Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
Since the straight-wing F-84E Thunderjet could not reach the performance of the rival swept-wing North American F-86 Sabre, Republic converted a F-84E with all swept control surfaces and an uprated engine. Further design changes were made when the engine was replaced by a license-built British Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire turbojet, requiring the fuselage to be redesigned and the speedbrakes moved to the fuselage sides. As a result, the F-84F was significantly delayed, not entering production until 1952. Even then, it suffered from control issues that would not be solved until 1954; the F-84F, renamed Thunderstreak, would not be operational until after the Korean War was over.
While it possessed better maneuverability and range than the straight-wing F-84, the Thunderstreak still had considerable problems operationally--the engine tended to flameout in bad weather, it took seemingly forever to get off the ground, and spin recovery was near impossible. It remained in service because nothing else was available, but the USAF began looking for a replacement almost as soon as the F-84F entered service. This would be another Republic project--the F-105 Thunderchief--but delays to that aircraft kept the Thunderstreak in service much longer than the USAF would have liked. After 1961, F-84Fs were relegated to Air National Guard units, while some entered NATO service. The reconnaissance variant, the RF-84F Thunderflash, was more successful: it was practically a new aircraft, and RF-84Fs would soldier on with the Hellenic Greek Air Force until 1991.
This F-84F is 51-9433, which joined the 12th Strategic Fighter Wing in 1954 at Bergstrom AFB, Texas; the role of the Strategic Fighter Wings was bomber escort for the B-36 and B-47. It would later serve with the 31st SFW at Turner AFB, Georgia until 1957. When the Strategic Fighter Wings were disbanded, 51-9433 was relegated to the 121st Tactical Fighter Group (Ohio AFB) at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio.
During the Second Berlin Crisis in 1961, the 121st was federalized and deployed to France in case war broke out. When the Crisis passed, the 121st returned to Ohio, but left its F-84s, including 51-9433, passing them to the newly formed 366th TFW. These in turn were readied for the tactical nuclear strike role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When France withdrew from NATO, the 366th was reassigned to the United States, but to reequip with the F-4 Phantom II; 51-9433 returned to the Air National Guard, this time with the 192nd TFG (Virginia ANG) at Richmond. It was retired in 1971 and handed over to the US Navy as a target on the China Lake ranges.
Somehow, 51-9433 beat the odds and wasn't reduced to scrap on the ranges, and in 1991, when the Castle Air Museum was looking for a F-84F for display, they acquired 51-9433. (China Lake has proven to be quite a windfall for the museum.) It was restored in the colors of the 12th SFW, its first unit, showing off the colorful markings of the BC (Before Camouflage) 1950s-era USAF. Those markings have faded a bit by 2021, but 51-9433 is still going strong.
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
Since the straight-wing F-84E Thunderjet could not reach the performance of the rival swept-wing North American F-86 Sabre, Republic converted a F-84E with all swept control surfaces and an uprated engine. Further design changes were made when the engine was replaced by a license-built British Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire turbojet, requiring the fuselage to be redesigned and the speedbrakes moved to the fuselage sides. As a result, the F-84F was significantly delayed, not entering production until 1952. Even then, it suffered from control issues that would not be solved until 1954; the F-84F, renamed Thunderstreak, would not be operational until after the Korean War was over.
While it possessed better maneuverability and range than the straight-wing F-84, the Thunderstreak still had considerable problems operationally--the engine tended to flameout in bad weather, it took seemingly forever to get off the ground, and spin recovery was near impossible. It remained in service because nothing else was available, but the USAF began looking for a replacement almost as soon as the F-84F entered service. This would be another Republic project--the F-105 Thunderchief--but delays to that aircraft kept the Thunderstreak in service much longer than the USAF would have liked. After 1961, F-84Fs were relegated to Air National Guard units, while some entered NATO service. The reconnaissance variant, the RF-84F Thunderflash, was more successful: it was practically a new aircraft, and RF-84Fs would soldier on with the Hellenic Greek Air Force until 1991.
This F-84F is 51-9433, which joined the 12th Strategic Fighter Wing in 1954 at Bergstrom AFB, Texas; the role of the Strategic Fighter Wings was bomber escort for the B-36 and B-47. It would later serve with the 31st SFW at Turner AFB, Georgia until 1957. When the Strategic Fighter Wings were disbanded, 51-9433 was relegated to the 121st Tactical Fighter Group (Ohio AFB) at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio.
During the Second Berlin Crisis in 1961, the 121st was federalized and deployed to France in case war broke out. When the Crisis passed, the 121st returned to Ohio, but left its F-84s, including 51-9433, passing them to the newly formed 366th TFW. These in turn were readied for the tactical nuclear strike role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When France withdrew from NATO, the 366th was reassigned to the United States, but to reequip with the F-4 Phantom II; 51-9433 returned to the Air National Guard, this time with the 192nd TFG (Virginia ANG) at Richmond. It was retired in 1971 and handed over to the US Navy as a target on the China Lake ranges.
Somehow, 51-9433 beat the odds and wasn't reduced to scrap on the ranges, and in 1991, when the Castle Air Museum was looking for a F-84F for display, they acquired 51-9433. (China Lake has proven to be quite a windfall for the museum.) It was restored in the colors of the 12th SFW, its first unit, showing off the colorful markings of the BC (Before Camouflage) 1950s-era USAF. Those markings have faded a bit by 2021, but 51-9433 is still going strong.