The F-100 is one of the largest single-seater fighters ever built, with a gross weight of nearly 30,000 lb. Wings are swept back 45 deg., and a new tail configuration is obviously aimed at improving stability at the high speeds of which the F-100 is capable. It has a top design speed of about 800 mph. and has flown faster than the speed of sound repeatedly in level flight.
Both the B-52 and the F-100 are powered by the Pratt & Whitney J57 split-compressor turbojet, delivering approximately 10,000 lb. static thrust at sea level. The F-100 is equipped with an afterburner that adds an estimated 5,000 lb. to basic engine power for short intervals.
The F-100 reportedly attained level flight speeds around Mach 1.08 (1.08 times the speed of sound), while the Lockheed F-104, scheduled to make its first flight early in 1954, will fly at 1,500 mph, according to reports from the West Coast.
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