EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Air Force Edwards Air Force Base issued the following press release:
The F-84 Thunderjet was a beautiful but temperamental beast. Early models were so plagued by engine issues that the Air Force nearly scrapped the program entirely. Yet, the aircraft evolved into the F-84F Thunderstreak, a mature, rugged and nuclear-capable workhorse.
Since the YF-84 prototype's first flight at Edwards Air Force Base in 1950, the series underwent massive modifications, shifting from straight to swept wings and transforming from a standard fighter to a heavy-hitting fighter-bomber. Outfitted with the Low Altitude Bombing System, the F-84F was ready to serve as a front-line deterrent during the Cold War. T...