North American f-100F
Super Sabre
Manufacturer:
North American
Wingspan:
38 ft 9 in
Length
50 ft 4 in
Max Speed:
871 mph
Range:
1,661 mi
Service Ceiling:
35,000 ft
Entered Production:
1953
Total Manufactured:
339
Armament:
(If applicable)
2 x 20mm cannons, carrying capability of 6,000 lbs. of external
Summary
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was the first of the “Century Fighters”, and first flew on May 25th, 1953. The Century Fighters were the United States Air Force fighter jets produced with advanced performance and avionics during the Cold War. The F-100 was one of the first production jet fighters capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. On October 29th, 1953 this first production aircraft broke the world speed record at 755 mph. Throughout the Vietnam War, the F-100s saw vast service in fighter, reconnaissance and ground attack roles, and flew more missions than the P-51 had in World War II. The final version of the aircraft built was the F-100F, which included a lengthened tandem two-seat operational trainer and tactical attack aircraft. Super Sabre’s then retired from USAF service in 1972.
Overview
Our F-100F Super Sabre was built in 1958 and served with several fighter squadrons in Vietnam. It performed “Wild Weasel” bombing and Fast FAC “Misty” missions, primarily with Air Guard units. After spending some time in both Colorado and South Dakota in the 1970’s, this Super Sabre spent more than three decades on outdoor display at Air Force bases in Indiana, Texas and Georgia. Finally, 58-1232 arrived on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 2013, and received extensive restoration and repair at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
