| Artikelnummer:: | K48068 |
Product Features:
- Include Decals printed by Cartograf S.r.l., Italy
Decal markings:
- Luftwaffenmuseum – JaboG 34
- Dutch Air Force NO. 311 sq.
In 1948, a swept wing version of the F-84 was created with the hope of bringing performance to the level of the F-86. The last production F-84E was fitted with a swept tail, a new wing with 38.5 degrees of leading edge sweep and 3.5 degrees of anhedral, and a J35-A-25 engine producing 5,300 pound-force (23.58 kN) of thrust.[1] The aircraft was designated XF-96A. It flew on 3 June 1950 with Otto P. Haas at the controls. Although the airplane was capable of 602 knots (693 mph, 1,115 km/h), the performance gain over the F-84E was considered minor.[1] Nonetheless, it was ordered into production in July 1950 as the F-84F Thunderstreak. The F-84 designation was retained because the fighter was expected to be a low-cost improvement of the straight-wing Thunderjet with over 55 percent commonality in tooling.
In 1957 the first operational Wing was formed , being JagdBomberGeschwader 31 (JBG31) at Büchel, later Nörvenich with squadron-code DA , followed by 5 more during the period 1958 to 1961, these being JBG32 (Lechfeld , code DB), 33 (Büchel , code DC),34 (Memmingen , code DD) , 35 (Husum , code DE) and 36 (Rheine-Hopsten , code DF). The last Thunderstreaks went out of service in December 1966, although already from 1961 the F-104 Starfighter gradually took over its role. More than 230 German Streaks were transferred to the Turkish and Greek Air Forces and some still survive today as monuments or in museums .
