Eskisehir Aviation Park - RF - 84F Thunderflash

RF-84F is a photo-exploration version of "Thunderstreak". Many components are identical to the F-84F, except that the jet air absorbers are raised from the sides and placed in the wing roots. A bunch of cameras have been placed here. However, since the air intake placed in the wing's base is causing power loss, the manufacturer has requested that this application be changed in production.

However, this variation was introduced because the USAF urgently needed to change the old and unarmed RF-80s. The first pre-production prototype (51-1828) was produced in February 1952. In this model, there were four 0.50 inch machine guns on the wing.

The first production models to arrive in June 1955 were equipped with a Wright J-65-W-3 turbo jet engine. In later models, the Wright J-65-VV-7, which is 7800 lbs (3525 kg = 34.60 kN) thrust, was used. With the spoilers fitted on the wing, a maximum roll of 300o (= roll) is provided at the moment. The reason for this application is the asymmetric tanks attached to the underside of the wing. The camera room on the side had a maximum of six cameras with forward-facing, side-to-side, vertical and angled view. The delivery of RF-84F Thunderflashes to USAF units began in March 1954. But their service life lasted quite short, and in late 1950 the principle was changed to F-101 "Voodoo" at the beginning of 1960.

A total of 83 RF-84F Thunderflash served in the Turkish Air Force at different times from various origins 14 aircraft 1956 ' 19 aircraft from 1957 and 13 aircraft from the United States within the MAP in 1958. Subsequent deliveries consisted of flights from 1959 to 1966, shifted from the troops of different NATO countries, and came from the French, German and Dutch Air Forces. in 1980, RF-4Es were out of office with the arrival of the RF-4Es.