Thunderjet" originated as a straight-winged jet-powered fighter form in 1947. However, the design, with roots in a wartime (World War 2) United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) requirement of 1944, went through a prolonged period of development, not seeing a first-flight until the war was over in 1946 and only entering service in the viable D-model form in 1949. The type was plagued by engine issues and production delays which nearly derailed this classic American entry from ever seeing service. Like the Grumman F9F "Cougar" jet fighter, the Thunderjet was another American jet-powered straight-winged aircraft to have been evolved into swept-back winged forms - this became the definitive F-84F "Thunderstreak" which, while derived from the original F-84 family line, was essentially an all-new aircraft for what eventually became the United States Air Force (USAF).
Origins of the Thunderstreak lay in work conducted during 1949 around proposal "AP-23M" which sought to develop a high performance jet-powered fighter based on the existing framework of the F-84E Thunderjet. E-models carried the Allison J35-A-17D turbojet engine and supported Rocket-Assisted Take-Off (RATO) cannisters for increased take-off performance while inboard external fuel tanks were carried for improved operational ranges. Beyond this, the airframe was lengthened by over a foot for more internal fuel as well as general streamlining of the fuselage. From this standard was generated some 843 production examples.
With the E-model as a starting point, engineers looked to advanced the design to produce a better high-speed fighter. This involved a complete reworking of the tail surfaces as well as implementation of a new swept-back wing mainplane (given 40-degrees sweepback). Very little, if any, commonality was eventually had with the earlier F-84s and a little more than half of the existing Republic Aviation production equipment could be reused.
With its Allison J35-A-25 turbojet engine of 5,300lb thrust output, the prototype "YF-96A" flew for the first time on June 3rd, 1950 - built from an F-84G (51-1345) production model. The designation was then updated to become "YF-84F" joined by the name "Thunderstreak" before the end of the year. Two more aircraft were then added to the program with the first carrying the dimensionally-larger British-originated Armstrong Siddeley "Sapphire" turbojet engine. Due to its size, the fuselage was modified to accept the Sapphire and a deeper air intake at the nose was introduced. In this guise, the aircraft flew for the first time on February 14th, 1951.
The second of the two went down a much more drastic development road, having a complete assembly added over the nose intake and the intake now split into twin triangular-shaped openings at either wing root. In this form, the aircraft's thrust output tested poorly and was ultimately rejected by USAF authorities as a frontline fighter. However, it was revisited as the YF-84F/YRF-84F to become a dedicated tactical reconnaissance aircraft (the nose section housing camera equipment). In service, this aircraft became the RF-84F "Thunderflash" (detailed elsewhere on this site).
The British Sapphire engine was then adopted for local licensed production as the "Wright J65" and its developmental form, the YJ65-W-1 engine of 7,220lb thrust, assisted its prototype airframe during a first-flight recorded on November 22nd, 1952.
Standard armament for the fighter became the American staple of 6 x 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) Browning M3 Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) and all were installed at the upper nose section. In addition to this, the little fighter could carry upwards of 6,000lb of ordnance, mainly in the form of mainly rockets and conventional drop bombs under the wings. Fuel tanks could be affixed at each wing root for increased operational ranges as needed.
The first F-84F Thunderstreak was taken into American service on December 3rd, 1952 but, like other Thunderjet / Thunderstreaks before them, the type suffered from several issues including handling. An "all-moving" tail was introduced to help with controlling and items like this are what delayed the formal introduction of the F-models until 1954.
As built, the F-84F held a single crewman under a lightly framed canopy aft of the nose intake. Overall length of the airframe reached 43.4 feet with a wingspan of 33.7 feet and a height of 14.4 feet. Empty weight was near-14,000lb against an MTOW of 28,000lb. Maximum speed was 695 miles-per-hour with a range out to 810 miles (twin drop tanks fitted), a service ceiling of 46,000 feet (requiring cockpit pressurization), and a rate-of-climb equal to 8,200 feet-per-minute.
Beyond its major global operator being the USAF, the primary recipient of the new jet-powered fighter became many of America's NATO allies in Europe. This included the Belgian, West German, and Netherlands air forces which began receiving the type as soon as the early part of 1955 (about 852 of the total Thunderstreak production lot found their way to NATO forces in Europe). The final Thunderstreak was delivered during August of 1957. After their usefulness had expired, ex-West German F-84s were sold off to allies Greece and Turkey while the USAF sent their own expiring stock to recipients in Europe and, more locally, to the Air National Guard (ANG). The latter received their Thunderstreaks beginning in July of 1964 and operated them into November of 1971.
Beyond this, the F-84F line produced a pair of XF-84H prototypes fitted with Allison XT40-A-1 turboprop engines and tested under the name of "Thunderscreech" - though these prototypes were not advanced. The YF-84J mark, of which two were built to the standard, were given enlarged nose intakes for better airflow to their General Electric J73 turbojet engine. Flown to a speed of Mach 1.09 on April 7th, 1954, this F-84F potential production standard aircraft was also not advanced.
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Specifications
Republic Aviation - USA Manufacturer(s)
Belgium; Denmark; France; West Germany; Greece; Italy; Netherlands; Norway; Taiwan; Turkey; Untied States Operators
AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
INTELLIGENCE-SURVEILLANCE-RECONNAISSANCE
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
X-PLANE
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
43.4 ft (13.23 meters) Length
33.6 ft (10.25 meters) Width/Span
14.4 ft (4.40 meters) Height
11,464 lb (5,200 kilograms) Empty Weight
27,999 lb (12,700 kilograms) Maximum Take-Off Weight
+16,535 lb (+7,500 kg) Weight Difference
1 x Wright J65-W-3 turbojet engine developing 7,220lb of thrust. Propulsion
STANDARD, FIXED:
6 x 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) Browning M3 air-cooled machine guns in upper nose section.
OPTIONAL:
Up to 6,000lb of externally-held stores including conventional drop bombs, aerial rockets, and 1 x Mark 7 nuclear bomb.
2 Hardpoints
F-84 "Thunderstreak" - Base Series Designation.
YF-84F - Prototype aircraft; three completed (third with wing-root-mounted intakes, becoming the YRF-84 reconnaissance form.
F-84F - Definitive F-model production form; 2,711 examples completed.
GRF-84F - RF-84F reconnaissance models converted for the FICON parasite fighter / mothership program role; becoming RF-84K.
RF-84F "Thunderflash" - Dedicated reconnaissance variant with camera-equipped nose section and wing root intakes.
RF-84K FICON - Redesignation of GRF-84F models.
XF-84H "Thunderscreech" - F-models used as experimental platforms; Allison XT40-A-1 turboprop engine of 5,850 horsepower fitted; two examples converted.
YF-84J - F-model aircraft as prototypes; fitted with General Electric J73 turbojet engine; larger nose intake; two examples modified.
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