Description

The F-100 was one of the first American aircraft to see action in Vietnam and was used throughout most of the war. Although they were not as widely heralded as the F-105 Thunderchiefs and F-4 phantoms, F-100Ds, Fs and a few Cs were used extensively in the south to provide close air support and perform other fighter bomber missions. The F-100D production began in July 1955 and its first flight occurred in January 1956, when North American test pilot Dan Darnell took the first aircraft (54-2121) into the air. Nine months after the first flight, the 405th Fighter Bomber wind (FBW) at Langley AFB Virginia received their first F-100Ds, replacing their aging F-84F Thunderstreaks. Overseas deliveries began in late 1956, equipping USAFE squadrons at Chaumont and Etain in France, and Far East Air Forces squadrons at Itazuke, Japan. High demand for F-100Ds in Vietnam meant that this variant did not enter Air National Guard (ANG) service until 1969. There were a total of 1274 F-100Ds built by North American including 940 at Inglewood and 334 at Columbus.