SkyMax Models SM6006 | "Flying Heroes Series" Republic F-84G Thunderjet Belgian Air Force 27th Sqn, Belgium

General Background:

The Thunderjet became the U.S. Air Force's primary strike aircraft during the Korean War,
flying 86,408 missions and destroying 60% of all ground targets in the war as well as eight
Soviet-built MiG fighters. Over half of the 7,524 F-84s produced served with NATO nations
and it was the first aircraft to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team.
The USAF Strategic Air Command had F-84 Thunderjets in service from 1948 through 1957.

The Aircraft:

Designed to meet a US Army requirement for a turbojet "day fighter," the Republic F-84 first flew on February 28, 1946. Early models suffered from so many structural and engine problems that the Air Force considered scrapping the F-84 project in 1948, but designers rallied and by 1949 the F-84D was fully operational and free from most of its earlier problems. The aircraft became the Air Force's primary strike aircraft during the Korean War, and could claim several firsts, including the first fighter capable of carrying a nuclear weapon and the first to use in-flight refueling.

F-84G Specifications
Crew - 1 pilot
Length - 38 ft 1 in   (11.60 m)
Wingspan - 36 ft 5 in   (11.10 m)
Height - 12 ft 7 in   (3.84 m)
Empty weight - 11,470 lb   (5,200 kg)
Loaded weight - 18,080 lb   (8,200 kg)
Max takeoff weight - 23,340 lb   (10,590 kg)
Powerplant - 1 x Allison J35-A-29 turbojet, 5,560 lbf   (24.7 kN)
Armament
6 x .50 in   (12.7 mm) M3 Browning machine guns, 300 rpg
Up to 4,450 lb   (2,020 kg) of rockets and bombs, including 1 x nuclear bomb