Republic F-84B-36-RE  Thunderjet    46-652  /  46-653

                                 

                                     Nice Republic shot of two early F-84s climbing away from Farmingdale, L.I.N.Y.   In actual fact,
                                     when this photograph was taken, these aircraft were properly designated Republic P-84Bs.  It
                                     was not until 1948 that the 'Pursuit' handle was changed to 'Fighter', and this is a 1947 image. 
                                     Some sources list the P-84 as the U.S.'s "first post war jet fighter".  I always give this distinction
                                     to the P-80, since that machine never actually saw service during WW II.  (True, a couple made it
                                     to Italy in 1945, but did not fire shots in anger).  Britain's Meteor, by that time, was already shooting
                                     down V-1s....................  Anyway, the F-84 was an eminently successful aircraft and some 4,450
                                     straight wing variants (the F-84F had swept mainplanes) were built and flown by no fewer than
                                     fifteen air forces.