Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
Republic Aviation · United States · first flew 1950 · bomber
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing, single-engine fighter-bomber. It was developed from the straight-winged F-84 Thunderjet.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Oval fuselage with a nose air intake feeding one Wright J65 turbojet |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Swept wing and swept tail on a single-jet fighter-bomber
- Oval fuselage with a nose air intake feeding one Wright J65 turbojet
- Four machine guns in the nose above the intake and two in the wing roots
Look for a single-engine jet with swept wings and tail, a deep oval fuselage and a nose intake. The guns sit in the nose above the intake and in the wing roots.
Specifications
- The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak has a length of 13.23 m (43 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.25 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1119 km/h (695 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The design began as a simple upgrade of the Thunderjet to compete with the F-86 Sabre, using a swept wing and tail. Prototypes flew from June 1950, but production was repeatedly delayed and the engine was changed to the more powerful Wright J65, a US-built Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire. The larger engine required a stretched, oval fuselage and a modified intake, making the aircraft effectively a new design.
Variants
The RF-84F Thunderflash was the photo-reconnaissance version. The first 275 aircraft had a conventional stabiliser-elevator tailplane and suffered pitch-up and poor turning at combat speeds, which led to a change of tailplane design.
Where you'll see it
The F-84F entered service in November 1954, by which time the Sabre had been much improved, and the Thunderstreak was used as a fighter-bomber. It began moving to secondary roles early and left US Air National Guard service in 1972, while Greece retired its aircraft in 1991.
Related aircraft
- Republic F-84 Thunderjet
- Republic F-105 Thunderchief
- Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Bubble-top)
- Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Razorback)
- Douglas A2D Skyshark
- English Electric Canberra B.2
- Sud-Est SE.2410 Grognard
- Avro Shackleton
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