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North American
F-100 Super Sabre (Variants/Other Names: See History
below)
History: In 1949, North American began
development of the world’s first aircraft capable of breaking the sound barrier in
level flight, the F-100A Super Sabre. A familial successor to the F-86 Sabre, the new
design was larger, faster and more powerful than its predecessor. On November 1, 1951, North American’s design work
resulted in a U.S. Air Force contract for two YF-100 prototypes
and 110 F-100A Super Sabre interceptors. The first of two
prototypes made a major leap ahead in combat aircraft development when it exceeded Mach 1
during its maiden flight on May 25, 1953. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney J57-P-7
engine, the early Super Sabres could produce 15,000 lbs. of afterburning thrust at a
maximum speed of 864 mph. The last 36 aircraft were built with a J57-P-39 engine capable
of producing 1,000 pounds more thrust. On October 29, 1953 the first prototype aircraft made its
mark in history by establishing a new world speed record of 754.99 mph. During the same
month, the first production aircraft was flown. Flight-testing continued until early 1954
when the US Air Force’s 479th Fighter Day Wing took delivery of the new Super Sabre,
declaring it operational. Despite a successful flight test program, a series of crashes
in that same year led to the grounding of the F-100A in late 1954. The accidents were
found to be the result of inertia roll-yaw coupling making the aircraft unstable in
certain flight profiles. North American corrected the design flaw by lengthening the
vertical stabilizer and extending the wings, which increased the aircraft's stability and
put it back in service. North American continued development with an improved version
of the F-100A, the F-100C fighter-bomber, whose added capability
to refuel inflight appealed to the Air Force. Additionally, the F-100C was equipped with
eight underwing weapon pylons and was powered by Pratt & Whitney’s J57-P-21
engine. A total of 476 of these models were built. However, in an attempt to keep up with
the needs of the Air Force, North American developed the F-100D
attack version. The F-100D Super Sabre featured many additional capabilities needed by the
USAF, including a flapped wing, provisions for internal Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM)
equipment and introduction of a Low-Altitude Bombing System (LABS). 1,274 D-Models were
built. The final production version of the Super Sabre was the F-100F,
a two seat (tandem) trainer, of which 339 were built. The 'C' and 'D' versions flew as
fighter-bombers and anti-SAM missile platforms proving them as reliable, mission-effective
aircraft during the Vietnam War. F-100s also served with the French, Turkish, Danish and
Taiwanese Air Forces. The last Super Sabres were retired from the Air National
Guard and the USAF's Aerial Target program in the late 1980s. As the airplane which created a "supersonic Air Force,"
the F-100 Super Sabre has left an indelible mark in the history of military aviation and
on those that flew this sleek fighter. Nicknames: Hun; Slick Chick (RF-100A
reconnaissance version). Specifications (F-100D): Number Built: 2,294 Number Still Airworthy: At
least two in private ownership. Links:
All text and photos Copyright 2016 The
Doublestar Group, unless otherwise noted.
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