I write from Italy. I have been researching F-84Fs in service in Italy since 1955. From the list of published registration numbers I have seen that the following belong to three aircraft originally assigned to the 366 TFW before the move to Italy in November 1955. Republic F-84F-25-RE serial 51-1744 Republic F-84F-30-RE serial 51-1801 Republic F-84F-35-RE serial 52-6432 I have no photographs of these planes. I would like to ask if you have any photographs and if it is possible to receive them. Sorry for my English. Thank you in advance. Greetings
Rob Friesen, e-mail, 16.11.2022 15:40
Gsry, I found your information fasinsting as my dad flew a F84 F at MacDill at this same period in time. I have some pictures of FS713 that my dad dad did a nose gear up landing at MacDoll. Much to my surprise I found this aircraft is now a gate guard at the Delta Co. Airport Escanana Mi. Thank you for your information. Rob Friesen
Royce Buckley, e-mail, 04.01.2022 01:33
I loved your story about the Thundestreaks. I’m building a model of one my second F-84F in 1/48 scale.I also live in Indiana so I took the ANG story to heart. She definitely would have been a beast with a better engine
michael hughes, e-mail, 26.01.2021 01:11
Great to see your stories you guys, i'm so interested in in 1950s American aviation in the UK. I'm an ex service man myself ( RAF) and i live in East Anglia home to many USAF bases past and presant. Would love to hear from anyone who served at Bentwaters. Woodbridge, Wethersfield, Sculthorpe, Shepherds Grove and so on from the 1950s to the present day. I'd love to hear of your experiences of your time in the military and of your time in the UK
Jeremy, e-mail, 14.07.2020 06:40
Hello Bob, did you ever fly 51-9420 with MAANG?
Karl Vey, e-mail, 07.07.2020 14:01
I was Carew chief on the F84F for 3 years in the German Airforce. After F 104, but I liked the F 84F and F84R much better.
Bob Richards, e-mail, 11.07.2017 05:56
I was part of a Weapons Load Team in 1964, on the F-84F, at Holloman,AFB NM,with the 366TFW. We called them 'Hogs'. We transitioned to F-4C's in early '65. I was told we were the last active wing of F84's in the USAF.....
Gary A. Long, e-mail, 21.02.2017 00:51
At MacDill AFB, Florida, in 1962,I was a member of an F-84F aircraft weapons load team. Things got hot fast and furious, working 18+ hour days in the lead up to the Cuban Crisis. Later, still at MacDill I became a Certified Special Weapons Load team crew chief on the F-4C Phantom, rotating to Naha AFB, Okinawa, as the first combat ready mission of the F4C, and what would become the Triple Nickle Squadron. 555th TFS (Tactical Fighter Squadron) Back to the F84F, our load team was on the de-arm end of the long MacDill AFB runway, where aircraft returning from gunnery and 2.75 FFAR rocket training missions would land, then taxi and park temporarily, while our crews would de-arm the four 50 caliber machine guns located in the nose of the aircraft, and place safety pins in the rocket pods under the aircraft wings, to render the unfired rockets safe, so that the pilots could safely taxi to their parking spots. On this day, one F84F had its guns charged, and rocket pods had their electrical safety pins removed, ready for take off. Having two fuel tanks plus the armament, this fated F84F had to do a long roll before taking off. Just before it could take off, the left tire on the jet blew, and as the aircraft was rolling very fast, the shredded tire gave way to the flammable magnesium metal of the tire rim. The pilot steered his jet to the south side of the runway, sparks turned to a white hot flame from his wheel, then he turned into the dirt at the edge of the runway. As this wheel had no real ability to roll any longer, it dug into the dirt, causing the wheel undercarriage to collapse, and causing the external fuel tanks to immediately burst into flames, ignited by the white hot burning wheel magnesium. The burning jet was pointed right at our crews direction. My staff sergeant crew chief told everyone to get behind a dirt berm to protect themselves from a possible detonation/explosion from the still armed rockets and machine guns aboard the jet. As I began to follow my nco's direction, I looked back at the burning jet only 150 feet or so from my location. The pilot now had his canopy open, and I could see him struggling in his seat, in what I felt was possibly a hopeless attempt, as the flames from burning fuel were now becoming more intense on the aircraft's left side. I ran toward the jet, hoping to somehow help the pilot from a horrible burning death that I could imagine in my mind's eye. Just as I was just but a few feet from the aircraft wing, that still had one good wheel under it, the pilot stepped out of his cockpit onto the wing, then off to a safe spot, where the rescue and fire folks were beginning to arrive. I returned to the still huddling weapons crew, where my team chief chewed me out for trying to help the pilot. He told me "Long, you know I could have you court marshaled for what you did? YOU were endangering yourself, YOU being the government property." True story. What I did was worth the ass chewing, and heroism was not part of my consideration, but I know in my heart of hearts, I did the RIGHT thing, and I can live with that...!
richard garrett, e-mail, 06.07.2016 02:55
Uncle flew one into the ground in 1954 in Morocco. I'm about to get a copy of the report. I wonder what might have caused this? Well, I'll find out, maybe.
Richard Alexander, e-mail, 28.05.2016 00:49
My Uncle, Captain Richard Russell Galt (1924-1953) was made Co Project officer of the F84-F jet fighter bomber project, Eglin Air Force Base at the inception of testing. It challenged his skill and would have established his career, had not engine failure on take-off on October 17th, 1953, abruptly ended his life and prevented him from ever seeing his third child, due to arrive six months after his death. He was 29 when he died. To all who have flown the the F84-F jet fighter bomber it is good to know who came before you. I am sure that "Pharoah" as he was known at West Point would wish you well.
Ralph Mayeran, e-mail, 01.06.2015 16:11
I am working on a 1/48 scale F-84F and my question(s) is/are; were the external tanks the only thing carried on the two inboard wing pylons? Other then the Mark 7 bomb. Also, what types of weapons did the the F-84F carry? Bombs, missiles, chaff/ecm devices. Any info would be helpful. Thank you
charlotte moore, e-mail, 14.04.2015 09:11
***PLEASE HELP*** im trying to find my grandfather who im told was called Gene and from georgia also he servedwith the american air force and based at Sturgate Airfield in the 1950s as my dad was born in June 1956 my nana was a very private woman and did not like to talk about it. any information would be much appreciated xxx
George Garrick, e-mail, 26.05.2014 23:36
At NAFEC As Special Weapons mechanic during Berlin Crisis. DART target practice Bore sighting and Warren Grove outings and getting payoff booze from wing gun ammo cannisters after a Bermuda run all fond memories with great guys. Our F84F's were affectionately called " lead sleds" and several of the pilots described taking off as grabbing the stick with both hands and "lifting up" instead of pulling back on the stick as the only way to get her in the air.
George Garrick, e-mail, 26.05.2014 21:49
At NAFEC As Special Weapons mechanic during Berlin Crisis. DART target practice Bore sighting and Warren Grove outings and getting payoff booze from wing gun ammo cannisters after a Bermuda run all fond memories with great guys. Our F84F's were affectionately called " lead sleds" and several of the pilots described taking off as grabbing the stick with both hands and "lifting up" instead of pulling back on the stick as the only way to get her in the air.
Don Delauter, e-mail, 13.05.2014 02:40
I flew the F-84F at Luke AFB in my transition to fighters from pilot training. I would like to get permission to use this picture in my memoir and a short article I' writing about the checkout program. Can you give me permission?
Don Brown, e-mail, 22.04.2014 05:33
Now proudly serving as volunteer in the Air Force Museum. All models of the F-84 appear there. The variants are so numerous that they evoke a lot of questions from visitors. They are all beautiful restorations. The "straight wing" in the Korea Gallery looks like it just came off the assembly line.
Bob Kusterer, e-mail, 18.09.2013 00:23
I flew the F-84F with the MAANG in 1970-71. I ferried quite a few of them to the bone yard at DM. Just like the song says, it was a ground lov'in whore but once you got it airborne it flew nicely especially at low altitude and high IAS just like the F-105 did.
Captain Granpa, e-mail, 03.09.2013 22:57
I hate it when a part of my past goes stealth. In the mid 50s we had the 515th, 516th, 517th S.F.Squadrons in the 407th SFW at Malmstrom AFB. I remember two of the radio call signs, Swan Lake and Yardbird but can't remember the third. Can anybody help?
deaftom, e-mail, 25.04.2013 06:38
My father flew the F-84F briefly in the early 1950s, as an advanced trainer to transition from his first jet aircraft, the T-33A, to his first operational aircraft, the F-86D. He said the F-84F was a real ground hog, but, like others have said here, once it got off the ground it was a very competent if perhaps unexciting plane. Affectionate feeling for the F-84F comes through well in Richard Bach's classic book "Stranger to the Ground".
Tony Murello, e-mail, 08.12.2011 22:43
I was with the 506th SFW at Dow.We were the first to go ops with the 84F.But as we got them many had to go in the hanger for rework
Al Roberts, e-mail, 09.11.2011 00:31
Was fortuante enough to fly the 84F in the IN Air Guard in 61-63 after a tour of instructing in NATO for four years and watching them fly off of Lech Field in Southern Germany. It was designed for a 10,000 lb thrust engine and because of the engine not being ready they settled for a 6,500 lb engine. What a great machine it would have been with the bigger engine! You could load everything underneath it and it would go to the end of the runway and lift off no matter what the length of runway! Take the 450s off of it and it could hold it's own in the air but what a ground support a/c it was!
DAVID E JOHNSON, e-mail, 10.01.2011 05:16
I ALSO WORKED THE DRAG CHUTE MOD ON F-84F IN 1957, ALSO IN HANGAR ACROSS THE WAY THE C-119 ELECTRIC PROP MOD.I SHALL NEVER FORGET BURTONWOOD , AS A YOUNG USAF AIRMAN, IN ELECTRIC SHOP I HAD A BALL , LOVE THE ENGLISH PEOPLE & MY TIMES AT RAF BURTONWOOD , 1957 THRU MAR. OF 1958.
joel de araujo, e-mail, 21.12.2010 17:57
she was a non easy plane to fly and i believe the jet engine would be more powerful.a maker widow but the design and shape was very very beauty and for static models a wonderful
Jack Wise, e-mail, 30.10.2010 02:24
Worked on the 84-F at Burtonwood (RAF) AFB in England in 1957 adding drag chutes and LABS equipment. Anyone else out there work at Burtonwood at that time?
Skip Alison, e-mail, 15.10.2010 23:20
I flew the F-84F in 1954-56 after flying the "G" model for a year. It received a lot of bad press before we got it and like any swept-winged fighter of that era it did have it's idiosincrasices. If you learned to cope with them before they killed you it was a damn good airplane. It would lift half the world off the ground if the runway was long enough, it was air-refuelable so you could stay up longer than you really wanted to, and with a little finess it would beter Mach 1 at altitude. All in all I had a ball flying this airplane 'cause in that era we weren't overloaded with restrictions and paper work
Merle Roberson, e-mail, 22.09.2010 21:26
I flew the 84F at RAF Bentwaters & Manston from 1956 to 1959. The mission was to provide a counter to USSR aircraft. BUT, for the first time in history 2 nations went nose to nose and decided NOT to start hostilities. The F84F was significant for our capability.
Robert Brown, CMSgt, USAF, (Re, e-mail, 19.09.2010 01:35
From 1953-1957 I was advisor to the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF)logistics command. There was 180 F-84G in the inventory. About 98% of their support came from the USAF. My task was to keep the priority requests moving so we had no grounded aircraft. In those days the Cold War was a major problem and we could not display a weak link in the NATO structor. I enjoyed working with the Norwegians and they all loved to fly the "G". Later in my tour we got a squadron of RF-84F.
T/Sgt Sammy McIntyre, e-mail, 10.09.2010 22:26
Who ever you are Al, I suspect you remember me. I was in the first 10 to become crew chiefs of the F-84F's being sent to Macdill to get ready for the Cuban Crisis. I left the AF just as we started getting the F-4's. Col McCleland,the first CO of the 12th was my Maint. Officer '54 - '56 in Delaware. I have corresponded with Sgt Jay Cessna in resent years. We parked our 84s next to each other.
Robert J. "Bob" Brown, e-mail, 09.09.2010 08:27
I flew the F-84F at Dow AFB, Bangor, ME with the 506th Strategic Fighter Wing. We were the first operational wing to get the aircraft about 1954. We started with the split tail and later got the slab tail. The split tail had limited elevator authority, you had to trim the tail all the way into and out of a loop or immelmann. Also in a hard turn. The slab tail was a big improvement. There were engine problems with shroud and blade rub in visible moisture. We were restricted until the blades were cropped. In flight refueling was a pop up door on top of the wing rather than probe and drogue. The 450 gal. drop tanks gave it lots of range, but it was the world's fastest tricycle getting off the ground. Unstick speed was about 150 -155 knots. We moved to Tinker AFB in OKC in spring of 1955 and I got out in Oct. of 1955 and joined the Ohio ANG at Lockbourne AFB in Columbus, OH flying the E and then the G model. About 1958 or 1959 we got the F in the Ohio Guard. I have a very nice color picture of one of our F models if anyone would like to have it e-mailed to them.
Gary V. Plomp, e-mail, 02.08.2010 07:48
The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was substituted for a MIG 15 in the movie THE HUNTERS, starring Robert Mitchum. How did the F-84F compare to the F-86 Saberjet? Gary
Bob Morris, e-mail, 18.03.2010 21:33
the F-84F was completely different from the earlier 84G. Fiscal(congressional?) prevented acquisition of a new type so the F-96A was renamed F-84F A one-off G with a experimental swept wing was built and probably flown.
C.J. Walker, e-mail, 02.02.2010 16:17
Was CC on 84F's at Langley Field 1955-56 time frame. Nice little aircraft, but had its problems. Engine and Slab system as I remember. Squibs were nasty. Inlet duct panels were a nightmare also. Fairly easy to maintain. Pilots seemed to like it coming from F-80's.
AL, 22.01.2010 02:41
I was at Macdill from '63 to '66. We had F-84's there in the 12th and 15th TFW's in '63, then upgraded to F-4's. I always loved the F-84's. They were a sleak little fighter. Anyone here remember that? AL
Jock Williams, e-mail, 21.04.2009 16:14
The F84F was the first single seat fighter I ever flew -and the idea of "no dual" was unusual -but after a comprehensive groundschool it was an easy conversion to the F84 from the T33 -and the absence of an instructor nattering at you was a welcome change. I never had a chance to wring the aircraft out -but it flew beautifully -and I really enjoyed the cartridge start. All that black smoke let you know you were doing something significant! Later while flying CF104s in Germany I found F84s as decoy targets at airports all over the continent -they had been replaced largely by F104s but were still serving on! I wish I could have borrowed one and taken it flying! One of the saddest things in my life was seeing thousands of these great machines literally piled up three deep awaiting destruction at Davis Monthan. Of course all pilots of my era are awaiting "bronzing"...
Jock Williams
Jerauld Olmsted, e-mail, 28.12.2006 23:22
Would you have a 3 view line drawing of the F96A? It was the first swept wing modification of the F84. If you would have one, I would like to get or purchase a copy. I was also wondering if you could create a drawing of the F96A if it had been built in a two seat trainor version. Thank you. Jerauld Olmsted
