Click on Picture to enlarge

 

Click on Picture to enlarge

The F-100C

The F-100C was the USAF's first operational aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound (760 mph) in level flight. The F-100C is best remembered for the years it spent on the United States Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team.

The F-100 began life as a company funded project to improve on the basic F-86 Sabre design. The program didn't attract military interest until the F-86 was pitted against the Russian MiG-15 in the skies over Korea. Early Korean War experience made it evident that the Communist Bloc had brought themselves close to their western enemies in fighter design. The U.S. Air Force, not content with this, awarded North American Aviation a contract to produce two YF-100A prototypes and an F-100A production version in Nov. 1951. Thus was born the first of the century series fighters.

It made its initial flight on May 25, 1953, and the first production aircraft was completed in October 1953. The Super Sabre became the first fighter to attain level flight supersonic speed, doing so during its maiden flight Oct. 29, 1953. The F-100 became operational in Sept. 1954. North American built 2,294 F-100s before production ended in 1959.

Designed originally to destroy enemy aircraft in aerial combat, the F-100 later became a fighter-bomber.  It made its combat debut during the Vietnam conflict where it was assigned the task of attacking such targets as bridges, river barges, road junctions, and cantonment areas. The F-100 had originally been designed as an air superiority fighter, but the "A" model was the only pure air superiority version. The "B" model was an all weather fighter. As the Air Force began to realize the F-84 fighter-bomber fleets were showing signs of age, the logical choice was to modify the F-100. Thus was born the F-100C. The F-100C which made its first flight in 1955, featured such advances as an in-flight refueling system, provisions for extra fuel drop tanks and bombs under the wings and an improved electronic bombing system. The "D" model was the definitive version with 1,274 examples eventually produced. It had improvements in both aerodynamics and weapons delivery, capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 38 ft. 10 in.
Length: 53 ft. 11 in. (with pitot boom extended); 47 ft. (with boom folded)
Height: 15 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 36,549 lbs. max.
Armament: Four M39 20mm cannons and 42 2.75-inch rockets or 5,000 lbs. of bombs
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney J57 of 16,000 lbs. thrust with afterburner
Cost: $664,000
Serial number: 54-1753

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 900 mph.
Cruising speed: 600 mph.
Range: 1,350 miles
Service Ceiling: 51,000 ft.

FAS

 

 

The F-100C "Super Saber"

 

This variant of the F-100 included a number of new features. Fuel tanks were installed inside the wings. Pylons were added to hold extra fuel drop tanks and additional stores (bombs and rackets), as called for by the aircraft's secondary fighter bomber role. The first F-100Cs, like the F-100As, were equipped with the Pratt & Whitney J-57-P-7 engines. Others, before the 101st production, were powered by the J-57-P-39s. The later version of the F 100C incorporated the increased thrust of the J-57-P-21. The F-100C also differed from the F-100A by being fitted for the probe and drogue type of in flight refueling.

The Air Force eventually bought 476 F 100Cs, using FY 53 funds for the first 70, FY 54 funds for the next 381, and FY 55 funds for the last 25.

Production of the F-100C began in 1955. They were generally pahsed out by the late 50's, although some were used for training as late as 1970.

Global Security

 

USE YOUR BROWSER "BACK" BUTTON TO RETURN TO PERVIOUS PAGE