Project GunVal F-84F

Possibly the considerable early development problems of the aircraft mitigated against it being a part of Gunval. Just overcoming the various design deficiencies and getting it safely into the air precluded any participation in the project.

It’s a strange one however: despite F-84F, F-86F, F-89C and F-94D being mentioned specifically in GunVal documentation as candidates for the project, it’s only the F-84F that eludes identification in this context.

I also suspect that the ‘entry into service’ date doesn’t have a relevance, since the GunVal aircraft were still under test post-1954, and GunVal wasn’t tasked with evaluation of in-service machines in any case (though in the instance of the F-86F, the test installation was evaluated in ‘in service’ conditions).

Might this be because Gunval finished in 1953 and the F-84F didn’t enter service until 1954? Before then most of the development effort seems to have been aimed at getting the engine/airframe combination right. Also despite the ‘F-‘ the Thunderstreak was seen more as a ground attack aircraft.