North American F-100C Super Sabre

Production of the “Super Sabre” began in October of 1953. Tactical Air Command (TAC) Squadrons began receiving the F-100 “A” model in early 1954.

Flown by the US Air Force Demonstration Team, The Thunderbirds, from 1956-1958, the F-lO0 Super Sabre was a direct descendant of the famous F-86 Sabre. The North American Aviation Company spent over 3 million man hours to improve the F-86 and the F-100 was the result. This fighter bomber was the first US production aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in level flight, setting the world speed record in 1955 at 822.1 mph. The F-100 also made the first flight by a jet fighter over the North Pole. Used extensively in the ground attack role in Vietnam, the Super Sabres were also used as interceptors with the Aerospace Defense Command in the early 1960’s and flew with NATO air forces well into the 1970’s. Air National Guard F-l00’s responded to the Berlin Crisis in 1961 and the USS Pueblo incident in 1968. Most F-100 Super Sabres finished their careers as target drones for Air Force live fire exercises.

The museum’s F-100 is a C model, serial number 54-1786, manufactured by North American Aviation, Inglwood, CA, and delivered to the Air Force on 24 Sept 1955. It was assigned to Tactical Air Command Units from Sept 1955 until Aug 1964 when it was assigned to the Air National Guard. From June 1968 until June 1969, it flew from Tuy Hoa AB, Vietnam, and then returned to a stateside Air National Guard unit until May 1974.

The 188th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the New Mexico Air National Guard was her last operational posting. They flew our F-l00C, serial number 54-1786, to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ, on the 22nd of April, 1974.

In March of 1981, 54-1786 was brought by truck to the March Field Museum by our dedicated volunteers. The exterior camoflage paint scheme with tail “SM 486” was completed in July 2004. This aircraft is on loan from the USAF.

According to the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA/RSA), Maxwell AFB, AL, the museum’s F-100C has the following history:

F-100C, s/n 54-1786, was manufactured by North American Aviation, Inglewood CA and delivered to the USAF on 24 Sep 1955. Its assignments were:

Sep 1955 - To 450th Fighter-Day Wing (TAC), Foster AFB TX

Sep 1956 - To 322nd Fighter-Day Group (TAC), Foster AFB TX (assignments to Landstuhl AB Germany and Ernest Harmon AFB Newfoundland

Jan 1957 - Deployment to Wendover AFB UT

Oct 1957 - Deployment to Seymour Johnson AFB NC

Dec 1957 - To 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing (TAC), Turner AFB GA

Apr 1958 - Return to 450th Fighter-Day Wing

Jun 1958 - To Sacramento Air Materiel Area CA

Oct 1958 - To 4510th Combat Crew Training Wing (TAC), Luke AFB AZ

Jul 1959 - To 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing (TAC), Nellis AFB NV

Aug 1964 - To 150th Tactical Fighter Group (ANG), Kirtland AFB TX (assignment to Cannon AFB NM)

Jun 1968 - To 31st Tactical Fighter Wing (PACAF), Tuy Hoa AB SVN

Jun 1969 - Return to the 150th Tactical Fighter Group

Apr 1974 - To 138th Tactical Fighter Group (ANG), Tulsa AP OK

May 1974 - To Military Aircraft Storage Center AZ

Jan 1975 - Dropped from USAF inventory as surplus