Fuel tank capacity military jet8/28/2023 The USAAF took note of the promising Republic jet-powered Model AP-23 design and, in November of 1944, Republic was given a no-competition contract calling for three prototypes to be designated as the XP-84 "Thunderjet". 50 caliber heavy machine guns or 4 x 15.2mm heavy machine guns. This specification called for a jet fighter powered by the General Electric TG-180 (Allison J35) axial flow turbojet engine with a top speed of 600 miles per hour and a range of 705 miles (combat radius). Though a more complex alternative, axial compressor-driven engines went on to be widely used to power various jet aircraft thanks to their high efficiency output and smaller cross-sections though still proving highly complex and expensive at the same time.īy September 1944, the USAAF (United States Army Air Forces) was already developing a specification to upgrade its fighter groups. As a result, an all-new fighter design attempt was broached, with the powerplant being of an axial compressor-driven turbojet engine. Though a bolt attempt, the Thunderbolt's fuselage simply would not accommodate the centrifugal compressor engine's wide cross-section. Taking the P-47's structure as a starting point, Kartveli attempted to configure the Thunderbolt to accept a centrifugal compressor-driven turbojet engine. The Republic Aviation firm was firmly entrenched in the Pantheon of classic American warbirds as a result. Nicknamed the "Jug", for its stoutly appearance (necessitated by additional ductwork running alongside the bottom of the fuselage), the Thunderbolt was a piston-driven, single-seat fighter aircraft that proved to be a God-send for the Allies. The Thunderbolt gained a tremendous reputation in the war for its versatility and prowess when facing off against air and ground targets alike. In 1944, Republic chief designer Alexander Kartveli was already working on a replacement for the company's other produce - the fabled P-47 Thunderbolt. Throughout her operational life, the Thunderjet family earned such unflattering nicknames as the "Hog", "World's Fastest Tricycle", "Iron Crowbar" and the "Lead Sled" due to her excessively long distance takeoff rolls.ĭesign of the Thunderjet can be traced back to the closing years of World War 2. The F-84 appeared in three major forms - the base original F-84 Thunderjet, the improved swept-wing derivative in the F-84 Thunderstreak, and the dedicated reconnaissance bird in the F-84 Thunderflash. The nimble little system provided many an Allied nation with a nuclear-capable deterrent against Soviet incursion and played an important ground-attack role in the upcoming Korean War. The Republic F-84 Thunderjet appeared as an American post-war design and played a pivotal role in the early years that was the Cold War.
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