On 28th February 1946, the Republic F-84 Thunderjet made its first flight. Despite coming up against several issues in the initial stages, it went on to become an extremely successful and well-loved aircraft
The F-84 was the USAF's first post-war fighter. It first flew flight on 28 February 1946 and became the Army Air Forces' second jet fighter to enter large-scale production. It began rolling off the production lines in June 1947, and by the time production ceased in 1953, approximately 4,450 "straight-wing" F-84s (in contrast to the swept-wing F-84F) had been built. During its operating life, it served in several roles ranging from fighter, long-range escort fighter, fighter-bomber and the USAF’s first tactical nuclear bomber. The United States also supplied F-84s to 14 other allied nations participating in the Mutual Security Program, including: Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Iran, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Yugoslavia.
