The mighty "Hun"
(and F-107 Ultra Sabre*)
 |
 |
 |
 |
The
first The second YF-100A (52-5755) is on display in the
"Century Circle" just outside the main gate at Edwards
AFB. This photo was taken late in the day 4 November,
2012. Originally the Super Sabre had a taller
tail than the F-100A when it entered production. It
also lacks the "inside out" rudder that became a hallmark of
the F-100 Super Sabre line.
On display at Lackland AFB is this very
early F-100A (52-5759), photographed in September, 2000.
52-5773 is another F-100A, this one being displayed outside
the Confederate, er, sorry, the "Commemorative"
Air Force" in Midland, TX in September, 2007.
Note that all of these aircraft are missing the nose
probes. That seems to be rather common with Huns on
outdoor display.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Photographed on September 23, 2011 F-100A 53-1533 is painted in the markings of the
27th Tactical Fighter Wing and displayed in Melrose, New
Mexico. The 27th flew F-100D and F-100F versions of
the Hun, not F-100A models.
F-100A 53-1600 is on display in Tucumcari, NM. Photographed the same day as 1533, it is not in nearly the same condition.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The 188th TFS, New Mexico Air
National Guard, was one of the last units to fly the F-100C,
converting to the A-7D in 1973. F-100C 54-1752 as it
appeared at MASDC in 1979 with the "Tacos"
wheeled road runner on the tail. This aircraft was
later repainted as "54-1753" in the markings of the 322nd
Fighter Day Group before being placed on display at Dyess
AFB. The two middle photos of her were taken in
August, 2001 and the last one in May, 2010.
 |
 |
The actual "753" as displayed at the National Museum
of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF). This
aircraft was christened the "Susan Constant"
while with the 322nd Fighter Day Group, Foster AFB,
Texas. This aircraft has left the Air Force Museum and
by 2004 was on display at the Southern Museum of Flight in
Birmingham, Alabama where unfortunately this colorful scheme
has deteriorated considerably.
 |
 |
 |
 |
F-100C 54-1786 on
display at the March Field Museum, March Air Reserve Base, CA.The
current scheme represents the aircraft when she deployed to
Tuy Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam in 1968. At that
time the 188th TFS New Mexico Air National Guard was activated
and attached to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing. This is
an an accurate scheme for this airplane. Prior to that
she had been marked to represent an aircraft of the 308th
TFS/31st TFW (right). The 308th had been equipped with F-100D
and F-100F Super Sabres.
54-1752 and 1786 at
MASDC before being sent to display.
 |
|
Good Huns gone bad... F-100C
54-1803, MASDC 1979. In happier days, she had
served with the NM ANG. Sometime after this she was
exported to Turkey where supposedly she is on display at
Sivrihisar.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
F-100D 56-2912 (Left) as she
appeared in 182nd TFS (TX ANG) markings when photographed at
MASDC in 1979, when she was being removed from storage for
conversion to a QF-100. In October 1982 she was
at Tyndall AFB (center). By 1984 912 was based at
Holloman AFB. (Bobby Porter)
 |
 |
 |
F-100D 55-3665
of the 182nd TFS (TX-ANG) at MASDC in October, 1979.
The 118th TFS,
Connecticut ANG repainted the tan in the camo to form a
bird's head as a unique marking. The F-100D (55-3665)
has a more elaborate blue eyed bird, while the F-100F
(56-3801) is slightly more plain.
 |
 |
 |
 |
F-100D 55-2809, ex 175th TFS, SD ANG, on
display at the 1982 Davis Monthan open house.. This
aircraft was being "prepped" for QF-100 conversion.
F-100D 56-2826, 113th TFS, Indiana ANG,
MASDC 1979.
F-100D
56-2827 184th TFS Arkansas ANG. MASDC 1979.
F100D 56-2920 107th TFS, Michigan ANG.
MASDC 1979.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
F-100D 56-3093
128th TFS Georgia ANG. An inscription on the nose of 893
reads "X THUNDERBIRD NO. 1", but in actuality it never served
with the Thunderbirds. At some point the tail was
damaged and replaced with the tail of a former T-Bird number
one aircraft. The green bird on the nose is a 49th FIS
zap. She has been zapped by 434 Squadron RCAF as well.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The ultimate
Warbird... F-100F 56-3844 (N26AZ), painted in the markings
of the 188th FIS, NM ANG. This Hun is based at the El
Paso International Airport. (Photo: Jack
Callaway) 3844 has later repainted in Thunderbird
markings as in this 2005 photo. In 2011 she was sold
to the Collings Foundations and is sometimes flown at
airshows.
 |
 |
Another Hun on
the civil registry is this F-100F, 56-3948. The first
photo shows her at Mojave, California in 1989 after
importation for the QF-100 program. She was not
converted and was later sold on the civilian market.
The second photo was taken by Jack Callaway at the El Paso
International Airport in March, 1999. She still
carries the registration of N2011V.
 |
 |
 |
 |
The same F-100F one year apart:
56-3904 at Holloman AFB in October, 1991 while part of the
QF-100 program and a year later at Holloman while flying
with the U.S. Army for use in missile development.
 |
 |
56-3905 was
another two seat Hun operated by the Army, photographed at
Holloman in October, 1993. After the end of the F-100
drone program some airframes became display aircraft.
This two seater
(56-3812) is displayed in Duncan, AZ.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Flight Systems
inc operated several F-100s for target duties. F-100F
56-3971 (N419FS) was photographed in formation with a Flight
Systems F-86F (N89FS) at Holloman AFB in October, 1988 and
again on the ground in October, 1995.
F-100F 56-3990
displayed in Burnett, TX. July, 2015.
 |
 |
 |
F-100F 58-1232 on display at the Pacific
Aviation Museum on Ford Island inside Pearl
Harbor. August, 2017. (CB)
 |
F-100C 54-1951 of the 4758th Defense
Systems Evaluation Squadron over Southern New Mexico.
The 4758th DSES flew F-100Cs and Fs (along with B-57s) from
Biggs AFB until 1966. The Huns were a common site in
the skies over El Paso during that time and flew over my
house when I was a small child. One of my earliest
airshow memories is of my brother threatening to stuff me
into the intake of a Hun. (USAF)
During the time frame that many of these photos were taken,
the storage facility at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, was
referred to as the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition
Center (or MASDC). Sometime in the 1980s the name
became the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center
(AMARC). More recently it has changed to 309th
Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group
(AMARG). This is what many people call "the
Boneyard". The photos on this page and others that
show MASDC in the caption were taken there.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Starting
with the F-100C delivery of nuclear weapons became one
of the F-100's primary missions. The weapon types
usually mentioned for the Hun include the Mark 7, B28EX,
B28RE, B43, B57 and the B61. The first photo above
shows a Mark 7 carried on the left inboard station.,
which was the rule for that weapon. The later
marks were carried on the center line. The second
photo shows an F-100D delivering a B28RE. The
third photo is an F-100C performing a "Low Altitude
Bombing System" (LABS) maneuver. And the final
photo is an illustration of the LABS maneuver.
 |
 |
 |
NATO
had concerns about the survivability of runways in the
event of war with the Warsaw Pact nations. To
address the "ZEL" (Zero Length) system was devised where
a nuke armed airplane could be launched without the need
for runways. This was just a large rocket engine
attached to the belly of the aircraft that would
accelerate it off of a special trailer. The
booster would fall away and the aircraft continue on to
its target. The system was tested on straight wing
F-84s and could be used with F-84Gs, F-100s and
F-104s. Specials sheds were developed to house the
aircraft that were "cocked and ready". Though
successful for whatever reason it was never adopted in
numbers. The Soviet Union tested a similar setup
on MiG-19s.
In the first two photographs above we see 56-2904 at
Edwards AFB prior to launch and just after
launching. In both photo there is a Mark 7 "shape"
under the left wing. The last photo shows 56-2947
launching from a protective shed at Holloman AFB.
It too carries a Mk.7 shape. The shed in that
photo is still in existence at Holloman.
 |
 |
 |
 |
The tail of the YF-100A Super Sabre was taller than the tail that was used on the first production F-100A airframes. It also had a solid rudder rather than the one with external ribs used on later airplanes.
The
tail chosen for production was reduced in height, which
unfortunately also reduced stability. This was a
contributing factor in several crashes, including the
one that killed George Welch. This aircraft while
sporting the shorter fin does not have the same rudder
as used on later production F-100A's.
The
fin that was later used in production of F-100A and
F-100C Super Sabres (and retrofitted to earlier
aircraft) was increased approximately two feet in
height. This photo also shows the rudder with
external ribs.
The final fin was used by F-100D and F-100F Super Sabres. It was both slightly taller and slightly thicker in chord. The fairing covering the fuel dump is also larger.
 |
Through the engine:
 |
The J57 was used for a good number of the Century
Series: F-100, F-101, F-102 and the Navy F-8. The
J57-P-21A (P&W built and the J57-F-21A (Ford
built) were rated at 10,200lbs thrust in
Military power and 16,000 lbs in afterburner.
(USAF)
To the exhaust:
 |
 |
 |
The original afterburner for the F-100 Super Sabre
was made of several "petals" that slide together to
open and close afterburner nozzle. These would
often bind and the burner would not light correctly,
or function properly. To alleviate this
afterburner sections from F-102s were used in place
of the originals. This was possible as both
the Hun and the Deuce used versions of the J57
engine.
 |
 |
 |
The F-102 afterburner was first used by Air National
Guard units and became the norm in later
years. The screen visible inside the exhaust
in the second photo is to keep birds from nesting
inside. The three photos are of an F-100C
(54-1823) on display at the Pima Air & Space
Museum.
 |
 |
F-100C and F-100D ejection seat illustrations from
the F-100 Flight Manuals. (USAF)
 |
 |
 |
The air-to-air refueling probe used on all
Huns. This is the second, or "cranked
probe". The earlier one had projected straight
out from under the wing, placing the head low in
relation to the pilot's view point. This later
probe placed the probe in a better position from a
visibility stand point.
 |
 |
As the
F-100 used the probe and drogue method of air-to-air
refueling it is fitting to show the drogue, or
basket as it is sometimes called. This
particular basket is from a 181st Aerial Refueling
Squadron (Tex ANG) KC-97L.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
On the left is the earlier speed brake used on the
F-100A/C and early F-100D's. It had a small
cutout to clear center line stores. The
smaller cutout did not allow enough room, so the one
on the right was developed to allow more clearance.
 |
 |
 |
Though not originally fitted a tail hook was added
during depot servicing around 1960. It was
merely a spring steel contraption that would snap
down when released. Not meant to work like a
navy tail hook it would engage barrier wires in an
emergency situation. Note that on the
F-100C it was set to the left of center line and on
the F-100D it was to the right of center line.
The tail bumper was fitted to all versions of the
F-100 (and the F-107). To the right of the
hook is a triangular wedge that prevented the hook
from snagging the barrier wire unintentionally.
 |
 |
The drogue chute was contained in the compartment
covered by two rectangular doors. These are
visible on the lower aft part of the fuselage, which
is in the lower left of the photo. The
attachment cords ran from there up the left side of
the aft fuselage to the base of the tail where they
attached. The segment strip allowed the cords
to be pulled from inside the airframe.
 |
 |
 |
The 275/335 gallon drop tanks
were integral with the pylon. Note how the
pylon is sided aerodynamically. This was to
give good seperation between the tanks/pylons and
the aircraft if the tanks were jettisoned in
flight.
This is very noticeable on
this unidentified F-100D at Eglin AFB.
(USAF)
 |
A wing fence was
added in the production of the F-100D. This
was carried over to the F-100F
 |
 |
 |
 |
Many Huns ended
their days as donors to keep other F-100s in the
air. The first three photos above show
F-100C 54-1994 as she sits picked over for parts
in the back acres at MASDC. Various other
aircraft are slowly suffering her fate as well.
F-100D
54-2241 is near the very end of her life.
Picked about as clean as a Thanksgiving turkey she
will soon be off to the smelter.
 |
Not all Super Sabres were
picked apart in the boneyard. Many became
QF-100 drones that were used in missile
tests. Not all were shot down however and
not all that were hit were destroyed. F-100D
56-3141 has survived a near hit and is on display
at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino,
California in this October, 2013 photograph.
 |
 |
The Hun was armed with four
Pontiac M-39 "revolver" cannons. Based on
the German MG213 weapon (a WW II development that
did not enter service) the M-39 operates much like
a "six shooter" hand gun. It is
a 20mm weapon that uses a five
chambered chambered revolver and is
gas
driven through the use of the gun gases produced
by the firing of the ammunition. Capable of firing
1,500 rounds per minute is was used in the F-101
Voodoo and planned for the F-107. The
example above illustrates the set-up for an F-101
and was used to train VooDoo armorers.
What started as the F-100B, became the F-107A.
* The F-107 never had an official name. People have attached various names to it, the Ultra Sabre being one. Some tried to call it the Super-Super Sabre. I prefer Super Duper Super Sabre, but all names for it are really nonsense.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
This illustration is of the
Pratt and Whitney J75-P-19W as fitted in the
F-105D. The YJ75-P-11 used in the F-107 was
similar with 15,500 lbs thrust in military power
and 23,500 in afterburner. (USAF)
 |
 |
The after burner "petals" are
somewhat reminiscent of the ones used on the
F-100.
 |
 |
The vertical tail was "all
moving" and similar to the one later used by the
A-5 Vigilante which was also built by North
American Aviation. The drag chute used to
slow the aircraft on landing was fitted to the
base of the fin inside a hinged door on the right
side.
 |
 |
The canopy opened straight
upwards, supported by a rod on each side of the
rear.
The gun ports for the M-39
guns are covered on 55-5118 and open on
"119". The M-61 Vulcan was also considered,
but development of that gun lagged at the time
that armament was chosen for The F-107.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Like the F-100, the F-107 was
also fitted with a tail bumper.
| Model |
Length |
Wingspan |
Height |
Hard
Points |
| Probe
Folded
Probe Extended |
Original
Production |
|||
| YF-100A |
46' 2" 47'1" |
36'9" | 14'5"
14'5" |
2 |
|
F-100A |
47'*
53'11" |
38'9" |
13'4"
15'6" |
4 |
|
F-100C |
47'*
53'11" |
38'9" |
15'6" |
6 |
|
F-100D |
47'9"*
54'3" |
38'9" |
16'3" |
7 |
|
F-100F |
52'6"
57'2" |
38'9" | 16'3" |
7 |
|
F-107A |
N/A 60'10" |
36'7" |
19'8" |
5 |
* The difference in length
between the F-100A/C and the F-100D
is due to the overhang of the larger (and
taller) tail of the F-100D. The
Actual length from the lip
of the intake to the trailing edge of the
after burner is 44'5" for all three.
For an
airplane that has had as much written
about it as the Hun it is rather odd that
finding accurate dimensional data is
rather difficult. The Flight manual,
often called the "Dash one", has different
dimensions than the "Standard Aircraft
Characteristics" (SAC) chart. Many
published sources also differ. In
the end I used data from the T.O.
1F-100C-2-1 and the T.O. 1F-100D-2-1 which
cover the F-100C and F-100D
respectively. As those are
maintenance manuals geared towards the
airframe itself I hope that they are also
the most reliable.
To return to:
Your comments and suggestions:
My guest book is on the main page.
Page
created 12-12-01
Page
revised 03-30-20
