Subject: Number One Hundred in the Series--North American F-100 Super Sabre (3 of 12)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 26 Oct 93 16:22:32 GMT

>From [email-masked]

Six nearly complete F-100As were taken off the production line during 
September of 1954 and modified as unarmed photographic reconnaissance 
aircraft under the designation RF-100A.  Serials were 53-1545/1548, 
55-1551, and 55-1554.  The nose armament was completely removed and 
replaced by five reconnaissance camera systems which looked ahead and 
to each side of the aircraft.  The cameras could not all fit within 
the existing fuselage contour, and a distinctive bulge had to be added 
onto the fuselage belly underneath the cockpit in order to accommodate 
all of this equipment.  This bulge extended from below the windshield 
almost to the wing trailing edge, and was a obvious recognition 
feature.  The RF-100As carried four drop tanks rather than the usual 
two because the mission profile called for a lot of high-speed flight 
under afterburner and there was no provision for midair refuelling.  
For some reason, the RF-100A became known as "Slick Chick".  

Few photographs of the RF-100A have been published and even fewer 
details are available about its service.  The few photos of the 
RF-100A that have appeared in print tend to be blurry and indistinct, 
obviously being copies of copies of copies.  There exists a photograph 
of one RF-100A painted with the spurious serial number of 53-2600 
(actually an F-89 Scorpion serial number).  The reason for the 
reluctance to speak openly about the RF-100A seems to be because this 
aircraft (along with lots of other types) participated in some rather 
dangerous reconnaissance missions flown over Soviet-occupied 
territories in Europe during the darkest days of the Cold War.  
RF-100As would dash at high speed across the Iron Curtain, take their 
pictures, then beat a hasty retreat before defenses had time to react.  
Needless to say, very few details are available about these missions.  
Now that the Cold War is over, perhaps the veil of secrecy that 
surrounds these missions can finally be lifted.  

In late 1961, four of the RF-100As were sent to the Chinese 
Nationalist Air Force on Taiwan.  It is generally believed that these 
aircraft flew operational reconnaissance missions over the People's 
Republic of China.  The Chinese Nationalist Air Force often passed the 
information gained by these reconnaissance flights along to US 
intelligence agencies.  Again, there are few details publically 
available about these missions.  

Sources:

  North American F-100 Super Sabre, David A. Anderton, Osprey, 1987

  The North American F-100 Super Sabre, Ray Wagner, Aircraft in Profile,
  1965.

  United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and
  Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

  The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.

Joe Baugher		AT&T Bell Laboratories   	
2000 North Naperville Road      Naperville, Illinois 60566-7033