In 1953, a sleek new thoroughbred, the F-100 “Hun” for short, burst into the skies to set a new world speed record of 755 MPH in level flight.
By 1955, the F-100 held the world’s first supersonic speed record of 855 MPH and marked the beginning of the Century Series generation of supersonic or faster than the speed of sound (761 MPH) fighters.
The F-100 also won the Bendix Trophy in 1955 with an average speed of 610 MPH.
The swept wing F-100A featured titanium extensively and was the first USAF aircraft to utilize the low tail. The aircraft was equipped with many automatic systems including leading edge slats, air conditioning, pressurizing and fuel systems.
The later models featured the new wet-wing, in-flight refueling, hard points for extra drop tanks, under wing bombs and improved bombing systems. The F-100’s remained in military service until the 1970’s.
| DISPLAY STATUS | COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | CURRENT LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| Own | United States | Legends Hangar |
| PURPOSE & TYPE | MATERIALS | ERA & DATE RANGE |
| Bomber | Steel | Early Jets 1945 – 1975 |
| PRODUCTION & ACQUISITION |
SPECIFICATIONS | SERVICE HISTORY |
| MFG: North American Aviation First Produced: 1955 Number Built: 2,294 total 381 C models Armament: (4) M-93E 20mm cannon, 7,500 lbs of ordinance Acquired by Yanks in 2004 |
Wingspan: 38 ft 9 in Wing Area: 380 sq ft Length: 47 ft 1 in Height: 16 ft 3 in Empty Weight: 19,270 lbs Gross Weight: 36,549 lbs Powerplant: (1) P&W J57-P-21A Thrust: 16,000 lbs Cruise Speed: 593 mph Maximum Speed: 822 mph Range: 575 miles |
Delivered: March 29, 1956 1956 – 413th Fighter-Day Group (TAC) George AFB, CA Deployed to Shaw AFB, NC. 1957 – 479th TFG (TAC) George AFB, CA Deployed to Langley AFB, VA and McChord AFB, WA. 1959– Air Mat Sacramento McClellan AFB, CA 1959 – 4530th CCT (TAC) Williams AFB, AZ 1960 – 4510th CCTW (TAC) Luke AFB, AZ Aug 1964 – May 1968 – 121st TFG ANG Lockbourne AFB, OH 1968 – 354th TFW PAF Kunsan AB, Korea 1969 – 121st TFG ANG Lockbourne AFB, OH 1971 – Storage Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ 1972 – Air Logistics Area McClellan AFB, CA Stricken: December 1972 |