Trumpeter Aircraft 1/32 F100C Super Sabre Fighter Lit Kit

At the beginning of 1951, North American Aviation stepped up with a major technology update proposal for their F-86 Sabre. Bear in mind that at this point in time, the F-86s had been in USAF service for a little over a year and had only started flying combat missions in Korea a few months prior to this update proposal. What is more significant is that the original P-86 was a straight-winged fighter when first designed at the end of World War Two, then received 35 degrees of wing sweep thanks to the research gained from captured Messerschmitt data. Later F-86s received another Messerschmitt design, the aerodynamically activated leading edge slat. The most significant development prior to this proposal was Chuck Yeager's flight through the so-called sound barrier.

North American proposed the Sabre 45, an improved Sabre that would have a 45 degree wing sweep, greater firepower with four 20mm cannons in place of the six 50 caliber guns, more engine thrust in the form of the afterburning J57 turbojet, and the ability to operate above the speed of sound. This new design was approved and designated as the F-100 Super Sabre.

The F-100 was the world's first supersonic production aircraft. It exceeded Mach 1 in level flight in the first days of its flight test program, but aerodynamicists would not discover the concept of area rule for reduction of supersonic drag until the flight testing of the F-101 and F-102 programs. It might have been interesting to see what the old girl could have done with a coke-bottle-shaped fuselage!

While the concept of the day fighter ruled the skies over Korea, the lack of all-weather intercept capability would plague the F-100 in the early days of Vietnam. Without radar to aid the intercept of enemy MiGs hiding in the clouds and attempting to attack USAF fighter-bombers, the F-100 was unable to provide effective fighter cover. Like most fighters that end their usefulness as fighters, the F-100 was quickly re-roled into a fighter-bomber as well. As a fighter-bomber, the F-100 was able to provide effective close air support and strike missions against enemy targets carrying a wide range of weapons, including iron bombs, cluster bombs, napalm, rockets, and guided missiles (Bullpup). Another effective suppression weapon was the aircraft's four 20mm cannons in the nose.

One of the annoyances of the F-100 was the J57's afterburner nozzle. It was not very reliable and would stick full open at the least opportune times leaving the pilot with little thrust at full military power. After the F-100s passed into the hands of the Air National Guard, someone came up with the idea of 'borrowing' the afterburner nozzle from the J57 that powers the F-102 Delta Dagger. That nozzle was far more reliable, and after a series of trials, it was retrofitted to the Guard F-100s as well.

This kit has some really nice details and options provided in the box:

• Cockpit boarding ladder
• Positionable canopy
• Positionable leading edge slats
• Hinged forward avionics hood
• Movable ailerons and flaps
• Movable rudder
• Positionable aft section
• Straight and angled air refueling booms
• Straight or stowed pitot booms
• Aft section dolly
• Open or closed gun bays
• Open or closed ammo bays
• Positionable speed brakes
• Two styles of speed brakes and wells included
• Full length intake air duct
• J57 engine (not removable, but can be seen with the aft section off)
• Styrene or white metal landing gear struts

Markings are provided for three examples:

• F-100D-45-NH, 55-2796, 511 FBS/405 FBW, Langley AFB, VA, 1959
• F-100D-75-NA, 56-3189, 309 FBS/31 FBW, TAC Gunnery Competition, 1958
• F-100D-60-NA, 56-2927, 309 TFS/31 TFW, Tuy Hoa AB, Vietnam, 'Thor's Hammer'