Over 7 decades, Thunderbirds flew in 7 jets
A time line of all the jets flown by the Thunderbirds.
F-84G Thunderjet (1953-1954)
Though it couldn’t exceed the speed of sound, the F-84G was deemed well-suited for aerobatic and demonstration maneuvers.
F-84F Thunderstreak (1955-1956)
The first Thunderbirds jet to use a trailing smoke system.
F-100 C Super Sabre (1956-1963); F-100 D Super Sabre (1964-1968)
With the move to the Super Sabre in 1956, the Thunderbirds became the world’s first supersonic aerial demonstration team.
F-105B Thunderchief (1964)
Safety concerns limited the use of the Thunderchief to but six shows in 1964 before the switch to the next plane was made.
F-4E Phantom II (1969-1973)
The Phantom was the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force during the Vietnam War.
T-38 Talon (1974-1981)
Following the oil crisis of 1973, the Thunderbirds switched to the Talon, which was more fuel efficient and required fewer crew members and equipment to maintain. It’s the only training aircraft ever flown by the team.
F-16A Fighting Falcon (1983-present)
The Thunderbirds return to flying a front-line fighter with the F-16A, one of the world’s most numerous fixed-wing aircraft in military service.
