#Thunder bomber paper airplane skin#

The results of this preliminary testing were incorporated into the third prototype, designated XP-84A, which was also fitted with a more powerful J35-GE-15 engine with 4,000В lbf (17.79В kN) of thrust. The weight of the aircraft, a great concern given the low thrust of early turbojets, was growing so quickly that the USAAF had to set a gross weight limit of 13,400 lb (6,080В kg).

#Thunder bomber paper airplane skin#

Meanwhile, wind tunnel testing by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics revealed longitudinal instability and stabilizer skin buckling at high speeds. On 4 January 1945, even before the aircraft took to the air, the USAAF expanded its order to 25 service test YP-84As and 75 production P-84Bs (later modified to 15 YP-84A and 85 P-84B). The name Thunderjet was chosen to continue the Republic Aviation tradition started with the P-47 Thunderbolt while emphasizing the new method of propulsion. Since the design promised superior performance to the Lockheed-built P-80 Shooting Star and Republic had extensive experience in building single-seat fighters, no competition was held for the contract. On 11 November 1944, Republic received an order for three prototypes of the new XP-84-Model AP-23. In addition, the new aircraft had to use the General Electric TG-180 axial turbojet which entered production as the Allison J35. On 11 September 1944, the USAAF released General Operational Requirements for a day fighter with a top speed of 600В mph (521 kn, 966В km/h), combat radius of 705В miles (612 nmi, 1,135В km), and armament of either six 0.50В in (12.7В mm) or four 0.60В in (15.2В mm) machine guns. Instead, Kartveli and his team designed a new aircraft with a streamlined fuselage largely occupied by an axial compressor turbojet engine and fuel stored in rather thick unswept wings.

The initial attempts to redesign the P-47 to accommodate a jet engine proved futile due to the large cross-section of the early centrifugal compressor turbojets. In 1944, Republic Aviation's chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, began working on a turbojet-powered replacement for the P-47 Thunderbolt piston-engined fighter.

Production delays on the F-84F resulted in another order of the straight-wing version this was the F-84G.ДЄn F-84G at Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France, in 1953 The F-84F swept wing version was intended to be a small variation of the normal Thunderjet with only a few different parts, so it kept the basic F-84 number. The XF-84H Thunderscreech (not its official name) was an experimental turboprop version of the F-84F. The F-84F Thunderstreak and RF-84F Thunderflash were different airplanes with swept wings. The straight-wing F-84A to F-84E and F-84G models were called the Thunderjet. The F-84 nomenclature can be somewhat confusing. Modified F-84s were used in several unusual projects, including the FICON and Tom-Tom dockings to the B-29 Superfortress and B-36 bomber motherships, and the experimental XF-84H Thunderscreech turboprop. The F-84 was the first production fighter aircraft to utilize inflight refueling and the first fighter capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, the Mark 7 nuclear bomb. The USAF Strategic Air Command had F-84 Thunderjets in service from 1948 through 1957. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team. Over half of the 7,524 F-84s produced served with NATO nations, and it was the first aircraft to fly with the U.S. The Thunderjet became the USAF's primary strike aircraft during the Korean War, flying 86,408 sorties and destroying 60% of all ground targets in the war as well as eight Soviet-built MiG fighters.

In 1954, the straight-wing Thunderjet was joined by the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak fighter and RF-84F Thunderflash photo reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft was not considered fully operational until the 1949 F-84D model and the design matured only with the definitive F-84G introduced in 1951. Air Force review declared it unable to execute any aspect of its intended mission and considered canceling the program. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thunderjet was plagued by so many structural and engine problems that a 1948 U.S. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a 'day fighter', the F-84 first flew in 1946. The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. For other uses, see F-84 (disambiguation).