North American F-100 Super Sabers

Design

At the beginning of the production of the F-86 Sabers in 1949, one considered the development of its successor. The direction of North American Aviation decided to build a hunter Supersonique of new design. The apparatus was equipped with the engine Pratt & Whitney J57 -7 with Postcombustion. The basic armament consisted of four gun S Pontiac of 20 mm M39. It was built until 1959.

The first order of two specimens of preproduction had placed on November 1st 1951, i.e. before the first flight which took place only the May 25th 1953. The first standard appliances were brought into service as of November of the same year, but were quickly nailed on the ground because certain planes had broken in vol. the problem came from the empennage postpones and all the planes already manufactured last being modified. The delivery continued with the beginning of the year 1955, but fulgurating technological advances made that the F-100A was then already exceeded. From 1958, this version was transferred to the national guard.

The F-100B was a version modified to have better aérodynamisme, then for the role of fighter-bomber, then to receive new the Pratt & Whitney J75. Finally redésignée F-107A in 1954, it will be abandoned at the end of the years 1950.

From version F-100C, the " Super Saber" was not used then any more as pure hunter but like fighter-bomber. The planes of this version had six pylons of armament for 2270 kg of load and could be supplied with vol. the August 20th 1955 a plane of this type took down world records speed by reaching an average of 1 323,03 km/h with 12.192 meters of altitude on a circuit of 20 km. The most current version was the F-100D which had wings modified as well as a news Avionique equipped with a Autopilot and of a system of dropping of bombs which made it possible to release atomic bombs at low altitude. The only alternative which was still produced was version named initially TF-100C then F-100F: it was about a two-seater version of drive, equipped with two guns of 20 mm instead of four.

From 1970, the Super Saber was gradually replaced by the F-4 and the F-111. Many remaining apparatuses was transformed into Drone S radio-controlled to be used like target or was used like plane test by NASA.

Engagements

The Hun achieved the majority of its missions during the Guerre of Vietnam. After being modernized once again at the electronic level, radio and navigation, it was used then as a bomber, hunter, reconnaissance aircraft and an attack aircraft. On the whole, the American air force lost 243 F-100 with the Vietnam, including 198 with the combat.

F-100 Turkish took part in the Opération Attila (invasion of Cyprus in 1974).

Alternatives

YF-100 : 2 prototypes
F-100A: first version of series (203 specimens)
RF-100A: version of recognition (6 modified planes)
F-100C: version improved of type fighter-bomber (476 specimens)
TF-100C: two-seat trainer (1 modified plane)
F-100D: new wings and improved avionics (1274 specimens)
F-100F: two-seat trainer (339 specimens)

Operators

Royal Danish Air Force (48 F-100D and 10 F-100F)

US Air Force
Patrouille of the Thunderbirds

France

Air force (85 F-100D and 15 F-100F)

Republic off Clouded Air Force (118 F-100A and 4 RF-100A)

Turkish Air Force (206 planes)

See too

External bonds

detailed History of F-100 on the site of Joseph F. Baugher
http://www.f-100.org/, site entirely devoted to F-100
Description of F-100 on the FAQ of fr.rec.aviation
F-100 in the French Air force

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