The F-100 was USAF's first operational airplane to be flown faster than the speed of sound (760 mph) at sea level in level flight. Originally designed as a dogfighter, the F- 100 found greater utility as a fighter-bomber. On October 29, 1953, flying the YF-100A, Frank K. "Pete" Everest, Jr., established a new world speed record of more than 750 mph while flying a little more than 100 ft above the course set up at Salton Sea, Calif. On February 26, 1955, North American test pilot George Smith became the first person to survive ejection from an aircraft flying at supersonic speed. His F-100 was traveling 777 mph when the controls jammed and he was forced to punch out. The 479th Fighter Wing at George AFB, Calif., was the first unit to receive the "Hun," as the type became widely known. Shortly after initial delivery started, the airplanes were grounded and had to be modified, primarily because little was known about the sustained high-speed flight regimen. F-100s were sent to South Vietnam in February 1965. Several two-place F- 100Fs became the first aircraft modified for the "Wild Weasel" radar-suppression mission. The first "Wild Weasels" arrived in Southeast Asia in November 1965; the first combat mission was flown on December 3. These Ironhand antiradar missions were usually undertaken by one F-100F accompanied by four F-105s. F-100s were used as armed forward air controllers, and these pilots were called Misty FACs. F-100s were used in Vietnam until the late 1960s. The Thunderbirds, the Air Force's aerial demonstration squadron, flew F-100Cs and Ds for most of 13 years and 1,080 shows. F-100s also flew with France, Denmark, Turkey, and Taiwan. F-100As were released to Air National Guard units in April 1958, and the type served until 1979.
| Contractors: | North American Aviation, Inc. |
| Locations Built: | Inglewood, Calif., and Columbus, Ohio |
| Number Built: (USAF) | 2,294 (2,249) |
| First Flight: | May 25, 1953 |
| First Flight Model: | YF-100 |
| First Flight Location: | Edwards AFB, Calif. |
| First Flight Pilot: | George S. "Wheaties" Welch |
| Models/Variants: | F-100A, C, D, F. RF-100A |
| Powerplant: | One Pratt & Whitney J57-P-21A turbojet of 16,000 lb of thrust in afterburner |
| Wingspan: | 38 ft 9 in. |
| Length: | 47 ft 5 in (54 ft 2 in with pitot boom) |
| Height: | 16 ft 2 in. |
| Weight: | 38,048 lb gross |
| Armament: | Four M39E 20-mm cannon and six underwing hardpoints for up to 7,040 lb of payload, consisting of external tanks and/or ordnance incl bombs (incl nuclear), missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinder or AGM-12 Bullpup), or 38 2.75-in folding-fin aerial rockets (FFARs) in LAU-3/A launchers |
| Accommodation: | Pilot only (crew of two in tandem on F-100F) |
| Cost: | $697,029 |
| Max. Speed: | 864 mph |
| Range: | 1,200 mi. |
| Ceiling: | 47,700 ft. |
Copyright Air Force Association. All rights reserved.