Republic F-84F Thunderstreak

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...! reply

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. reply

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. reply

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 reply

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 reply

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. reply

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. reply

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? reply

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. reply

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. reply

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? reply

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". reply

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 reply

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! reply

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. reply

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 reply

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? reply

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