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Air National Guard - Republic RF-84K Thunderflash
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Air National Guard - Republic RF-84K Thunderflash
Air National Guard - Republic RF-84K Thunderflash (FICON) 52-7265 of the Michigan Air National Guard. Note the canted tailplanes to clesr the structure of the B-36 mother-ship when carried on the FiCon trapeze. Date: circa 1960
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Media ID 21130433
© The Peter Butt Aviation Collection / Mary Evans
1960 Carried Guard Michigan Note Thunderflash Trapeze
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this striking photograph, a Republic RF-84K Thunderflash jet of the Michigan Air National Guard takes flight, its canted tailplanes clearly visible against the blue sky. The Thunderflash, a variant of the F-84 Thunderjet fighter, was primarily used by the United States military for reconnaissance missions during the Cold War. This specific Thunderflash, identified by its serial number 52-7265, was assigned to the FiFty-Second Fighter Interceptor Group (Fighter Interceptor Combat Training) based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan. The canted tailplanes were a necessary adaptation for the Thunderflash when carried on the FiCON (Fighter Interceptor Combat Training Group) trapeze, which allowed it to be towed under the massive wings of a Boeing B-36 Peacemaker bomber for aerial refueling and long-range training missions. The B-36, a long-range strategic bomber that entered service in the late 1940s, was a formidable aircraft in its time, with a wingspan of over 200 feet and a maximum takeoff weight of over 200,000 pounds. The FiCON program, which began in the late 1950s, allowed fighter jets to be carried under the wings of the B-36 for extended training missions, expanding the capabilities of the Air National Guard and providing valuable experience for pilots. This photograph, taken circa 1960, captures a moment in the history of the Air National Guard and the evolution of military aviation technology. The canted tailplanes of the Thunderflash, a seemingly small detail, are a testament to the engineering ingenuity and adaptability required to make such complex aerial maneuvers possible.
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