Thunderflash and Thunderstreak Photo Topic

[tomh]

Thunderstreak 52-6644 was a chase plane for Republic Aviation at the time I took this photo at Bradley Field, Connecticut (KBDL) on 17 May 1964. It was seen in natural metal with a dayglo band on the nose and another on the rear fuselage around most of the national insignia.

[bingo20]

I would like to express my special gratitude towards our friend from the States , who contributed those excellent pictures of USAF Streaks in the previous posts !
I also found your detailed comment very informative.
I am convinced all of our viewers appreciate them very much , so , if you have got more of that kind , please show them to us !
so long !
Hans

[Stefan]

I would like to express my special gratitude towards our friend from the States , who contributed those excellent pictures of USAF Streaks in the previous posts !
I also found your detailed comment very informative.
I am convinced all of our viewers appreciate them very much , so , if you have got more of that kind , please show them to us !
so long !
Hans

Hear hear!
Stefan

[tomh]

Thank you for the favorable comments, guys. One of the things I remember best about the
R/F-84F was the "moaning" sound from the engine during start up and taxy. Of course this sound was duplicated with the early A-4 Skyhawks and the B-57, which had the same licence-built Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire (J-65) powerplant. There is a shot earlier in this thread showing four Klu F-84Fs running up at the end of the runway-I had forgotten until I saw that photo just how impressive this process was, and you can plainly see that not all of the smoke comes from the engine tailpipe!

I recall years ago talking to some engine troops and they mentioned having to place certain shapes in the exhaust pipe as part of the engine tweaking process. This was to gain maximum power from each specific aircraft/engine combination, I guess. I wonder if someone could verify this, and if it's true, explain for us what it was all about.

It's interesting to consider that within USAF, the Thunderstreak was first used by SAC's Strategic Fighter Wings. The purpose of this was for jet bomber escort service, yet I can't imagine an F-84F staying with a bomber force at high altitude. Maybe they would deploy to a forward base first and escort during the penetration phase.

Here are a couple of shots (yes, more dreaded B&W-I didn't have the money for too much Kodachrome back then).

The first one is F-84F 52-5701 at Westfield, Massachusetts in October, 1970.


The second shot was taken at the Warner-Robins AFB museum 25 years later. It would appear that this is the same aircraft, but with many static display aircraft the identity of the actual airframe and the markings applied to it are not related. I have no idea what unit markings this aircraft is wearing, though their is some similarity to the 363d TRW checkerboard tail.



Hope you don't mind the lengthy comments.

[bingo20]

One of the things I remember best about the
R/F-84F was the "moaning" sound from the engine during start up and taxy.

Yes , I totally agree with you : that "moaning" sound was very typical to this type of aircraft as I remember myself from my spotting days at Eindhoven AB back in the sixties ! As far as I know there are very few recordings of that sound , although I found some in the French TV-series "Tanguy and Laverdure" and in an old documentary about the Belgian Air Force....

Thank you once again for photos & comments!

so long,
Hans

[Flyboy]

although I found some in the French TV-series "Tanguy and Laverdure" ...
Hans

You mean there realy is a TV series . Although presumably only French, I'd love to get a copy of that. Is that somewhere available?

Grtx
Marc

[lince21]

.... If I coul hear his sound today I would be happy
lince21

[tomh]

Cannot post links in this forum, but try the J-65 sound files available on the "B-57 Night Intruder" website under "B-57 sounds". The best one is the taxying soundfile, which produces a beat frequency effect between the two engines, similar to a multi-engine recip with the engines running at slightly different RPM.

[S&B extra]

few years back at 39°41'36.85"N 20°49'19.06"O (Ioaninna Airport, Greece)

I still like this shot as well, totally spur of the moment...

[lince21]

Hi Tomh,
the taxing sound is OK
Thank you for your help and the good pics
lince21

[herky]

A Dutchy....

[heems501]

wauw superb Martin the last one

[ErwinS]

P-172

[Flyboy]

You cannot start to early with planespotting.
As Leonardo da Vinci said :"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. ".
The same goes for spotting...

I still like this shot as well, totally spur of the moment...

[Javindo50]