A historical question

Who can teach me F-84 in Yugo service situation?
Why Yugo ordered this fighter?
When F-84 went into Yugo service? When did it retire?
How many F-84 has been service in Yugo?
And more informations you know......
external image
If you know which web this picture could be got, I will worship you

[edit on 17-6-2006 by emile]

[edit on 17-6-2006 by emile]

On June, 1953 at Batajnica airport landed a group of eight Thunderjets flown over from a base in West Germany. It was the beginning of the delivery under the agreement of military aid from West countries to Yugoslavia (Mutual Defense Aid Program - MDAP).

The then allies of the Balkan treaty, Greece and Turkey, got F-84G some time earlier, and on May 9,1952 the neighboring Italy was presented first 19 planes of this type.

The first eight F-84G for the 'Yugoslav Air Force were, according to the then ruling USAF standards in natural aluminum color, while the first part of the nose in front of the pilot was in olive drab (to avoid reflection).

The planes had American markings of that period - on the wings there was asymmetrically placed inscription USAF and emblem USAF on the fuselage also. On the vertical stabilizer (tail) there was the inscription United States Air Force and serial number. The last three digits of that number were in combination with letters FS on the front part of the nose (so-called buzz-numbers) for example 52-29941 , FS-994. All the letter-number markings were in black color.

Some of the planes delivered in 1953 were painted in so-called arctic red paint scheme. Some surfaces of these Thunderjets were painted in red, such as the complete rear part of the plane, ailerons, some parts of wings and tip-tanks. Such paintings was kept also after putting Yugoslav markings instead of the American ones in accordance with the then existing way of marking: the roundel JRV (Yugoslav Air Force) was on the fuselage and on the lower surfaces of wings, diameter 50 cm, the Yugoslav flag was in the middle of the vertical stabilizer over the American serial number, while the black, two-digit small dimension squadron numbers were put on the nose, behind air-intake. Serial numbers of the Yugoslav Air Force (JRV) from 10501 onwards, were put over the tricolor flag, although in the beginning quite a number of the planes did not have them.

During 1964 and 65 the units equipped with F-84G become restructured. In this period Thunderjets were grouped in two bigger aviation units to air support the land forces, one for Navy support and some were used also in training squadrons of the Air Force academy.

In the 1966 were introduced special badges as markings of membership to squadrons. Thus, the Thunderjets from the units containing the traditions of the 2"d squadron NOVJ (National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia), became "panthers" and "leopards" in this unit the badges were drawn by stencils, mainly on the place where usually used to be in the squadron number, although there were also "leopard" badges, which where drawn very near air-intake. F84-G marked in this way took part "debut-like" in a tactical exercise in autumn 1966.

In the unit, the follower of the war 423'd ground-attack regiment, on the Thunderjets were drawn badges with a tiger head, and this was done in front of the squadron number, seen from the top of the plane.To the other units, armed with F-84G were assigned symbols of sea-gulls, penguins and others, but their usage was no importance in comparison to the before-mentioned.

This system of marking was accepted immediately in all units. Some squadrons, which had attractive symbols, kept them longer in use. For instance, the tiger head symbol was ****ted to Jastreb and Galeb, which were in the same unit, after withdrawal of F-84G.

In the period from 1968, gradual withdrawal from operational use of F-84G was initiated. Its place in Air Force and Air Defense (RV i PVO) was took by home-constructed Jastreb and Galeb. Still the aging Thunderjets did not give up: they play a significant role in "Sloboda 71" maneuver, having a white lightning drawn under the cabin as a mark of identification.

In the last period the use, at the beginning of the seventies the scheme of painting was somewhat changed (similar to that on Jastreb and Galeb) and the numbers were painted with new, smaller stencils (40 cm). The remaining of F-84G and RF-84G continued to fly in some squadrons till 1974, when the last 30 planes were withdrawn from use, and their post was taken by more up-to-date aircraft.

www....[hate-site-nolink]/archive/t-184174History_of_Serbian_air_force_1912-2005.html

There you go. From 1953-1974 various models of the F-84 were flown by Yugoslavia.

Thanks, you've done enough! Keep going to where that picture come from, you can do it