Republic XF-84H
The Republic XF - 84H Thunderscreech was an experimental fighter aircraft of the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Republic. It is a single-seat all-metal aircraft with a turboprop engine, which should reach supersonic speeds. Because the concept of a propeller, mostly worked in the supersonic range, it was one of the noisiest aircraft ever built.
History
Was based on the mid-wing monoplane, the Republic F - 84th Republic built two prototypes with the USAF serial numbers 51-17059 and 51-17060; the "buzz number" were FS -059 and FS- 060th The first flight of the FS -059 was carried out on 22 July 1955.
Construction
The powerplant was used an Allison XT -40 -A-1 gas turbine with 4365 kW. An afterburner to increase performance on 5391 kW was installed but never used. The rectangular peaks of the three-blade metal propeller with 3.6 m diameter and a constant speed of 3000 rpm reached about Mach 1.18. The thrust was controlled by the adjustable angle of attack.
In order to keep the horizontal stabilizer of the vertebrae of the propeller -free, it was designed as a T-tail.
Behind the cockpit with a triangular fin was mounted on top of the fuselage: the so-called Republic of "Vortex Gate" to compensate for the propeller vortex.
The XF - 84H had the first plane to a so-called Ram Air Turbine, to ensure the supply of electrical and hydraulic power in the event of an engine failure. This back pressure turbine was often swung out already as a precaution.
Use
The XF - 84H was destabilized by the driving power of the correspondingly large propeller torque. In addition, they suffered from unreliable engine, which resulted in other types of aircraft failures.
The test pilot Hank Baird pointed out 11 flights, 10 of which ended in emergency landings; Another test pilot flew only once - and refused any further flight. Both test pilots were employees of Republic - pilots of the Air Force and the Navy were not admitted.
Noise
The XF - 84H was the loudest aircraft ever built, with great probability, and had his nickname " Thunderscreech " and " Mighty Ear Banger " deserves. Already on the ground could hear the airplane to 40 kilometers away.
Aircraft received
FS -059 was taken with only ten hours of flight time out of service and spent many years on a mast at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield in the U.S. state of California. Volunteers from the 178th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard then worked over 3000 hours on the aircraft in order to prepare it for exhibition in the National Museum of the United States Air Force from February 1999 at the Wright - Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
The cell of the FS -060 was scrapped after the termination of the project in 1956, the engine, however, found another use in the Douglas A2D Skyshark program.
Specifications
Comparable types
- United States 48 United States: McDonnell XF - 88B ( also with supersonic propeller )
- United States 48 United States: Convair XP -81
- United States 48 United States: Douglas A2D Skyshark
- United States 48 United States: Ryan F2R Dark Shark