File:Republic F-84-25-RE Thunderstreak - 51167451796.jpg

The Combat Air Museum acquired 51-1659 from Maple Woods Community College, Kansas City, Missouri in June 1980 and museum volunteers have recently restored the F-84F to the original markings of the 389th Fighter Bomber Squadron (part of the 366th Fighter Bomber Wing at Alexandria AFB, Louisiana) - (see also Staff Sergeant James Domzalski's webpage for similiar paint schemes on F-84's at England Air Park & Flight Simulator mockups).

The Thunderstreak arrived at CAM slung under a CH-54 Tarhe helicopter of the 137th Transportation Company, Army National Guard.

Republic Aviation Company built 51-1659 at its Farmingdale, Long Island, New York plant and delivered it to the US Air Force on March 28, 1955.

F-84F Thunderstreaks flew with the US Air Force and Air National Guard from 1954 to 1972. Nine other nations flew the type. The mainstay of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) fighter strength in the 1950s and 1960s, F-84Fs were to fly high-speed, low-level tactical nuclear strikes against military targets deep inside Eastern Europe if war broke out with the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact nations. These missions had little prospect of survival and were viewed as one-way.

This aircraft is on Conditional Transfer to Combat Air Museum from the Kansas State Agency for Federal Surplus Property and the General Services Administration.

Assignments: March 1955 366th Fighter-Bomber Wing Tactical Air Command (TAC), England Air Force Base (AFB) (Alexandria), Louisiana May 1956 Mobile Air Materiel Area Brookley AFB (Mobile), Alabama Sept 1956 3600th Combat Crew Training Wing, Air Training Command (ATC), Luke AFB (Glendale), Arizona May 1957 Mobile Air Materiel Area, Brookley AFB, Alabama Oct 1957 162nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), 178th Group, Ohio Air National Guard, Springfield Municipal Airport, Ohio Nov 1958 162nd FIS became 162nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) June 1962 12th Fighter Wing, TAC, MacDill AFB (Tampa), Florida Sept 1962 15th Fighter Wing, TAC, MacDill AFB, Florida Sept 1964 Mobile Air Logistics Center, Brookley AFB, Alabama Jan 1965 101st Tactical Fighter Squadron “Irish Squadron”, 102nd Tactical Fighter Group, Massachusetts Air National Guard, Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts Aug 1968 102nd TFG moved to Otis AFB (near East Falmouth), Massachusetts Aug 1971 Dropped from inventory by transfer to another government agency ?? – 1980 Maple Woods Community College, Kansas City, Missouri 1980 Combat Air Museum

TECHNICAL NOTES: Manufacturer: Republic Aviation Company Basic Role: Single-seat fighter-bomber Crew: One Engines: One 7,220 lb. (3,275kg) static thrust Curtiss-Wright/ Buick J-65-W-3 turbojet (license-built British Sapphire) Maximum speed: 695 mph (1,118 km/hr) at sea level Cruising speed: 539 mph (867 km/hr) Range (combat radius): 860 miles (1,384km) Max Range: 2,314 miles (3,724 km) Service Ceiling: 36,150 ft (11,019 m) Wingspan: 33 ft. 7 in (10.23 m) Length:43 ft. 5 in (13.23 m) Height: 14 ft. 5 in (4.39 m) Wing Area: 325 sq ft (30.19 sq. m) Weight (empty):13,800 lb. (6,260 kg) Combat: 18,700 lb. (8,482 kg) Armament: Six fixed forward firing 0.50-inch M-3 Browning machine guns, four mounted in the nose and one mounted in each wing root. A radar-ranging A-4 gunsight was provided. A maximum of 6,000lbs (2,721 kg) of external ordinance could be carried, including tactical nuclear weapons. Serial number: USAF 51-1659