Forged in the heat of innovation and
battle-tested in the frigid cold of the Korean War, the F-84 Thunderjet was born from
the lineage of the legendary P-47 Thunderbolt, with a mission to become a formidable successor. After a rocky development, the F-84 Thunderjet
would soon find itself face-to-face with its most lethal adversary - the Soviet-built MiG-15,
a sleek and agile predator in the theater of war. The stakes were high, the
odds seemingly insurmountable. But through the first large
engagement since World War 2, the Thunderjet would show that it was
not a fighter to be underestimated. Outmatched and outpaced but never outdone, the jet would forge its own
legacy in the annals of history. Beginnings In 1944, Alexander Kartveli, the mastermind behind
the legendary Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter, embarked on an ambitious project:
crafting a jet-powered successor. The result was the innovative XP-84
Thunderjet which boasted a J-35 turbojet running through the fuselage,
with fuel stored in sleek wingtip tanks. The United States Armed Air Forces,
captivated by its potential, eagerly ordered evaluation and production
models before the XP-84 took to the skies. As the United States Army Air Forces
transformed into the United States Air Force in 1947, the "P" designation for pursuit
aircraft was replaced by "F" for fighters. The F-84B models arrived in December 1947,
heralding a new era of military aircraft. However, excitement turned to disappointment
as the F-84B and F-84C models revealed structural failings. It seemed as if the
Thunderjet's future hung in the balance. Enter the F-84D, a model that emerged
as the Thunderjet's savior. It boasted sturdier wing spars, revised fuel
tanks, a functional ejection seat, and a more powerful J-35A-17 engine.
The introduction of the F-84D model breathed new life into the aircraft, refining its
capabilities and addressing structural weaknesses. The Thunderjet shared similarities
with its ancestor, the P-47, in its heavy-feeling nature and
high takeoff and landing speeds. Although faster and boasting a greater range than
the F-80 Shooting Star, its straight-wing design left it trailing behind the F-86 Sabre and
Soviet MiG-15 in terms of speed and agility. The F-84 Thunderjet cut a striking figure
with its tubular fuselage, circular air intake dominating the nose, and the pilot's
position offering an impressive all-around view. Armed with six rapid-firing
M3 .50 caliber machine guns, it could also carry a formidable payload of
rockets or bombs. Overcoming the early models' flaws, the Thunderjet morphed into a highly
maintainable aircraft with mechanics in mind. In The Skies of North Korea The F-84 Thunderjet played a
pivotal role in the Korean War. With main deliveries of F-84s consisting
of the D and E models, the new aircraft were initially tasked with protecting B-29
Superfortresses from North Korean fighters. While a formidable fighter on its own, when
facing more experienced Soviet pilots, the F-84's advantage diminished. Despite this, the type
would fare well in most Korean War encounters. On a cold winter morning of January 21, 1951, Lieutenant Colonel William E. Bertram
of the 27th Fighter Escort Wing led a group of F-84 Thunderjets into the
unknown skies over North Korea. The group’s mission that day was to escort
a squadron of B-29 Superfortress bombers as they carried out a daylight raid against enemy
targets. With danger lurking around every corner, as the bombers approached their target, the
Thunderjet pilots cautiously scanned the skies. Suddenly, they caught sight of a group of
Soviet-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighters: sleek, deadly, and closing in fast. The F-84
pilots braced themselves for an intense battle, aware that their adversaries were faster
and more agile than their own aircraft. The ensuing dogfight was a high-speed,
adrenaline-fueled dance in the sky. The Thunderjets weaved and dodged through
the air as the MiG-15s pressed their attack, desperate to bring down the vulnerable
B-29s. Lieutenant Colonel Bertram and his fellow pilots pushed their F-84s to the limit,
determined to protect their charges at all costs. In the heat of the battle,
Bertram locked onto a MiG-15, his sights set on the enemy aircraft's
tail. He squeezed the trigger and unleashed a hail of gunfire, watching
the MiG-15 shudder under the assault. The enemy fighter then spiraled away from view, leaving behind trailing smoke, scoring
the first downing made by a Thunderjet. Despite being outmatched by the more advanced
Soviet-built MiG-15 fighters, F-84s managed to damage or down 105 MiG-15s, with eight enemy
aircraft shot down and confirmed during the war. The Enduring Thunderjet As a result of its lower-rated performance, the Thunderjet was transferred
to ground strike operations, excelling in this role similar to its World War
2 predecessor, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. In the course of the war, F-84 Thunderjets flew 86,000 missions and dropped 61,000
tons of bombs and napalm canisters, accounting for 60 percent of ground targets
destroyed by the United States Air Force. The F-84's robustness proved to be an asset,
as it was able to survive heavy enemy flak. One notable operation was the June 1952 raid on
the Sui-ho Dam complex, in which eighty-four F-84s destroyed 90 percent of the facility, causing
a two-week power outage across North Korea. However, this raid generated controversy,
stirring anti-war sentiments in the British parliament and criticism from some in the US
who believed it should have happened sooner. By 1953, F-84s were targeting
dams at Toksan and Chasan, causing massive floods that
damaged infrastructure and crops. Of the 335 F-84s lost during the Korean War,
at least 135 were destroyed by enemy flak. U.S. records indicate that an
additional 18 were shot down by MiGs, while Soviet and Chinese pilots claimed 65.
Comparisons of loss records suggest that around 25 F-84s were lost in aerial combat
in exchange for seven to eight MiG-15s. The Nuclear G The F-84G Thunderjet, an even more improved
version of the F-84 series, represented a groundbreaking advancement in military
aviation in the rising years of the Cold War. As a fighter bomber, the F-84G boasted
enhanced performance, greater fuel capacity, an improved engine that provided better
performance, and upgraded avionics. However, one particular feature separated this
aircraft from all its predecessors: the F-84G was the first single-seat fighter aircraft capable of
carrying and delivering tactical nuclear weapons. Made to specifically carry the Mark 7 nuclear
bomb, a compact and lightweight tactical weapon with an adjustable yield ranging from 8 to 61
kilotons, this smaller and lighter bomb provided America and NATO forces in Europe with a powerful
deterrent against potential Soviet aggression. The aircraft also incorporated
in-flight refueling capabilities, extending its range and enabling it to
reach targets deep within enemy territory. More than 3,000 F-84G aircraft were built, making
it the most produced variant of the F-84 series. While it never dropped nuclear weapons in combat, its primary role was to serve as a deterrent to
potential adversaries, and a potent reminder of the West's atomic capabilities during a
time of mounting tension and uncertainty. As the Cold War persisted, F-84
Thunderjets continued to battle on various fronts, even beyond the Korean War. Out of the 3,000 F-84Gs that were
built, the U.S. transferred hundreds, but in different numbers, to NATO allies and
other friendly nations, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Norway,
and Turkey, while Iran, the Netherlands, Thailand, the Republic of China Air
Force and even Communist Yugoslavia. Zero Launched The sturdy F-84 even served for a time
as a test platform for new concepts. While not all experiments were successful,
including an attempt to tow F-84s behind B-29s that ended in a fiery collision, the Thunderjet
participated in zero-length launch experiments. The concept of zero-length launch, ZELL, was
explored during the Cold War as war planners looked for alternatives to rapidly deploy fighter
aircraft without the need for long runways. In an article from Popular Mechanics of the
time, it was reported that the F-84G variant was equipped with the Martin MGM-1 Matador solid-fuel
boost motor attached to the rear of the aircraft. Positioned on a truck trailer
as a makeshift launch platform, the rocket booster propelled the F-84G forward,
becoming airborne in a matter of seconds. The device burned out seconds after ignition and dropped away from the manned
fighter a second or two later. According to Martin test pilot Bob Turner,
who flew the Thunderjet on that occasion, the shock of platform takeoff felt no greater than when an aircraft is catapulted off
the deck of an aircraft carrier. Although the zero-length launch
concept proved technically feasible, concerns about pilot safety and logistical support
ultimately limited its operational adoption, favoring vertical takeoff and
landing solutions instead. The End Is Near Introduced in 1954, the superior swept-wing
F-84F Thunderstreak model entered service, spawning the RF-84F Thunderflash
photo-reconnaissance variant with intakes in the wing roots instead of the nose. This improved F model could
reach speeds just shy of 700 miles per hour, powered by a more
powerful but finicky J65 turbojet. Despite its improved features, including being the
only Thunderjet with a swept wing design, improved handling and maneuverability, and more, the
aircraft was by then on its way to obsolescence. In the late 1950s, the Air Force
began retiring all F-84 models in favor of the supersonic F-100
Super Sabre and F-105 Thunderchief. Despite this, the model continued to serve
in Air National Guard units until 1970, with the last Thunderflash retired
from the Greek Air Force in 1991. The F-84 series leaves a legacy as a
tenacious jet that played a pivotal role in reinforcing the air forces of U.S.
allies during the early years of the Cold War. Thank you for watching Dark Skies! Remember to
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