The F-84, Can I Get the Real Story?

[Anthony W. 0]

I think the F-84 was overall a good bird. Of course it has its short fallings, but I think it's a good bird. Can I get the real inside scoop on what the people who worked with it and knew people who worked with think about it? Thanks/

[+starfighter2 112]

I think the F-84 was overall a good bird. Of course it has its short fallings, but I think it's a good bird. Can I get the real inside scoop on what the people who worked with it and knew people who worked with think about it? Thanks/

 

In short....

My uncle was F-84G pilot and he always talk about it as very good attack plane :yes:

[Anthony W. 0]

In short....

My uncle was F-84G pilot and he always talk about it as very good attack plane :yes:

 

Sounds like it. You have to love a good slow plane that can get down with the troops and deliver massive firepower right where needed. Don't you?

[fallenphoenix1986 603]

It certainly had its place however the joke at the time was:

 

"Lord don't give me an F-84.

That b!tch is a ground loving wh**e.

She'll pitch and she'll roll.

Then she'll dig a big hole.

Lord don't give me an F-84"

 

Probably penned by a Sabre jokey having a dig but it stuck.

I also recall an artical I read a few years back about the nuclear armed birds stationed in either the UK or Germany and with one bomb and drop tanks she would take every last inch of the runway to get up... and on one or two occasions was known to fail to rotate and subsequently plough whatever was at the end of the base.

 

Craig

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Had a great flying distance, unlike F-86 Antons and Emils.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Now this is interesting: Did LeMay refuse F-86 because he wanted to test the F-84 as SAC day escort fighter in the Korean War?

 

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Lt. Gen Stratemeyer thought that the F-84s were no match for the MiG-15s and preferred the Sabre for the task but he was under pressure of the temperamental SAC commander, General Curtiss LeMay, who wanted to see the Thunderjets of the 27th FEW acting as escorts. This is an unusual episode since FEAF was distinct from SAC and under the direct control of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. SAC continued to control all the bomber forces in the ZI (Zone of Interior - i.e., the United States).

 

Stratemeyer gave in and crossed his fingers in hope that the 334th FIS will be enough to keep the MiGs away from the bombers. Nothing remotely similar would happen in what turned out to be one of the worst USAF operations up to that date.

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~ http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_315.shtml

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[ezlead 42]

I have a good friend who flew G's in Korea. When I asked him how he liked it,his comment was.

"It always got me home. Sometimes shot to hell by ground fire,but it always got me home."

I guess that about sums it up.

[charlielima 328]

Now this is interesting: Did LeMay refuse F-86 because he wanted to test the F-84 as SAC day escort fighter in the Korean War?

 

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Lt. Gen Stratemeyer thought that the F-84s were no match for the MiG-15s and preferred the Sabre for the task but he was under pressure of the temperamental SAC commander, General Curtiss LeMay, who wanted to see the Thunderjets of the 27th FEW acting as escorts. This is an unusual episode since FEAF was distinct from SAC and under the direct control of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. SAC continued to control all the bomber forces in the ZI (Zone of Interior - i.e., the United States).

 

Stratemeyer gave in and crossed his fingers in hope that the 334th FIS will be enough to keep the MiGs away from the bombers. Nothing remotely similar would happen in what turned out to be one of the worst USAF operations up to that date.

:

:

~ http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_315.shtml

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What was LeMay thinking?

Republic made flying locomotives, not fighter planes.

There are F-84 A2A victories tho @: http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_307.shtml

A gripe I heard about the F-84 was its engine.

Long take off distance might = its nickname the "Lead Sled".

:ph34r: CL

Edited February 17, 2009 by charlielima

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

What was LeMay thinking?

My guess?

 

Beyond a few hundred km, early F-86s were holes in the ground unless their pilots could find a place to land. Korea was considered a sideshow and LeMay was preparing for the main act.

 

He needed to test the F-84E as long range escort fighter for long range bombers and its best to find out instead of waiting until after the curtain goes up.

 

Well that's my amateur thinking anyways.

[JediMaster 451]

LeMay was always thinking WWIII, never small time like Korea.

[Talos 0]

I have a friend who flew the F-84F before and after Vietnam in both the USAF and the ANG. He also flew, operationally, the F-100 (the 354th Fighter Wing when they were stood up at Myrtle Beach. We have most of the squadron schemes for that Wing in the download section) and the F-105 during the war with the VA ANG. He liked the F-84 overall, it was a solid and dependable plane. He lost one in the Chesapeake Bay, though, after losing power and bailing out of it when the ejection seat failed. The most amusing story about the F-84 he told was when he and a couple wingmen pounced on some F-4 Phantoms that were flying down to Florida and engaged in a mock impromptu dogfight for a bit. The F-4s were laden with fuel and lost.

 

Let's see, there was also an exchange tour with the Marines flying F-8Ds off the Oriskany and an amusing run-in, while he was with the 354th in Aviano on nuclear alert, with Yeager.