Author Description

F-100D/F Super Sabre Walk Around. North American's F-100 Super Sabre was the first of the famous Century Series fighters, and America's first capable of supersonic speed in level flight. During the Cold War, it stood as a guardian of freedom around the world. Capable of carrying nuclear weapons while operating from bases in the US, Pacific and Europe, it helped deter communist aggression. In Vietnam, Super Sabres shouldered the bulk of the attack role for many years provided a platform for high-speed forward Air Control, and pioneered the Wild Weasel concept before the F-105s and F4s took on the role. Under peaceful skis, performances by the USAF Skyblazers and Thunderbirds served to awe the crows and inspire future pilots. At the end of their service lives, more than 200 F-100s served as target drones, training the crews of later generations of fighters. More than 150 photographs, line drawings and 20 color profiles.