F-84G-26-RE (France)

▄F-84G-26-RE

F4U-7

▄F-84F

▄F-84G-26-RE

F4U-7

▄F-84F

France

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.7	7.7	8.0

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:95 000

Purchase:270 000

This page is about the France jet fighter ▄F-84G-26-RE Thunderjet. For other uses, see F-84 (Family).

Description

The ▄F-84G-26-RE Thunderjet is a Rank V France jet fighter with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB/RB) and 8.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X".

Republic Aircraft Company’s jump into the jet fighter market was not as smooth as they would have liked. They experienced severe growing pains as they developed and produced the F-84 series aircraft, especially the B, C, D and E variants. Important upgrades and modifications included a more powerful turbine engine, strengthened wings, aerodynamically secure wing-tip fuel tanks and a strengthened structure. The resultant of these upgrades was the much improved F-84G fighter, which boasted new innovations such as improved avionics, radar, the capability of in-flight refuelling and ability to carry a Mark 7 nuclear bomb. Though the operationally longest lasting of the series with the United States (into the mid-1960s), several other nations continued to use it including Taiwan (Republic of China) and Italy, however, Greece continued flying their fighters until 1991.

Even with the changes from earlier models, even in-game pilots will notice the quirkiness of the F-84G. Noted for its nickname “Lead Sled”, the F-84G, like the B version in-game has an extremely long takeoff roll, around 1,500 m, typically due to the heavier payloads afforded to this aircraft. Though, once at altitude and during attack runs, the F-84G is an incredibly stable platform and can be outfitted with a number of various suspended armaments along with its six 12.7 mm M3 Browning machine guns. Each gun only has 300 rounds of ammunition, therefore trigger control is necessary or else the pilot will be left with empty guns in short order. Considered a multi-role aircraft, the F-84G can be utilised as a fighter-interceptor, bomber interceptor and ground attack fighter. The F-84G can be laden with a variety of bombs ranging from 100 lbs all the way up to two 1,000 lb bombs. HVAR and Tiny Tim rockets are a viable option alone or mixed with bombs to expand the options of targets to be attacked depending on the map the pilot is flying in.

Like many jet fighters, flying slowly makes for an easy target and this is no exception for the F-84G. Speed is necessary to ensure manoeuvrability both to engage a target and to shake a tail. Though not the fastest fighter at this rank, the F-84G can hold its own and when pressed, the six centre lined M3 Browning machine guns can punch enough holes in an enemy fighter to bring it down. Don’t expect this fighter when laden down with two 1,000 lbs bombs or two Tiny Tim and 24 HVAR rockets to excel in a dog-fight as it won’t with all that weight, however, after all that ordnance is released the F-84B can then mix it up, though it is preferable to maintain speed while performing Boom & Zoom manoeuvres.

While dealing with mixed reviews over its positive and negative aspects, the F-84 series aircraft paved the way for a later aircraft which magnified all of the positive qualities of the F-84, being a stable firing platform, loaded to the gills with assorted suspended armaments and a main gun which rained destruction on the enemy, this aircraft would later be know as the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
976	971	12,500	28.9	30.5	30.1	29.5	1,500
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 0 m - sea level)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	12,500	??.?	??.?	?.?	?.?	1,500

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
???	???	???	~??	~?

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< ???	< ???	< ???	> ???

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
?,??? m	??? hp	?,??? hp

Survivability and armour

• 6.35 mm Steel - in front of the pilot
• 8 mm Steel - behind the pilot
• 6.35 mm Steel - pilot's headrest
• 38 mm Bulletproof glass

Armaments

Offensive armament

The F-84G-26-RE (France) is armed with:

• 6 x 12.7 M3 Browning machine guns(300 rpg = 1800 total)

The six machine guns are arranged two groups, four mounted in the nose of the aircraft and the other two located with one near each wing root. Each is armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that all guns will fire with each other until empty.

Suspended armament

The F-84G-26-RE (France) can be outfitted with the following ordinance:

• Without load
• 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb = total)
• 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (500 lb = total)
• 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb = total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb = total)
• 24 x HVAR rockets
• 32 x HVAR rockets
• 24 x HVAR rockets & 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb = total)
• 24 x HVAR rockets & 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (500 lb = total)
• 24 x HVAR rockets & 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb = total)
• 24 x HVAR rockets & 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb = total)
• 2 x Tiny Tim rockets & 24 x HVAR rockets

Usage in the battles

The F-84G-26-RE should be played as an aggressive Boom & Zoom fighter, especially at the occasions where you get an air-spawn. Meaning that as soon as you spawn in it, you turn to the direction of the enemy airfield to rush and reach +850 km/h. Engage those who are climbing, there is also a chance of catching a few unaware climbers too. After climbing to engage a climber, don't turn back to them if they evade. Continue zoom climbing, do a vertical loop and maintain level flight to gain a little bit more speed. After that, the only way you're supposed to fly against enemies is by diving, engaging, zooming back up, complete a vertical loop then rinse and repeat.

The F-84G's acceleration is one of the best at its battle rating. It has a very good climb rate. It has got 6 x 12.7mm M3 machine guns with 1,800 rounds of ammunition which is plenty. Turn rate is poor, avoid turn fighting in it. Roll rate is average without New Boosters, good with New Boosters.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Automatic pitch	Controllable	Not controllable	Combined	Controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair			Offensive 12 mm	FRC mk.7	FSBC mk.1
II	New Boosters	Compressor	Airframe		FRC mk.7a	FSBC mk.5
III	Wings Repair	Engine		New 12 mm MGs		FMBC mk.1
IV	G-Suit		Cover		LFRC mk.12	FLBC mk.1

Pros and cons

Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".

Pros:

• Very high top speed for an early jet
• 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

Cons:

• Not good at turning
• May rip if pulled hard enough
• Roll rate is average without New Boosters
• Engine 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. 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 kph), 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. 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. 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. 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. The F-84 had a rocky start into the foray of turbine jet fighters, however, challenges and difficulties paved the way for the F-100 Super Sabre and the RF-101 Voodoo as their replacements.

At least 13 other countries bought into the F-84 program including France which purchased 335 F-84G fighters and operated them from 1952 to 1956.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

ETC.

Sources

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• topic on the official game forum;
• page on aircraft encyclopedia;
• other literature.