Good Morning Mayor. Enjoying Aeronaut's sunrise and your coffee today.
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Air Power |
The F-84, conceived as a jet successor to the P-47, was the USAF's first post-war fighter. The prototype's initial flight was on February 28, 1946, and by the time production ceased in 1953, approximately 4,450 "straight-wing" F-84s (in contrast to the swept-wing F-84F) had been built. Many were supplied to allied nations under the Mutual Assistance Program. During its service life, it became the first USAF jet fighter capable of carrying a tactical nuclear weapon. The Thunderjet pioneered aerial refueling for fighter aircraft when aircraft from the 31st Fighter Escort Wing flew nonstop from Turner AFB, Georgia, to the Far East as part of Operation Fox Peter One in 1952.
The Thunderjet earned distinction as the USAF first post WWII fighter and the first single-seat fighter-bomber with nuclear capability. The F-84 gained its reputation during the Korean War where it performed low level interdiction missions. The Thunderjet displayed a wingspan of 36 feet five inches, a height of 12 feet one inch, a length of 38 feet six inches, and a weight of 15,227 pounds. The $212,000 Thunderjet reached a top speed of 620 MPH with a range of 1,485 miles and a top ceiling of 43,240 feet.
The Thunderjet saw extensive use during the Korean War, primarily for ground attack and interdiction missions. Almost daily, the F-84s attacked enemy railroads, bridges, supply depots and troop concentrations with bombs, rockets and napalm.
Under protective cover from the air, U.N. land forces withdrew successfully to a defensive line across Korea south of the 38th Parallel. A new military strategy was then adopted--maintain superiority in the air while inflicting maximum damage to the enemy on the ground, thereby making war so costly that he would request an armistice.
Much of the success of this new strategy depended upon close air support to U.N. troops. Daily, USAF fighters attacked every conceivable type of target on the front lines and in rear areas with machine guns, rockets, high explosive bombs, and fire bombs. At the same time, they pounded the North Korean rail and road networks to isolate Communist troops from their supply sources, attacks so devastating that traffic in North Korea could move only at night.
The first combat use of air-to-air refueling of USAF fighter airplanes took place on May 29, 1952 when twelve F-84E's of the 159th Fighter-Bomber Squadron flew a bombing mission from Itazuke Air Base in Japan against targets at Sariwon, North Korea.
The planes were refueled by KB-29 tankers after they had bombed their targets and were homeward bound. By July 4, 1952, three more of these "Operation Hightide" missions had been flown. The F-84Es had probes sticking out in front of their tip tanks for use with drogues trailing on hoses from the KB-29s.
Specifications:
Contractor: Republic
Purpose: Air support and low-level interdiction missions
Crew: One
Engine: One Allison J35 jet engine with 4,900 lbs. of thrust
Cost: $212,000
Dimensions:
Wing Span: 36 feet, 6 inches
Length: 38 feet, 6 inches
Height: 12 feet, 7 inches
Weight: 15,227 lbs.
Performance:
Maximum speed: 620 mph
Cruising speed: 485 mph
Range: 1,485 miles
Service Ceiling: 43,240 feet
Armaments:
Six .50-caliber machine guns
Eight 5-inch rockets or 2,000 lbs. of bombs
All photos Copyright of Global Security and other websites
A timely quote. Good morning Mayor.
