The first supersonic fighter in not just America but the world, the F-100 Super Sabre marked a real revolution in aircraft design. A celebration of this truly remarkable fighter, F-100 Super Sabre highlights the many firsts in a long and distinguished career: The Super Sabre preceded the Soviet Unions Mig-19 into the supersonic arena by as much as five months. It was the first operational jet fighter to exceed Mach I in level flight. And in its heyday the F-100 set a raft of speed and altitude records. The first in a noble line of fighters soon to be known as "The Century Series," the F-100 had the F-102 Delta Dagger, F-104 Star Fighter, F-105 Thunderchief, and the venerable F-160 Delta Dart as stablemates. In authoritative text and pictures, technical drawings and photographs, F-100 Super Sabre details the aircrafts every variation, her weaponry, and equipment. The book is a fitting tribute to the fighter nicknamed "Hundert" or more affectionately, "The Hun"--an aircraft loved by nearly everyone who flew or tended her and respected by all. Flying Models, September 2007 “A celebration of this truly remarkable fighter, this book highlights many firsts in a long and distinguished career … In authoritative text and pictures, technical drawings, profiles and photographs, Tom Gardner details the aircraft’s every variation, her weaponry, and equipment. The newest edition to the popular ‘At War’ series, this book serves as a fitting tribute to the fighter nicknamed ‘Hundart’ or more affectionately, ‘The Hun’ – an aircraft loved by nearly everyone who flew or tended her and respected by all.” Military Heritage, December 2007 “Zenith Press has just published their most recent entry in the ‘At War’ series profiling various military units, equipment and ships. The F-100 Super Sabre is an excellent choice for the series … Thomas Gardner, a mechanical engineer, has written a most comprehensive book on the aircraft. He examines every detail of the plane, including its engine, afterburner, landing gear, fuel system and cockpit. No part of the aircraft is left untouched. In addition, detailed drawings and illustrations plot the jet’s performance, and a chronological chart follows important dates in the design, manufacture, and final retirement of the world’s first jet fighter.” Internet Modeler, November 2007 “This title in the new At War series examines the history of this famous fighter, from its development to its operational record ... The chapter on the development of the F-100 covers this nicely, and provides a great insight as to how aircraft came to be during the 1950s … For a single reference on the F-100, this book does an excellent job of covering all aspects of the Super Sabre. In addition to the nicely written text, the book is filled with photos and drawings, providing plenty of inspiration and reference for the modeler. Many of the drawings come from the Tech Orders for the F-100 and provide information not often seen in other books. With the recent Trumpeter 1/32 F-100 kit out, this is a timely release and recommended for those interested in early supersonic jets.” IPMS Journal, September 2007 “It's been said that timing is everything. Coming on the heels of Trumpeter's just-released F-100D in 1/32nd scale, timing in this case could not have been better, offering yet another reference source for the modeler … in the appendix section, you'll find full aircraft specifications and dimensions along with an excellent set of aircraft line drawings in the modelers section … if you're a fan of the Super Sabre, you'll want to add this publication to your personal library. In this writer's opinion, it's well worth the price just to have the drawings.” In the late 1940s, North American Aviation was the preeminent manufacturer of military aircraft in the free world. It had produced a long line of stunningly successful aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang and its successor, the F-86 Sabre. Lee Atwood, president of North American at the time, decided the time was right for the next revolutionary step a supersonic fighter aircraft. Advanced aerodynamic research captured from German aircraft companies in the waning days of World War II convinced him that a supersonic fighter was both attainable and necessary to stay at the forefront of military aviation. The F-100 Super Sabre was not only America s first supersonic fighter, but in fact was the first in the world, predating the Soviet Union s MiG-19 by five months. It would establish many firsts in its distinguished career, including numerous speed and altitude records in its heyday. This revolutionary aircraft would go on to find prominence as a potent fighter-bomber, shouldering yeoman s duty admirably in Vietnam, before being retired in the early 1970s. Thomas E. Gardner is a native of southern California. His enthusiasm for aircraft began as a young boy with a trip to Point Mugu Naval Air Station with his father to view the likes of the F4D-1 Skyray an