The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979.
The first of the Century Series of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of supersonic speed in level flight.
The F‑100 was designed by North American Aviation as a higher performance follow-on to the F-86 Sabre air superiority fighter.
Variants
YF-100A
Prototype, model NA-180 two built, s/n 52-5754 and 5755.
YQF-100
Nine test unmanned drone version: two D-models, one YQF-100F F-model, DF-100F, and six other test versions.
F-100A
Single-seat day fighter; 203 built, model NA-192.
RF-100A (“Slick Chick”)
Six F-100A aircraft modified for photo reconnaissance in 1954.
Unarmed, with camera installations in lower fuselage bay.
Used for over flights of Soviet Bloc countries in Europe and the Far-East.
Retired from USAF service in 1958, the surviving four aircraft were transferred to the Republic of China Air Force and retired in 1960.
Proposed interceptor version of F-100B, did not advance beyond mock-up.
F-100C
Seventy Model NA-214 and 381 Model NA-217.
Additional fuel tanks in the wings, fighter-bomber capability, probe-and-drogue refuelling capability, uprated J57-P-21 engine on late production aircraft.
First flight: March 1954; 476 built.
TF-100C
One F-100C converted into a two-seat training aircraft.
F-100D
Single-seat fighter-bomber, more advanced avionics, larger wing and tail fin, landing flaps.
First flight: 24 January 1956; 1,274 built.
F-100F
Two-seat training version, armament decreased from four to two cannon.
First flight: 7 March 1957; 339 built.
DF-100F
This designation was given to one F-100F that was used as drone director.
NF-100F
Three F-100Fs used for test purposes, the prefix “N” indicates that modifications prevented return to regular operational service.
TF-100F
Specific Danish designation given to 14 F-100Fs exported to Denmark in 1974 in order to distinguish these from the 10 F-100Fs delivered 1959–1961.
QF-100
Another 209 D and F models were ordered and converted to unmanned radio-controlled Full Scale Aerial Target drones and drone directors for testing and destruction by modern air-to-air missiles used by current U.S. Air Force fighter jets.
F-100J
Unbuilt all-weather export version for Japan
F-100K
Unbuilt design study for a two-seat F-100F powered by a J57-P-55 engine
F-100L
Unbuilt design study for a single-seat F-100D powered by a J57-P-55 engine
F-100N
Unbuilt version with simplified avionics for NATO customers
F-100S
Proposed French-built F-100F with Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engine
