Republic F-84F Thunderstreak

History

This aircraft was developed as a swept wing version of the Thunderjet. The reason was that the results were published of German research regarding swept wings and to bring the straight winged Thunderjet to the level of the F-86 Sabre, which was also equipped with swept wings. Expected was that the performance of the new model would be improved.
Initially the new aircraft was designated XF-96 and it used over 60% exiting parts of the F-84E Thunderjet to safe money. The last built F-84E Thunderjet, 49-2430, was used for this conversion. The fuselage of the XF-96A was in fact the same as the fuselage of the F-84E including the canopy and the air brakes. The tail was revised and a new designed wing was added. The engine was an Allison J35-A-25 rated 2359 kg thrust. June 3, 1950 the new aircraft made is maiden flight. The test flights showed a little improvement of the performance and further development was slowed down.

Thanks to the outbreak of the Korean war more money was available for the further development and in July 1950 an order for the delivery of the F-96A, it received on August 9, 1950 a new designation XF-84F Thunderstreak. To improve the performance a greater heights the better Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire turbojet rated 3266 kg thrust was used to replace the Allison J35 used in the prototype. The Sapphire was built under license by Curtiss-Wright as J-65.

Because this engine was considerably longer, the rear part of the fuselage had to be redesigned and also the air intake was revised. The prototype XF-84F, 49-2430 made its maiden flight on February 14, 1951.

The second pre-production aircraft ,51-1344, was built in 1951; the third, 51-1345, had two intakes in the wing root. This configuration suffered pressure losses and was not further developed. Later this configuration was used for the photo reconnaissance model, the Thunderflash. During production of the first series another problem occurred. The original designed wing was equipped with large wing spars, that could be produced by only one type, heavy hydraulic press. The only press available was Boeing property and it was used at that time for the production of parts of the Boeing B-47 bomber. This press was for technical reasons unavailable for some time and also the production of the J-65 engine was delayed.

It was decided to re-design the wing construction, so the production of the Thunderstreak was delayed and the USAF ordered another version of the Thunderjet, the F-84G. This model of the Thunderjet was produced in the largest numbers, over 3000 examples.

Production blocks.

The Netherlands received 180 Thunderstreaks under MDAP (= Mutual Defence Assistance Program) conditions. November 9, 1955 the first Thunderstreaks were officially handed over to the Minister of Defence. Most of the aircraft were delivered by ship and offloaded in the Merwehaven at Rotterdam.

A nightly transport by road to Avio-Diepen at air base Ypenburg followed.
Soon some problems with the wheels occurred, parts of the rim got loose. Because of the cold war, one thought of sabotage. Though the same problem occurred at Thunderstreak in the US, certain weather and production conditions caused this problem. Also several Thunderstreaks were transported through the air via the so called "High Flight"route via Copenhagen to the Netherlands.

No 311 squadron was the first to be operational with the Thunderstreak. The first Aircraft, registered P-103, was delivered November 29, 1955; the last and 25th Thunderstreak, registered P-239, was delivered June 20, 1956.
March 1956 the first Thunderstreaks were delivered to 312 and 313 squadron. 312 squadron received the last Thunderstreak, registered P-235, June 12, 1956.
March 9, 1955 313 squadron received the first Thunderstreak, P-214. because of delay of the delivery of the rest of the aircraft, eight examples were loaned from 312 squadron, so the Thunderjet could be withdrawn from use. At the end of 1956 the last Streak for 313 squadron were delivered, so its strength was 25 aircraft.
314 squadron received its first Thunderstreak, registered P-212,/8T-25 on may 1, 1956; its last example, P-161, was delivered just three months later. 314 squadron was part of the so called Allied Command Europe Mobile Forces (ACEMF) and was on a regular basis detached in Denmark and Norway.
April 28, 1956 the first Streak , P-205 for 315 squadron arrived. In September the squadron received its 27th and last Thunderstreak van. In the meantime two Streaks were written off due to accidents. May 1970 315 squadron was moved to air base Twenthe for the conversion to the NF-5. The remaining Thunderstreaks were handed over to 314 squadron.
July 27, 1956 the first three Streaks, P-157, P-166 and P-186 were delivered to 316 squadron; the last one was delivered in 1957. January 1958 the squadron was abolished, because due to accidents twenty-two Thunderstreaks had been written of and over thirty aircraft were in maintenance. The aircraft of the squadron were handed over to the other squadrons.

June 1958, 313 squadron was merged with the Jacht Vlieg School. Its Thunderstreaks were handed over to the other four CTL squadrons (Commando Tactische Luchtstrijdkrachten = Tactical Command).
Squadrons 311 and 312 squadron converted to the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter in 1964 - 1965. 115 Thunderstreaks were left for two squadrons. These Streaks were of different modification standards, so it was decided to withdraw the Thunderstreak F-48F-60-RE and earlier. On demand of the US twenty of these aircraft were handed over to Turkey. In 1970 both squadrons exchanged their Thunderstreaks for the Northrop NF-5.

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak P-226, photographed in 1985 at the Military Aviation Museum at Soesterberg.

Republic F94F Thunderstreak P-254, photographed in 1994 at the Anthonie Fokkerschool at The Hague.

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak P-226, photographed in 1995 at the Open Day Dutch Air Force at air base Volkel.

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak P-248, photographed in 1987

The Thunderstreak was rather difficult to fly and take off was rather sluggish. The Streaks nick name in the USAF was "ground loving whore”. Advantage was it massive construction. When the weather was warm four JATO rockets (Jet Assisted Take Off) were used. These rockets added an extra thrust of over 1880 kg for about 17 seconds. This JATO was rather expensive and used little in the Netherlands.

Despite it poor flying capabilities the Thunderstreak was used by several display teams, such as the famous US team ‘Thunderbirds’.
Also in the Netherlands several display teams used the Thunderstreak, such as the "Dash Four"team of 1956 and the “Red Noses-team.
In 1963 there was a team of 315 squadron “Sandbag Diamond” with four Thunderstreaks plus one solo. Very little is known about this team.
A well known team, which never flew an official display was the “Whiskey Four 67" of squadron 314. Seven aircraft had the special scheme applied. Because of an accident killing the pilot during a training flight the team was dismissed shortly before its first official display. In (the Dutch modelling magazine) ‘Modelbouw in Plastic, number 2, jaargang 17, 1988 a short article is published with photos and a drawn colour scheme.

In 1970 314 squadron raised a team, called "The Rascals" which displayed several times. In 1971 the team flew with the successor of the Thunderstreak, the Northrop NF-5.

The last operational flight with a Dutch F-84F was December 21, 1970.
Because of accidents 75 aircraft were written off during the fourteen years the Streak had been used. This is almost 42 % of the total amount of Thunderstreaks used in Dutch service.

Several Thunderstreaks are preserved in the Netherlands.
Status 1991 (source: Dutch Wrecks and Relics by W. Zwakhals):

• The Fokker factory school: P-172 and P-230 [I wonder what happened with these aircraft after Fokker's bankruptcy??]
• The Anthony Fokker school, The Hague: P-134 and P-254 (I photographed them in 1992; the aircraft were in excellent condition at that time.
• TU- Delft: parts of P-227
• Militaire Luchtvaart Museum at Soesterberg: P-226
• Air base Woensdrecht: P-170 airframe
• Air base GilzeRijen: P-191 as gate guard; and at DVM P-248
• Autotron at Rosmalen: P-263 [Nowadays Autotron is closed]
• At modelingDelta Mini Airport at Oss P-276
• At the MSS (Mineurs en Sapeur School) at Reek: P-224 and P-312 (in fact P-229)
• Air base Eindhoven: P-231 as gate guard and P-277 stored.
• Air base Deelen: P-243 as gate guard.
• LETS/Deelen: P-149 had been used as decoy at air base Soesterberg. It might be P-152, but this is uncertain.
• Air base Twenthe: P-166; P-171 and P-209. Air base is closed since 2004
• Air base Leeuwarden: P-194; In 1991 several parts were in use for fire practices.

Republic F-84 Thunderstreak

Initially squadron codes were used, the serial was applied in small lettering on the tail, just below the fin flash. Above the fin flash the US serial was applied. These squadron codes were agreed within the West European Union. and consisted of two letters or one letter plus one number and a sequence number. In the real world the aircraft were exchanged between the squadrons, so each individual aircraft may have carried several squadron codes.

The US serial or US fiscal year number, remained on the aircraft because the aircraft were in fact US property.

Note that an administrative mistake had been made with the last three aircraft. P-277 was read as P-297, so the last three aircraft had had the serials P-298, P-299 and P-300 designated instead P-278, P279 en P-280.
The system of squadron codes was abandoned at the end of the fifties. From 1959/1960 the squadron codes disappeared and the P-serial was applied on the nose. Also the squadron badge was applied on the tail.

Scale 1/72

Kits

• Airfix
  • Kit 03022: This is an older kit than the Italeri kit and of the same quality. The cockpit needs to be detailed.
• Italeri
  • Kit 107: A rather old kit, also released by Revell, with decals for a Dutch camouflaged Thunderstreak. The cockpit is rather good but somewhat bare, so you might use some detailing sets. Ad enough weight in the nose. The air intake and exhaust are open, so you can look right through the model, so you need to close it. The landing gear is rather fragile, but realistic.
• PJ productions
  • 72-1021: a resin model of good quality.
• Testors
  • Kit 942: This, here in the Netherlands scarcely available, kit can be compared with the Italeri kit.

A model of the F-84F Thunderstreak.
The kit used is the Airfix kit; the decals are used from several sets from IPMS Nederland.

Modelling add-on

• Aeroclub
  • V090: F84F Thunderstreak/-flash Nose Leg
• Airwaves
  • Set AC72191: Detailing set for Italeri-Streak.
  • Set AC72134: Detailing set F84F Thunderstreak/Flash Airbrakes

Decals

• Dutch Decal
  • Set 72012: Set for all colour schemes of the Dutch Thunderstreaks.
  • Set 72042: In fact a re-release of set 72012 with additions.
  • Set 72047: A Thunderstreak of the Dash Four display team in the USA.
• FlevoDecal
  • Set FD72-031: Royal Netherlands Air Force F84F Thunderstreak
• ModelDecal
  • set 29: This set, first released somewhere in the seventies offers decals for a Dutch Thunderstreak in the latest colour scheme.

Other decalsets with the Streak are Super Scale-sets: Set 72-150 F-84F USAF en set 72-330 F-84F USAF. These might be used for additional stencilling etcetera. Scale 1/48

• Fonderie Models
  • Kit 407: Based on the Heller-kit with a new fuselage and resin parts.
• Heller
  • Kit 80419: F-84F Thunderstreak.
• Hobby boss
  • Kit 81726: Republic F84F Thunderstreak
• Italeri
  • Kit 342703: F84F Thunderstreak "Diavoli Rossi"
  • Kit 342682: Republic F84F Thunderstreak
• Monogram
  • Kit RMX85-5432: A nice model, which can be built straight from the box. The canopy consists of three parts. Thin risen panel lines. The cockpit, air-brakes, landing-gear, etcetera are rather good detailed.
• Revell
  • Kit 04526: This kit is of lesser quality than the Monogram kit. panel lines are risen and rather coarse. Detailing of cockpit need to be improved.

Modeling add-on

• Aires
  • Set 4475: Republic F84F Thunderstreak wheel bay (Kinetic)
  • Set 4461: Republic F84F Thunderstreak Cockpit Detail set (Kinetic)
• Airwaves
  • Set AC48061: Detailing set for 1/48 Monogram-Streak.
• Cutting Edge
  • Set C48170: USAF A4 Gunsight for F84, F86, and Many `50 AC
• Extra Tech
  • Set 48045: F84F Thunderstreak Detail set
• Falcon Canopies
  • Set VAX43: USAF Canopies Part 1
• Reheat
  • Set RH094: 1/48; Detailing set for Monogram.
• Scale Aircraft Conversions
  • Set 48143: F84F Thunderstreak Landing Gear (Kinetic/Italeri)

Decals

• Dutch Decal
  • Set 48010 F 84F Thunderstreak of no's 311, 312, 315, 322, 323 Squadron RF 84F Thunderflash 306 Squadron.
  • Set 48031 The Dash Four display team in the USA .
  • Set 48052: Republic F84F Thunderstreak (KLu)
• Superscale
  • Set SS48112: decals for e.g. a French Thundersreak.

Other decalsets with the Streak are Super Scale-sets: Set 72-150 F-84F USAF en set 72-330 F-84F USAF. These might be used for additional stencilling etcetera. 

Check www.paint4models.com for an extensive conversion table with lots of colour and paint systems.

First colour scheme Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (early version without brake chute).

First colour scheme Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (early version)
Overview of several squadrons.

Second colour scheme Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (late version with brake chute).
This was in a way an interim scheme when the squadron codes were disbanded in 1959.
This scheme was not applied to all Streaks, though some were flying in this scheme till 1962 when they were sprayed with camouflage colours.

Third colour scheme Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (late version).
This scheme was introduced in 1958. Also some aircraft were camouflaged in combination with the squadron codes and colours as shown in colour scheme one.

Third colour scheme Republic F-84F Thunderstreak.
Overview several squadrons.

Experimental colour scheme: overall RAL 7001; Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (late version).
This scheme was tested because of the nuclear war fare.

Literatuur.

Websites.

• F84Thunderjet.com
• Joe Baugher's F84 pagina's
• Wikipedia NL: F84F Thunderstreak
• Wikipedia NL: F84F Thunderstreak
• F84F Thunderstreak
• Thunderstreaks.com
• Aviation images: F84F Thunderstreak
• FAS.org: F84F Thunderstreak
• Strijdbewijs.NL: F84F Thunderstreak
• Scramble.NL: F84F Thunderstreak
• Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
• Donderjagers 3