F-100D Super Sabre Esk 725, Royal Danish Air Force, Karup, 1970 (1:72)

The North American F-100 Super Sabre served the USAF from 1954 to 1971 and the ANG until 1979. The F-100 commonly referred to as the 'Hun', a shortened version of 'one hundred' was the first US fighter capable of attaining supersonic speed in level flight. The Hun was used extensively as close-air-support in South Vietnam. The F-100 suffered from landing gear and brake parachute failures, electrical problems, 500 of the 1,274 F- 100Ds that were built were lost mostly due to these failures.

Between 1959 and 1974 the Danish Air Force received 48 F-100D Super Sabres. One of these was c/n 54-2262 that had flown 679 hours with the USAF as FW-262. It arrived in Denmark on June 12, 1959 and became G-262. The last flight with the RDAF was on January 15, 1982 with a total of 4,516 hours. G-262 was sold to Turkey and arrived January 27, 1982. On July 29, 1983 the aircraft was destroyed when the pilot lost control doing several tough maneuvers during weapons training.

Specifications for the F-100D

Primary function

Fighter-Bomber

Engine
1 X Pratt & Whitney J57-P-21/21A turbojet, 10,200 lb.st. dry and 16,000 lb.st. with afterburning.

Dimensions
Wingspan 38 ft 9 in
Length - 50 ft 0 in
Height - 16 ft 2 3/4 in
Wing area - 400 sq. ft.

Performance
Maximum speed - 770 mph at sea level (clean), 864 mph (Mach 1.3) at 36,000 ft (clean).
Initial climb rate - 19,000 ft/min. An altitude of 35,000 ft could be attained in 2.3 minutes.
Service ceiling - 36,100 ft, combat ceiling 47,700 ft, absolute ceiling 50,000 ft.
Normal range - 534 mi, maximum range 1,995 mi.
Fuel capacity ' 1,739 US gallons internally, total of 2,139 gallons if maximum external fuel is carried.

Weights
Empty - 21,000 lbs
Gross - 28,847 lbs
Maximum T/O - 34,832 lbs

Armament
4 X 20-mm Pontiac M-39 cannon
6 X under-wing pylons for up to 7,040 lbs of bombs, fuel tanks, or rockets.
1 X MK-28 or Mk-43/57/61 nuclear weapon could be carried.
In later versions, 4 X AIM-9B/E/J Sidewinder air-to-air infrared homing missiles could be carried.