Pilot attitude toward flying the airplane was greatly affected by these failures. Pilots exhibited great reluctance to fly the aircraft and this prejudiced the airplane-pilot performance combination.
c. Pilot Observations: Detailed pilot observations were obtained from six pilots. A resume of unfavorable items remarked upon by the pilots is as follows:
(1) Cockpit Layout and Comfort: The listed cockpit installations were unsatisfactory for the following reasons:
(a) The circuit breakers on the left console are difficult to identify and operate during flight.
(b) The landing-gear handle is poorly designed in that it is difficult to operate and its location is poor because of its proximity to a number of switches….
(e) The attitude gyro is on the opposite side of the instrument panel from the other flight instruments….
(g) The dive-brake switch should be made more readily accessible; i.e., located on the throttle handle….
(i) Only one fluorescent (ultra-violet) light is available for night flight. One light does not sufficiently illuminate the instrument panel and does not offer a safety factor in the event it becomes inoperative….
(m) The instrument panel vibrates excessively; the "g" meter had to be reinstalled on the cockpit floor because readings as high as 3 "g" were recorded while taxiing….
(2) Visibility: It was found that the forward visibility was almost completely obstructed by the gunsight installation, requiring the pilot to move his head from side to side in order to look through the forward side panels. This results in an increase in pilot fatigue. Rearward visibility is restricted by the installation of the head-rest cushion. It was pilot opinion that the restrictions to search visibility would seriously hamper pilot efficiency during a combat mission.
(3) High Speed Characteristics: On one flight, during a 0.80 Mach Number letdown the pilot inadvertently attained a speed of 0.82 Mach when his attention was diverted from the airspeed meter. At this speed a high degree of lateral instability, in addition to a nose-up pitching moment, was experienced. The instability noted was a strong rolling tendency to the right.
d. Range and Combat Radius:…
(3) At 100 % rpm, fuel consumption at sea level (approximately 810 gallons per hour) is more than twice the consumption at 30,000 feet.
(4) Fuel consumption at 100 % rpm is reduced approximately 140 gallons per hour per 10,000 feet increment of altitude.
(5) The decrease in fuel consumption at altitude, coupled with the increase in most economical airspeed, gives a maximum range at 30,000 feet (clean configuration) which is approximately two and one-half times the maximum range attainable at sea level….
With a full ammunition and fuel load with external fuel tanks, the maximum radius of action at 35,000 feet was calculated to be 670 statute miles….
e. Combat Comparison of the F-84B with the F-80A:
(1) Generaclass="underline" Based on the results of combat comparison tests flown by the F-84B and F-80A-5 with full internal military load at 15,000, 30,000, and 40,000 feet, the F-84B was found to be slightly superior to the F-80A-5 in maximum speed in level flight, level flight acceleration, dive acceleration, and handling characteristics. The F-84B was considered a better acrobatic airplane and superior in formation flying because of greater stability, faster acceleration and deceleration, and the variable aileron boost system….
(4) Turning Circle: Turning circle comparisons were begun from a head-on approach on parallel courses, using maximum power in both aircraft. At 15,000 feet, after approximately 7 turns the F-80A-5 was able to bring his sight to bear on the F-84B. At 30,000 and 40,000 feet approximately 5 turns and 3–1/4 turns respectively were necessary for the F-80A-5 to get into firing position. There exists an optimum speed range for minimum turning radius in level flight and for maximum rate of turn. As altitude is increased this region becomes more critical and changes of IAS have a pronounced effect on turning performance. Inclosure 3, pages 1 and 2, illustrates this more clearly….
h. Armament: In APG Final Report, Project No. 6484-25, subject, "Service Test of the Armament Installation on the F-84B Airplane," dated 29 October 1948, it was concluded that the armament installation in the F-84B airplane is functionally unreliable and tactically unsuitable for Air Force use. 62,553 rounds of .50 calibre ammunition were fired. The following are a few of the discrepancies noted:
(1) Gun installation, ammunition loading, and boresight adjustment require excessive time and manpower. Approximately 2 man-hours are required to reload and install ammunition containers and properly service the gun access doors.
(2) Excessive fumes and noises from gunfire enter the cockpit and make it uncomfortable for the pilot….
(4) A lateral oscillation was induced by over-controlling when pilots attempted to make sighting corrections during firing runs on air-to-air and air-to-ground gunnery missions. In tracking a moving or stationary target in rough air this effect is so exaggerated that maintaining the sight pip on the target is extremely difficult. Analysis of the gun camera film exposed showed that tracking errors of approximately 20 mils were the result of this lateral oscillation. [Six mils is considered an acceptable tracking error.]…
i. Bombing:
(1) The structural limitation of 6 "g" normal acceleration restricts the aircraft as a dive bomber. It was found that pilots often inadvertently exceed this limit during pullout regardless of their awareness of this restriction.
(2) In level flight while carrying bombs in excess of 250 pounds at speeds greater than 450 mph IAS a nose-up tendency was encountered. To counteract this moment, full nose-down trim and an additional push force of 1015 pounds by the pilot was required. Upon release of the bomb a violent nose-down tendency was experienced and as high as 1.5 negative "g" was recorded on the accelerometer. This appears to be the result of a disruption of the flow over the tail by the bombing installation and bombs, and the full nose-down trim of the aircraft before bomb release….
k. Maintenance: The overall maintenance of the F-84B aircraft requires approximately three times the number of man-hours required to perform similar maintenance on the F-80A-5 airplane. The requirement of special tools, lack of access doors, and location and installation of units and accessories make even routine maintenance… difficult.
The discrepancies listed above are typical of the teething problems encountered with new aircraft. In each successive model of the F-84 some of those difficulties were corrected, and the F-84E served throughout the Korean War as a fighter-bomber. The F-84 was also used by many of our NATO allies as a tactical fighter. In Korea the F-84 was considered the backbone of the Fifth Air Force's tactical operations, attacking targets with machine guns, rockets, bombs, and napalm. It proved relatively easy to maintain and could withstand enemy fire. In 86,408 missions, F-84s delivered 50,427 tons of bombs and 5,560 tons of napalm and were credited with destroying 4,846 gun positions, 167 tanks, 259 locomotives, 3,996 railway cars, 3,317 vehicles, and 588 bridges while losing 155 aircraft to antiaircraft fire and 18 to MiG fighters.