NORTH AMERICAN F-100 SUPER SABRE

Combat experience during the Korean War had demonstrated the need for advanced aircraft able to provide both supersonic performance and ghter-bomber capability. North American’s response was the F-100 – the rst Century Series ghter.

Even as the F-86 Sabre was entering service with the USAF, North American designers Raymond Rice and Edgar Schmued were already considering developments that would signi cantly improve its performance. Initially, their attention was focused on the F-86’s wings and tailplane – increasing the sweepback from 35ᵒ to 45ᵒ and relocating the tailplane lower down. The company was con dent enough in this ‘Sabre 45’ project, begun in February 1949, to fund the modi cation of an XF-86D with these features.

An ‘Advanced F-86D’ proposal was eventually submitted to the USAF in August 1950, two months after the beginning of the Korean War. Although the Air Force was not able to take it forward at that time, North American was given a strong indication that the proposal would eventually be accepted. Work therefore continued on an ‘Advanced F-86E’, with the design receiving the internal designation NA-180. After two years of development, the NA-180 had little in common with the original F-86. It was larger and heavier with a host of novel features and was propelled by a much more powerful engine than its predecessor. North American had intended to equip the NA-180 with radar to make it a useful interceptor capable of replacing the F-86D but the USAF

F-100A-5-NA SUPER SABRE (54-5775) 

ADRC Air Development and Research Center, 1954. This aircraft was among the rst Super Sabres produced – a ‘short-tail’ A model. This aircraft would later become part of the New Mexico ANG and was damaged beyond repair after suffering a hard landing on October 9, 1962. The pilot, 2/Lt David R McCauley, suffered severe burns but survived the crash.

 F-100C-5-NA SUPER SABRE (53-1774)

322nd Fighter Day Group, 451sf Fighter Day Squadron, 1956. Notice the placement of the stars-and-bars insignia on this aircraft. National insignia would be carried on the nose early on in the F-100’s career, but from 1957 onward it was moved to the rear fuselage. This aircraft was sent to MASDC on January 17, 1972, but would later become part of the Turkish AF.

simply wanted was a straightforward high-performance day ghter armed with a quartet of 20mm cannon.

Following a full-scale mock-up inspection on November 9, 1951, requests were made for more than 100 separate changes to the design. The cockpit canopy was extended, the tailplanes were moved lower down and the shape of the fuselage was altered. Nevertheless, and despite concerns that the type would be too complicated, the USAF commissioned two prototypes and 110 full production ghter aircraft based on what was now the NA-192 design. The of cial designation ‘F-100’ was allocated the following month.

 F-100C-25-NA SUPER SABRE (54-2101)

479th Fighter Day Group, 434th Fighter Day Squadron ‘Red Devils’, 1957. This aircraft is adorned with multi-coloured fuselage bands indicating that this aircraft was assigned to the wing commander.

Work on the rst YF-100A commenced at the company’s facility in Inglewood, Los Angeles, in early 1952 and further changes to the design were made on the run. The nose was made 9in longer, the tailplanes and n were reduced in length but given greater chord and, in order to save weight, self-sealing fuel tanks were replaced with non-self-sealing tanks.

The USAF requested drop tank capability for increased range in October 1952 – necessitating the design of a new stronger wing – and developing