First introduced in 1954, the Sabre was primarily used over the skies of South Vietnam for close air support, before being replaced by the F-4 Phantom.
F-100As first took flight in 1953 and were the US Air Force’s first operational aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound in level flight. It set the world speed record in 1953, at 755 mph. Originally developed as an air- superiority aircraft to replace the F-86, the F-100 evolved into an effective fighter- bomber and flew many ground-attack missions during the Vietnam War.
In the late 1950s, two F-100s were assigned to Hill Air Force Base to conduct weapons testing and other assorted flight tests. The US Air Force received the F-100A on display in 1954. It served on several different bases in the United States before arriving at Hill Air Force Base in May 1966. Soon after arriving at the base, the US Air Force dropped this F-100A from active inventory and sent it to Utah State University in Logan, Utah, for display and aircraft maintenance education. In 1981, the aircraft moved back to Hill Air Force Base for eventual display. Four years later, this airframe was restored to resemble one of the flight test F-100s once assigned to Hill Air Force Base for weapons testing.
For two weeks in May 1964, 100,000 US Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine service members participated in Joint Exercise Desert Strike held in the Mojave Desert. Desert Strike was a theoretical war over water rights between fictional countries with United States officials acting as the faux government. Numerous F-100s participated in this exercise to provide an element of realistic air power support.
Serial Number: 52-5777
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
Primary Function: Fighter
Crew: One
Engines: One Pratt & Whitney J57-P-7 turbojet; 14,800 lbs thrust with afterburner
Wingspan: 47 ft 1 1⁄4 in
Length: 38 ft 9 in
Height: 15 ft 8 in
Weight: 18,185 pounds (empty); 24,996 pounds (maximum)
Speed: 848 mph (maximum); 587 mph (cruising)
Range: 1,294 miles
Service Ceiling: 51,000 ft
Armament: Four M-39 20mm cannons; up to 7,000 pounds ordnance
Cost: $664,000 (approximate)
Years of Service: 1954 – 1971
The F-100A first took flight in 1953 and was the United States (US) Air Force’s first operational aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound (760 mph) in level flight. It eventually set the world speed record in 1955. Originally developed as an air-superiority aircraft to replace the F-86, the F-100 evolved into an effective fighter-bomber and flew many ground-attack missions during the Vietnam War.
At the end of 1960, twenty aircraft were assigned to Hill Air Force Base, two of which were F-100s. The F-100A on display was manufactured in 1954 and served on several different bases in the US. In 1961, the aircraft was sent to Utah State University in Logan, Utah, for display and aircraft maintenance education. In 1981, the aircraft moved to Hill Air Force Base for eventual display. Four years later, this airframe was restored to resemble one of the flights-test F-100s once assigned to Hill Air Force Base and is now on display at Hill Aerospace Museum.
First introduced in 1954, the Sabre was primarily used over the skies of South Vietnam for close air support, before being replaced by the F-4 Phantom.
While the F-100 set speed records and performed acceptably as a fighter, it unfortunately never managed to shoot down an enemy aircraft.
The Sabre did not have a traditional radar—capable of detecting and tracking targets for air-to-air munitions—instead having a range-only radar for its four 20mm cannons.
The Super Sabre was the first production aircraft capable of breaking the speed of sound while maintaining level flight.