Description
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet is an American single-seat, single-engine fighter-bomber. It was one of the first jet-powered fighters in the service of the US Air Force. The flight of the prototype took place in February 1946, and by 1953, 4,450 examples of this aircraft were built. Originally it was supposed to be called P-84, but it was eventually changed to F-84. The F-84E variant had a 12-inch longer fuselage in the pilot’s cockpit to make flying more comfortable. The capacity of the fuel tank has also increased. The under-wing knots were also redesigned so that it was possible to carry additional fuel tanks instead of bombs. Far-reaching changes affected the F-84F Thunderstreak version, which received oblique wings, a new engine and served primarily as an attack aircraft. The “G” model has also undergone more in-depth changes. First of all, it received a new Allison J35-A-29 engine with a thrust of about 2650 kg, which increased its top speed to 1000 km / h and a range of 1600 km. The F-84G was also the first fighter capable of carrying nuclear weapons. F-84 aircraft were used on a large scale during the Korean War. In the first period of the conflict, they performed fighter functions, but as a result of the disastrous balance of air fights with the Mig 15s (8 victories against 64 lost planes), they quickly switched to the role of reconnaissance and attack aircraft. Technical data (F-84G version): Maximum speed: 1000 km / h, speed of climb: 19.1 m / s, maximum ceiling 12 350 m, maximum range: 1600 km, armament: fixed – 6 M2 Browning 12 machine guns, 7mm, sling – up to 2020kg of bombs and rockets, including the Mark VII nuclear bomb.
