SAC F-84F Thunderstreak

[Mick]

Back in March I put up a skin for the AlphaSim F-84F Thunderstreak in SAC markings. I worked from photos of a museum aircraft, and when I posted the skin I expressed major reservations about the livery's authenticity. A few others agreed with my skepticism, which was based on the thought hat SAC had operated the straight wing F-84 Thunderjet, the swept wing RF-84 Thunderflash, but there seemed to be no indication that SAC had ever operated the swept wing Thunderstreak.

Imagine my surprise when I looked through an old issue of the Journal of te American Aviation Historical Society and saw a photo of that very aircraft hooked up ti a SAC KC-97. The only difference between the photo and the museum's plane was that the museum left off the SAC insignia and the wing insignia on the SAC sash on the nose. A bit or research confirmed that SAC did indeed operate the Thunderflash, beginning in 1954

I'm posting this because felt compelled to correct my error.

I also feel compelled to correct my skin by adding the SAC and wing insignia, but that may not happen today.

[Blackbird686]

Back in March I put up a skin for the AlphaSim F-84F Thunderstreak in SAC markings. I worked from photos of a museum aircraft, and when I posted the skin I expressed major reservations about the livery's authenticity. A few others agreed with my skepticism, which was based on the thought hat SAC had operated the straight wing F-84 Thunderjet, the swept wing RF-84 Thunderflash, but there seemed to be no indication that SAC had ever operated the swept wing Thunderstreak.

Imagine my surprise when I looked through an old issue of the Journal of te American Aviation Historical Society and saw a photo of that very aircraft hooked up ti a SAC KC-97. The only difference between the photo and the museum's plane was that the museum left off the SAC insignia and the wing insignia on the SAC sash on the nose. A bit or research confirmed that SAC did indeed operate the Thunderflash, beginning in 1954

I'm posting this because felt compelled to correct my error.

I also feel compelled to correct my skin by adding the SAC and wing insignia, but that may not happen today.

Hi Mick --

The Strategic Air Command had 6 F-84F Thunderstreak (Swept Wing Versions) primarily used as escort for B-36's and B-58's. I sent a pic to your e-mail.

BB686

[Mick]

OK, I scoured the web and my library for images and information and this is what I came up with.

I found four images of SAC F-85Fs in this livery, all different planes as indicated by their serial and buzz numbers.

One is in the Airpower Museum at Barksdale, the one I originally used as the model for my skin. Photos show no SAC or wing insignia on the SAC sash on the left side. There is no photo showing the right side.

One is in the SAC Museum. Photos show the SAC insignia on the SAC sash on the right side, which is contrary to SAC marking standards, which called for the SAC insignia on the left side and the wing insignia on the right. No photo shows the right side of this plane.

There is a photo in an old AAHS Journal of a plane taking fuel from a KC-97. The right side is visible and shows an insignia on the SAC sash, but the photo is too small and too low in resolution for that insignia to be identifiable. It doesn't look much like the SAC insignia and is probably a wing insignia, buit it doesn't seem to look much like the insignia of any of SAC's strategic fighter wings. I looked them all up on the Interweb hoping that one would look something like the blob in the photo, but no joy.

There is a profile on Wings Palette that shows the right side with a wing insignia on the SAC sash. The insignia is too small to see the details clearly, and it's on the wrong side according to SAC markings standards. Artwork as references are automatically suspect anyway due to the possibility that he artist took artistic license and made up details that (s)he was unable to verify. (As I ended up doing with this skin.) Anyway, that wing insignia looks something like the insignia of the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing. The match is not solidly convincing, but it's closer to the 27th's insignia than any of the others.

For lack of any better information, I have used the insignia of the 27h Strategic Fighter Wing, but I put it on the right side, with the SAC insignia on the left. This conflicts with what the Wings Palette artwork shows, and with what the Airpower Museum and the SAC Museum did on their planes, but it is compatible with the photo in the AAHS Journal and with SAC marking standards.

Anyway, my skin now depicts a plane with the SAC insignia on the SAC sash on the left side, where it belongs according to SAC marking standards, and the wing insignia on the Sac sash on the right side, where it belongs according to SAC marking standards and is shown in the photo in the AAHS Journal. Whether the wing insignia is of the correct wing remains uncertain but it's the best guess I can make.

It probably took a lot more time and effort than it was worth. Hobbies are like that sometimes.

I will upload an updated skin when I find a moment to take a screen shot and package it up for the library.

[Mick]

OK, it's in the library.

When all is said and done, the only difference between this skin and the one I painted a while ago is the addition of the SAC and wing insignia on the SAC sash on the nose. But now it's an in-service aircraft rather than an incompletely finished museum example.

[Blackbird686]

The paint is still drying Mick, thanks for the updated skin.

BB686