Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
F-84 Thunderjet
The F-84 Thunderjet was an American built fighter-bomber aircraft made by the Republic Aviation Company.
Development
It was the first new aircraft to be built after World War II, and it made its first flight on February 26, 1946. Over 4,000 were produced and they served in the United States Air Force and in the air forces of other nations which were allied to the US at that time.
Operational History
The Thunderjet had a distinguished record during the Korean War where it was used primarily for low-level interdiction missions. Almost daily the F-84 attacked enemy railroads, bridges, supply depots and troop concentrations with bombs, rockets and napalm. The Thunderjet was one of the first American fighters to be able to carry a tactical nuclear bomb.
The Thunderjet was eventually replaced by the F-100 and relegated to duty in the Air National Guard.
Variants
- XF-84 - 3 prototype aircraft were built
- YF-84A - 15 service test aircraft were built
- F-84A - 99 A models were canceled
- F-84B - 226 of the first production model were built
- F-84C - 191 Imp. -B model
- F-84D - 154 Imp. -C; longer fuselage, new wing
- F-84E - 843 Imp. -D model
- F-84F - swept wing derivative known as the Thunderstreak - initially designated YF-96
- F-84G - 3025 built (1,936 to NATO)
- XF-84H - 2 experimental turboprop test aircraft were built - dubbed the "Thunderscreech" by ground crew due to its noise level
A program was also developed for the F-84 to perform a zero-length launch by attaching a rocket booster. See the external link at the bottom of the page.
Specifications (F-84)
General Characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 38 ft 6 in (11.77 m)
- Wingspan: 36 ft 5 in (11.10 m)
- Height: 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m)
- Wing area: ft² ( m²)
- Empty: lb ( kg)
- Loaded: 15,227 lb (6,921 kg)
- Maximum takeoff: 22,455 lb (10,207 kg)
- Powerplant: 1x Allison J35, 4,900 lb (21.8 kN) of thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed: 620 mph (1,000 km/h)
- Range: 1,485 miles (2,390 km)
- Service ceiling: 43,240 ft (13,200 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
- Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
- Thrust-to-weight:
Armament
- 6x .50-cal (12.7 mm) machine guns
- 8x 5-in rockets or
- 2,000 lb (900 kg) of bombs or napalm tanks.
External links
Related content
Related development:
Comparable aircraft:
Designation sequence: XP-81 - F-82 - XP-83 - F-84 - XF-85 - F-86 - XF-87
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