Home > RF-84F Thunderflash > Thunderflash of the KLu

Thunderflash of the KLu


Dutch Thunderflashes were at first based at Laarbruch in Germany. Later on they moved to Deelen AB in Holland.

Iin 1962 the unit moved to Volkel to start conversion to the RF-104G Starfighter; the remainder of the 24 Flashes (7 had crashed in the meantime) were transferred to Greece and Turkey. The last Thunderflash to leave Holland was P-15, who left in January 1964 with destination Turkish Air Force.

In general the Thunderflashes only saw seven years of service with the KLu. They were supplied under the MDAP support plan (which basically means that they were in Holland on a loan basis and that the aircraft remained property of the US of A). Initially they flew in a metal finish livery, with the 306 squadron code TP- painted on the nose. Later on some of them were camouflaged with black TP codes, and from 1959 onwards all of them were gradually camouflaged and the P-registration appeared on the nose of the aircraft (P-1 up to P-24).

Currently we still have two Thunderflashes which are preserved in the Netherlands.
The best known is a former Greek Air Force machine, that was flown to Holland in 1988; by that time the Greek Air Force was phasing them out in favor of the RF-4 Phantom. The machine (a former Dutch Air Force one by the way!) was donated to the Royal Netherlands Air Force Museum. It is now on permanent exhibition in the museum at Soesterberg.
The second one is a former Belgian Air Force aircraft (ex FR-31), which previously served with the German Luftwaffe. It now is on display at the Oranjekazerne in Schaarsbergen, painted up as “P-7″ in Dutch colours.

In “FLASH Aviation Magazine” (Frank edited it at that time) we published an overview of the whereabouts of the Dutch Flashes; it is reproduced hereunder in its original form. Remember, this edition was published in 1971!

Pictures of Thunderflashes of the Dutch Air Force are rather scarce, and real spotter pics of Dutch Thunderflashes are not common. That is why you will find official photos in this gallery, some of which have never been published before! Again, if you can help completing this gallery, send us an e-mail.

A site with lots of interesting information on Dutch Thunderflashes is www.the306sqn.com by Ton Smilde.