North American F-100D Super Sabre

loading the forward fuselage in Florida	loading the starboard wing in Florida
getting the nose wheel down and secured	getting the nose wheel down and secured.

Aircraft Background:
Officially part of the USAF Collection, the F-100D is on indefinite loan from the U.S. Air Force Museum, Wright Patterson AFB, to MAPS Air Museum for restoration purposes.

Aircraft's History:
A successor to the F-86 Sabre used in Korea, the F-100 was the first of the "Century Series" of Fighter aircraft in the USAF inventory (Other Century Series aircraft include the F-101 Voodoo, the F-102 Delta Dagger, the F-105 Thunderchief, and the F-106 Delta Dart).  While all of them where initially designed as fighter/interceptor aircraft, most went on to carry the brunt of the U.S. Air Force's close air support / ground attack ("bombing") duties during the Vietnam War.  Notable firsts for the F-100 series include being the first production U.S. aircraft capable of flying faster then the speed of sound in level flight and having the first supersonic capable auto-pilot. From 1964 to 1968, the Super Sabre was the chosen airframe for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team.  

Specifications:
Span: 38' 10"
Length: 54' 2"
Height: 16' 2"
Weight: 38,048 lbs loaded
Armament: 4 20mm cannon, 2 AM-83 Bulldog missiles, 4 AR-8 Sidewinder missiles, and/or up to 7,040 lbs of ground attack ordinance (non-guided rockets, bombs, napalm) 
Engine: Pratt & Whitney J-57P-21 with 16,000 lbs thrust in afterburner mode. 

PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 926 mph
Cruising speed: 590 mph
Range: 1,970 miles
Service Ceiling: 55,000 ft 

Crew Chief: 

Crew Chief's Update (Restoration Progress): 
The airframe has been moved into the small restoration building, but fixed to a custom mount, and the nose wheel has been dropped and secured, so the aircraft is resting on its' nose wheel for the first time in many years.  Initial survey of the airframe has begun to determine the next restoration steps.