F-84G-21-RE (Italy)
| This page is about the Italian strike aircraft F-84G-21-RE (Italy). For other versions, see F-84 (Family). |
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Contents
Description
At the end of March 1952, the 5°Stormo was transferred to Villafranca Air Base. After one month, the first F-84Gs were received and 101°Gruppo and 102°Gruppo received 25 aircraft each. The 103°Gruppo was also adopted, and the 5°Stormo became an Aerobrigata on 1 February 1953. F-84s did not have a two-seat version for training, so the USA also supplied about seventy T-33s. On the initiative of Maj. Antonio Palazzeschi, a special livery system was introduced to help distinguish the F-84Gs belonging to different air groups: "Red Lightning" for 101°Gruppo, blue for 102°Gruppo, and yellow for 103°Gruppo, painted on the sides of the wings. In 1953, an aerobatic team called "Guizzo" was set up, then known to the public often as the Thundering Jets, which performed for three years (Rome, Soesterberg, Madrid, Cologne and Nuremberg), and inspired the film "I 4 del Getto Tonante". In September 1955, the 101°Gruppo took part in the "Lago Maggiore" manoeuvres, training for a hypothetical enemy invasion.
Introduced along with the initial Italian air tree in Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica", the F-84G-21-RE is one of the best early jets you can find in the game. It has a good primary armament consisting of six M3 Browning machine guns with a high rate of fire, capable of destroying enemy aircraft easily. For secondary armament, it is equipped with HVARs and American bombs, making it a solid choice for CAS in ground battles. The manoeuvrability and speed of this aircraft are very good, but remember that if you lose too much speed, it will become a brick.
General info
Flight performance
The F-84G is a streamlined all-metal jet fighter which was designed to house the upgraded Allison J35-A-29 turbine jet engine. Though an upgraded engine compared to the F-84B, typically this fighter was laden with more ordnance thus still requiring a significant roll-out time of 1,500 m (~5,000 ft) before lift-off. Don't be dismayed as other fighters are taking to the sky while you are still building up speed as once in the air you can climb to bomber altitude or set up for a ground attack run that few others can rival.
Though the take-off and climb characteristics of the Allison jet engine appeared lacklustre, it actually had decent level flight speed and good dive characteristics. Speed is what saves this fighter, in once it has enough built up, it will perform. Though not the fastest at its battle rating, the F-84G is a great boom & zoom aircraft vs. being a dogfighter. Turning this aircraft will bleed its speed and the roll rate can be affected by the weight of the wing-tip fuel tanks. One negative aspect of the wing-tip fuel tanks of the early F-84s was that high speeds (>1,000 km/h) tended to cause the fuel tanks to twist resulting (mitigated by the addition of fins on the tanks) in the destruction of the wings which does reflect in realistic and simulator battles in-game if exceeded. While turning in this jet is not advised, Immelmann and Split-S manoeuvres will help to conserve energy without compromising the speed of the aircraft.
If ever in danger of risking going faster than maximum rip speed, it is important to throttle back and extend air-brakes to reduce speed enough to keep the aircraft intact and manoeuvre in for the kill.
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 976 | 971 | 12500 | 29.0 | 30.4 | 30.8 | 29.3 | 3,000 |
| Upgraded | 993 | 985 | 27.2 | 28.0 | 42.1 | 36.2 | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1044.75 | 320 | 527 | 499 | 350 | ~11 | ~5 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 530 | < 600 | < 690 | N/A |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Empty mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| Allison J35-A-29 | 1 | 5,450 kg | 276 kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Takeoff Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 27m fuel | ||
| 1,050 kg | Axial-flow turbojet | 5,868 kg | 6,447 kg | 6,685 kg | 9,979 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 27m fuel | MTOW |
| Stationary | 2,300 kgf | N/A | 0.39 | 0.36 | 0.34 | 0.23 |
| Optimal | 2,300 kgf (0 km/h) |
N/A | 0.39 | 0.36 | 0.34 | 0.23 |
Survivability and armour
- 38 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
- 6.35 mm Steel plate in front of pilot.
- 12.7 mm Steel plate in pilot's headrest.
- 8 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.
Like many early jet fighters, the armour was placed around the pilot while not much thought was given to the other critical components of the aircraft mostly due to the weight imposed on the early and weak turbojet engines placed into service. From behind, the pilot is protected by an 8 mm steel plate behind the seat with a 12.7 mm steel plate as a headrest. In front of the pilot, a 38 mm bulletproof windscreen adds protection from head-on's or from defensive bomber weapons. Another 6.35 mm steel plate is placed in front of the pilot and instrument panel for further protection of bullets entering the open-ended air-intake.
Other critical components such as the jet turbine, fuel tanks and coolers are all exposed, only protected by the outer skin of the aircraft which may deflect incoming bullets if at sufficient distance or angle to do so.
When attacking an F-84G, aim for the centre of the aircraft where you have a good chance of getting a critical hit on the engine or in a fuel tank. Due to this aircraft having wing-tip fuel tanks, shots to the wings or wing-tip tanks have a potential of starting a fire or breaking a wing off. If the attacking aircraft has sufficient calibre ammunition then shots taken at the pilot may have a larger chance of success if made from the sides or behind. This aircraft does not have much protection against rockets or missiles, however, given sufficient notice, rockets can be avoided and it is possible that missiles can be outmanoeuvred, however, when playing in realistic or simulator you run the risk of the pilot blacking-out due to G-force manoeuvres or wings snapping while trying to outfly a missile.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Offensive armament
The F-84G-21-RE (Italy) is armed with:
- 4 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (300 rpg = 1,200 total)
- 2 x 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (300 rpg = 600 total)
Early fighters had many different configurations of machine guns and cannons mounted in the fuselage and in the wings, sometimes needing to be synced with the propeller to prevent its destruction. With the jet age developing, many factors of the past needed to be reconsidered with gun placement. With jet fighters flying faster and chasing faster targets, trying to find the sweet spot with gun convergence was extremely difficult, jet fighter pilots needed a little extra help with this. Besides implementing newer gun sights and early radar, jet fighter guns tended to be fuselage-mounted, thus eliminating the need to set the convergence and at any point between 0 m and 800 m the ammunition rounds would fly true without a convergence point.
For the F-84G, four of the 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns were mounted in the fuselage with the other two mounted in the wing roots. While they were not all centre mounted, the two in the wing roots were close enough that convergence did not need to be messed with. Two ammunition options provide the most bang-for-the-buck, firstly, the omni-purpose rounds are good all-around ammunition rounds which provide tracers and explosive/incendiary rounds which are effective against aircraft and up to light armoured vehicles. Hardened vehicles and bunkers should be left to bombs and rockets for their destruction. If as a pilot you are looking for the sneak attack, stealth rounds will allow you to get on target fire off rounds and not give away your position, giving you a few seconds to make a second attack if needed before the target realizes where you are coming from.
Suspended armament
The F-84G-21-RE (Italy) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | .png) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| 250 lb AN-M57 bombs | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| HVAR rockets | 6* | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6* | |
| Tiny Tim rockets | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 900 kg | |||||||||
| * HVAR rockets on hardpoints 1/8 may only be equipped simultaneously | |||||||||
| Default weapon presets | |
|---|---|
| |
The F-84G offers a range of bombs and rockets for destroying surface targets. Due to the more effective engine utilised in the F-84G, it could sport a larger number of suspended armaments compared to its older brother the F-84B, turning into a truly ground attack workhorse. In comparison, a fully-loaded single-seat F-84G-21-RE (Italy) had approximately the same loadout capability as an early 7 crew B-25J bomber. The smaller bombs such as the AN-M30A1 and AN-M57 and HVAR rockets are useful against soft targets like anti-aircraft batteries, unarmoured vehicles, ships and some light tanks. The heavier hitters like the AN-M61A1, AN-M65A1 and Tiny Tim rockets are effective (more like overkill) for the softer targets, but also work well with bunkers, heavier armoured tanks, larger ships and can also be utilised against bases.
Sometimes the suspended weapons you start out with doesn't work well later on in the match, therefore you can return to your base and exit the aircraft (default key = 'j') and select a different load-out unless you would like to fly strictly as a fighter where you can select "without load" and rely just on the six Browning M3 machine guns. The wide variety of ordnance options available for this aircraft make it an excellent clean-up ground attacker which can attack just about anything on the map with the right setup.
Usage in battles
The F-84G is a versatile multi-role fighter and can be configured to be used in various types of aerial warfare, namely bomber interceptor, ground attack and fighter-interceptor.
- Bomber Interceptor
Thanks to an upgraded engine compared to the F-84B, the G model has a bit more climbing power and does not need to rely solely on side climbing to reach the necessary altitude to begin hunting bombers or diving onto hapless fighters. As a bomber interceptor, the pilot has two options for weapon load-outs besides the default guns, noting the HVAR and Tiny Tim rockets.
If the F-84G is still stock or in the process of upgrading modules, the best bet will be to not load any suspended armaments and rely on the six 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns to do the work. Just using the machine guns will help save on weight and make it a bit easier to climb on the unmodified engine. For those pilots who have modified engines, they can opt for guns only for a quicker climb or attach HVAR rockets for an additional punch against larger bombers.
Once at altitude, scan and select a bomber target of opportunity. It is best to attain higher altitude than the bomber, giving you options as to which direction to attack from and increase your speed when diving in, speed is key to avoid defensive guns, race out of their range and to gain enough distance to safely turn around and follow up with another attack if needed.
Since the six M3 machine guns are virtually centred on the aircraft, the inbound bullets will be clustered and should be aimed at engines, cockpit, fuel tanks and any other critical areas as the body of the aircraft can sometimes absorb a large amount of smaller calibre ammunition before causing a critical hit or crippling the aircraft. The limitation of only 300 rounds per gun will require trigger discipline by the pilot to ensure enough rounds are available for a secondary or tertiary attack without having to reload or return to base.
Utilizing HVAR rockets at large lumbering bombers can have a great impact, though unguided, they will need to be pointed in the general direction when launched, it may take several practice runs to determine best angle and distance in which to fire from for a successful attack. As with any unguided rocket, the best bet is to launch a volley of rockets to ensure a greater chance of at least one hitting.
- Ground Attack
Jet fighters tend to not make good ground attackers as it typically requires them to fly low and slow making them easy pickings for enemy fighters above or anti-aircraft fire below. Since the F-84G is neither an exceptionally fast fighter nor a lumbering bomber, it has an advantage of being fast enough to be dangerous to ground targets without being a sitting duck for patrolling enemy fighters. Compared to many other fighters which are capable of ground attack, the F-84G can carry a fantastic amount of ground attack ordnance which can seriously put a dent into the enemy teams vehicles, bunkers and bases.
While many aircraft available in War Thunder has a specific role of fighter-interceptor, ground attack or bomber, the F-84G can set itself up with suspended ordnance depending on the targets available on the map. The F-84G has several options depending on the modules unlocked by the pilot which range from outfitting HVAR unguided rockets, massive Tiny Tim unguided rockets, 100 lb, 250 lb, 500 lb and 1,000 lb bombs or a mixture of bombs and rockets.
Smaller bombs and the HVAR rockets are best for going after lighter armoured targets such as aircraft (on the ground or with rockets in the air), anti-aircraft batteries, trucks, some light tanks and ships. The larger Tiny Tim rockets and bombs are best reserved for more hardened targets like pillboxes, medium and large tanks, bunkers, large ships and bases. This fighter is not afraid to get down and dirty taking out ground targets, just be aware of your surroundings and watch for enemy fighters or anti-aircraft guns poised to take you out.
- Fighter Interceptor
While definitely not the fastest nor the most manoeuvrable fighter on the field, the F-84G has enough speed and manoeuvrability to take on fighter jets. The six centreline M3 machine guns concentrate enough lead into one spot to damage or destroy fighter aircraft flying in its path. While turning this fighter is bad due to bleeding airspeed (although maybe an option if you are trying to force an overshoot), Immelmann and Split-S manoeuvres will help you change directions keeping up your speed and allowing for a getaway or a targeting solution.
Boom & Zoom tactics will enable the F-84G to have the speed to manoeuvre and set up their shots and keep them active in the fight. Many enemy fighters may mistake the F-84G as a weak and slow aircraft, however, the machine is not 100% of the solution and many pilots can take lesser aircraft and best faster, more agile and better-gunned aircraft by using their training, skills and the F-84B. The only time to count out the F-84G is when you see the pilot bail out, otherwise, always consider it a threat.
Radars
The F-84G is equipped with an AN/APG-30 rangefinding radar, located in the nose of the aircraft. It will automatically detect other planes within the scanning area and display the range to the closest target. It is linked with a gyro gunsight and can help with aiming at close range.
| AN/APG-30 - Rangefinding radar | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Tracking Range |
Minimum Tracking Range |
Azimuth Tracking Angle |
Elevation Tracking Angle |
| 2,750 m | 300 m | ±9° | ±9° |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Very high top speed for an early jet
- Air spawn, good for rushing
- Can carry large amounts of payloads
- Wide variety of secondary armament (bombs, rockets)
- 6 x 12.7 mm M3 machine guns
- Very good acceleration for an early jet, even stock
- The best climber from 7.0 - 8.0
Cons:
- Not good at turning
- May rip if pulled hard enough
- Roll rate is average without "New Boosters" modification
- Engines overheating
History
In early 1944, Alexander Kartveli, the chief designer for the Republic Aviation Aircraft Company set out to work on a replacement for the piston-powered P-47 Thunderbolt which instead would be powered by a turbojet.[1] All attempts at trying to use the P-47 frame to accommodate a turbojet failed and Kartveli resorted to designing a brand new aircraft around an axial compressor turbojet engine. Due to the nature of the engine taking up a large majority of the fuselage, fuel tanks were designed to be in the wings of the aircraft, however, the body was streamlined to make the smallest profile possible and retain all necessary critical components.
The USAAF in September 1944 released new requirements for a daytime fighter along with specific characteristics such as the top speed of 600 mph (966 km/h), armament of six 21.7mm machine guns or four 15.2 mm machine guns along with housing a General Electric TG-180 axial turbojet also known as the Allison J35 series turbojet engine.[1] Republic proposed their new aircraft and on paper proposed it would be superior to Lockheed's P-80 Shooting Star. The USAAF noting Republic's already proven experience with single-seat fighters proposed a contract without holding any competition. These initial order fighters were listed as YP-84As and P-84Bs.
These early test aircraft were put to wind tunnel testing and it was found that major flaws developed when subjected to high speeds, notably longitudinal instability in the aircraft's frame and stabilizer skin buckling at high speeds. Also noted was issues with the weight of the aircraft and the problem with early turbojets not producing enough thrust for takeoff and climb outs (a problem which plagued the F-84B aircraft until more robust engines were outfitted). Early J35-GE-7 engines were replaced with J35-A-15 versions which helped with the thrust ratio, however wing-tip fuel tanks were added to the mix prior to proper testing and issues developed which at one point grounded the fleet of aircraft until modifications were made.
In 1947, the USAF changed the pursuit designation of the aircraft to fighter and thus the P-84 became the F-84. The YP-84A and the F-84B only differed when it came to the type of M3 machine guns they carried, as the F-84B had faster-firing machine guns than the YP-84A. Early successes of the F-84B were overshadowed by problem after problem including a speed restriction limiting flight to no more than Mach 0.8 as any faster and the aircraft experienced control reversal where the pilot would input normal commands with the control stick and the opposite manoeuvre would occur (for instance if the pilot pulled back on the control stick to make the aircraft climb, the aircraft would actually begin to dive and vice versa). Even with the speed restrictions, the entire fleet of F-84B fighters was grounded by 1948 due to parts shortages and structural failures.[1] It was also at this time that the F-84C aircraft were also determined to be incapable of performing any of their mission parameters, however since the F-84D was already under production (with all of the B and C variants issues being resolved), the program continued. Funding was allocated to upgrade the B and C variants, however, both were finally withdrawn from active duty service by the end of 1952.
Testing of the F-84D determined that the wings needed to be covered with a thicker aluminium skin to strengthen them which was helpful because the engine was upgraded to the more powerful J35-A-17D. Here it was found that during high-G manoeuvres, the wingtip fuel tanks led to the structural failure of the wings due to twisting motions. A simple fix of adding a small triangular fin to the external portion of the fuel tank alleviated that problem. Despite the fixes introduced with the D variant, it too was withdrawn from active duty in 1952. The F-84E variant fighter saw modifications specifically with strengthened wings and a larger cockpit which was necessary to equip advanced avionics to include an A-1C gunsight which worked with an APG-30 radar.[1] Folding rocket racks were also developed so that once the HVAR rockets were fired; the racks would fold flush with the wing increasing the aircraft's overall aerodynamics. Unfortunately even with all of the modifications, failure of the aircraft hinged upon the Allison J35-A-17 engines which were only designed to be flown for 25 hours a month and would receive a complete overhaul after 100 hours of flight. Due to the number of sorties flown in the Korean War, engine overhauls were taking place more frequently and quickly exhausted all of the spare parts and new engines produced.
The final variant of F-84 introduced was the G variant which began service in 1951. Utilised for the next nine years, the F-84G had new innovations which became standard on future aircraft to include, a refuelling boom mounted on the left-wing for in-flight refuelling, instrument landing system to allow for landing during inclement weather, a J35-A-29 engine, an autopilot system and the first fighter with the ability to carry a single Mark 7 nuclear bomb. The F-84G was retired from US service in 1960, however, countries such as Portugal continued to use this fighter through 1974 and were flown out of Angola.
At least 13 other countries bought into the F-84 program, including Italy. Italy received, starting from May 1952, as many as 254 "Thunderjets", which soon became the symbol for the Italian Air Force after the successful adhesion of the country into NATO. The entry into line of the F-84Gs coincides with a crucial phase of the reconstruction of the Air Force which, in the face of the new operational needs arising from the NATO commitments, was committed not only to acquire new aircraft, but also to adapt the education and training sector, tactics and employment procedures, as well as to transform, often radically, infrastructure. It was also the first aircraft of the Italian Air Force capable of carrying a tactical nuclear device, which at the time really gave Italy a strategic advantage that many countries could never have. The F-84G was mainly used as a conventional and strike fighter-bomber. The first department of the Italian airforce to use the F-84 were the 5th Wing, stationed at the base of Villafranca (Verona), the 51st Wing of Aviano (Pordenone), and the 6th Wing of Ghedi (Brescia). Within a short time, the 5th and 51st Stormo, which in the meantime had become the 51st Aerobrigata, moved to new offices in Rimini and Istrana (TV). The "Thunderjet" was therefore also attached to the Aerial Photography Section of the 3rd Wing which, for reconnaissance tasks, used some F-84Gs equipped with cameras, housed in the left wing tank. With four F-84Gs each, two acrobatic patrols were also formed named the "Getti Tonanti" of the 5th Wing (1953) and the "White Tigers" of the 51st Wing (1956). They'd never see active combat, and as the Cold War progressed, the Italian F-84s would be replaced by the Republic F-84F "Thunderstreak" and, in the role of reconnaissance, by the Republic RF-84F "Thunderflash". The F-84Gs were phased out starting in 1956 and subsequently scrapped. There is currently only a few original existing airframes in the form of static displays.
Media
- Skins
- Images
- Videos
See also
- Other versions of the F-84
- Contemporary aircraft
- de Havilland Venom
- Gloster Meteor
- Dassault M.D.450B Ouragan
- Grumman F9F Panther (USAF)
- Grumman F9F Cougar (US Navy)
External links
- [Vehicle Profile] F-84G Thunderjet: Blazing Rocketeer
- Official data sheet - more details about the performance
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Burrows, W. E. (2013, August). It had the body of a fighter and a bomber's soul. Retrieved from https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/thunderjet-307269/
| Republic Aviation Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | P-43A-1 |
| P-47D-22-RE · P-47D-25 · P-47D-28 · P-47M-1-RE · ⋠P-47M-1-RE · P-47N-15 | |
| Jet Aircraft | F-84B-26 · F-84F · F-84G-21-RE |
| F-105D | |
| Export | J9 Early* |
| ␗P-43A-1 | |
| ▄Thunderbolt Mk.1 · ▄P-47D-22-RE · ␗P-47D-23-RA · ▂P-47D-27 · ␗P-47D-30 · ▄P-47D-30 · ␗F-47N-25-RE | |
| ◄F-84F · ▄F-84F (Italy) · ▄F-84F (France) · F-84F IAF · F-84F | |
| ␗F-84G-21-RE · ▄F-84G-21-RE · ▄F-84G-26-RE · ␗F-84G-31-RE | |
| Captured | ▀P-47D-16-RE · ▀P-47D |
| *The company was named "Seversky Aircraft Company" before being renamed in 1939 | |
| Italy jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Aerfer | Sagittario 2 · Ariete |
| Fiat | G.91 pre-serie · G.91 R/1 · G.91 R/4 (Portugal) · G.91 Y · G.91 YS |
| AMX International | AMX · AMX A-1A (Brazil) |
| Panavia | Tornado ADV · ▄Tornado IDS · ▄Tornado IDS (1995) |
| Foreign: | |
| Vampire | Vampire FB 52A |
| F-84 | ▄F-84F · ▄F-84G-21-RE |
| F-86 | CL-13 Mk.4 · ▄F-86K |
| F-104 | ▄F-104G · F-104S · ▄F-104S TAF (Turkey) · F-104S.ASA |
| F-16 | ▄F-16A ADF |
| AV-8 | ▄AV-8B Plus |
| Hungary | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich | ◔MiG-15bis · ◔MiG-17PF · ◔MiG-21MF · ◔MiG-21bis-SAU · ◔MiG-23MF · ◔MiG-29 |
| Ilyushin | ◔IL-28 |
| Sukhoi | ◔Su-22M3 |
| Saab | ◔JAS39EBS HU C |
