First of the "Century fighters", the prototype F-100 flew on 25 May 1953. The initial production version was the F-100A, a single-seat day fighter powered by a 43.15kN J57-P-7 or P-39 engine. Armament comprised four 20mm M-39E cannon plus external stores on six under-wing hardpoints. The RF-100A was a photo-reconnaissance conversion of the F-100A with a deeper camera-carrying front fuselage.
The F-100C appeared in 1954 as a single-seat fighter bomber with strengthened wings, up to 3,402kg of bombs on eight underwing hardpoints, in-flight refuelling capability and 75.62kN (with afterburning) Pratt & Whitney J57-P-21A turbojet engine. The similar F-100D introduced design refinements, including a taller fin, and could be armed with four Sidewinder or two Bullpup missiles, or 3,402kg of external weapons in addition to its standard four 20mm cannon. The final version built was the F-100F, a lengthened tandem two-seat operational trainer and tactical attack aircraft, armed with two 20mm cannon and capable of carrying 2,722kg of external stores.
North American F-100 Super Sabre on YOUTUBE
Specification
CREW
1
ENGINE
1 x P+W J-57-P-21 turbo-jet, 66.7kN
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight
12700 kg
27999 lb
Empty weight
9500 kg
20944 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan
11.6 m
38 ft 1 in
Length
14.3 m
47 ft 11 in
Height
4.9 m
16 ft 1 in
Wing area
35.8 m2
385.35 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed
1216 km/h
756 mph
Ceiling
15250 m
50050 ft
Range
920 km
572 miles
ARMAMENT
4 x 20mm machine-guns, 2720kg of bombs and missiles
In early 65 I was ferring F-100F to Cannon AFB prior to overseas deployment as wild weasels. One March we were FL37 near the OK /Arkansas Border when my wingman told me I was stream fuel. My fuel state was rapidly detoriating and I needed a loooony runway. Barksdale was the cloest. All the emergency proceedures were running thru my brain, when I remembered the words of my instructor at Vance. He had told us not to believe the a /c had a glide ratio of a brick....The brick had a better glide ratio.
Ruffled a few feather at Barksdale (SAC Base), hit the outer marker @ 187 kts and then a flame out....RAT came out OK, used Nitrogen to blow down & lock the gear, put it on the ground and rode a long long time on the runway.
To all you crew chiefs and maintenance guys that wrote in: Many thanks for your terrific work. My peacetime and wartime sorties in the Hun were only made possible through your efforts. I always appreciated your dedication and want to thank you in this forum.
F-100C, Serial #0-4753, Christened "Susan Constant" by Winston Churchill's wife while the airplane was in England, later assigned to NM Air Guard, retired to the Air Force Museum for many years is now sitting outside at the Birmingham Airport deteriorating while waiting to go into The Air Museum of the South East. Probably the best C model that was ever in the inventory. Mistreated proud bird.
I was at RAF Lakenheath from Jan'66-Jan'69 and recall installing inverted flight tanks in our Super Sabres every day for several months. I repaired hundreds of bird dents in 450 gallon wing tank nose cones. I actually miss the sound of the side by side night take-offs, our barracks were not that far from the end of the runway back then. Great memories of those days
I WAS AN AIRCRAFT ELECTRICIAN AT MYRTLE BEACH,SC FROM 57-62. WE HAD FOUR SQUADRON'S OF F-100D &F MODELS.I LOVED WORKING ON AND BEING AROUND THE PEOPLE WHO MAINTAINED AND FLEW THIS BEAUTIFUL AIRCRAFT. I THINK THE TOUGHEST PART WAS HAVING TO PULL THE AFT SECTION TO DO MOST OF YOUR WORK. IN THOSE 5 YEARS I SAW A LOT OF THEM CRASH. WE LOST SOME PILOTS. I TRAVELED WITH THEM TO MATAGORDA ISLAND BOMBING RANGE,TX,NELLIS AFB,NV,GOOSE BAY,LABRADOR,CHAUMONT,FRANCE,AVIANO AB,ITALY AND MORRACO WITH STOPS IN THE AZORES AND BERMUDA. THOSE WERE THE DAYS.
I was in the Army in the 60's so I never flew a F-100 or anything for that matter however my Mom retired from North American Aviation in the 1970's where she had worked on the F-100 (among others). She brought home a model of the F-100 for me in '54 or '55 (I was 9 or 10 then) and it was my pride and joy for many years. 1952 was when Ford pick-ups went from F-1s to F-100s and to this day my all time favorite pick-up trucks.
I was stationed at Aviano AFB, Italy, 1959 /61, Instrument Shop, F-100s there were TDY from the states. I worked with the TDY guys regularly. When the first squadron came from George AFB, CA, to a rainy winter in Italy they ask for help fixing fuel quanty write-up. Also, that long pitot tube, it was hinged, when the acft was parked it would be standing straight up like a flag pole. In rainy weather this was not good, as any pilot knows, a little water in the pitot /static system can cause big time problems. So early in the morning, even before some crew chiefs showed up one of us instrument guys would be out on the flight line lowering the pitot (flag pole) masts and open the water drains, and doing a pitot /static system leak check.
There are more stories to be told about the F-100 guy that came to Aviano, maybe someone will add to this.
I also worked on Chuck Yeager's F-100 while there. once again FUN TIMES
I worked on F-100 D, F, at Luke AFB 66-67 also in Phu Cat RVN 68-69 .I was a crew chief. good bird with a good pilot at the stick air to ground very good. limited load with only 4 pods very accurite with rockets and napalm. I crewd 049 622 950 Wing commanders bird 612 TFS at phu Cat
I worked on F-100 D, F, at Luke AFB 66-67 also in Phu Cat RVN 68-69 .I was a crew chief. good bird with a good pilot at the stick air to ground very good. limited load with only 4 pods very accurite with rockets and napalm. I crewd 049 622 950 Wing commanders bird 612 TFS at phu Cat
As a crew chief on F-100D I agree with Gil.Lots of leaks,changed a lot of tires with flat spots.Not fun.A /C 095 of the 428th TFS crashed during landing.It was rebuilt and back in service.While on a night mission the controls locked up,hit his wingman they both went dawn.NOT GOOD!
In addition to first production Super Sonic, how about air-to-air defense of Berlin corridors post the Berlin Blockade, Tasked as single engine, single seat, Nuke (one way) delivery, if the big one came, the major provider of air to ground support in South Viet Nam, and most decorated and dangerous missions flying Fast Fac (Misty) on the Ho Chi Men trail in North Viet Nam and Laos. Two pilots in an F and always a single ship.
I flew the F-100 from 1962 to 1971. Great plane, never let me down. Yep, it was underpowered but still a ball to fly. Currently restoring F-100D 56-3081 for display at MAPS Air Museum, Akron /Canton Airport, Ohio.
I flew F-100 D /F in Vietnam and Europe. Great bird for it's time, although lacking to compete with newer jets in air-to-air due to limited thrust to weight. I later flew the F-4E's... They had twice as much thrust as the F-100 and weighed about the same... Jim... Yes it did have adverse yaw, but had a fine roll rate air-to-air if you use the rudder to roll, amazing roll rate... Also, looked fantastic is the "Thunderbird Scheme"... Bill
As a recalled guardsman they had me ferry a D model to Nam. I filed for FL 350 out of Canon planning to climb enroute. Going through 290 I told my wingman I had to go back to Canon as the plane wouldn't fly. He had flown Ds on active duty and decided to let me see for myself why FL350 was wildly optimistic. I learned why we never saw Ds in the restricted area. They would be hopeless against a Crusader. The C model was a competitive fighter even if it landed supersonic. Final speed was 163k plus fuel on the C, not 183. Still pretty fast.
Lots of hydraulic leaks, & a bear to change the tire on. Was able to get eight consecutive missions without a diagonal discrepency. 60-64 RAF Woodbridge 79th TFS
