The North American YF-107 "Ultra Sabre" prototype represented the final foray into military aviation for the North American Aircraft Corporation - the company responsible for such memorable aircraft as the P-51 "Mustang", the F-86 "Sabre", and the F-100 "Super Sabre" - all war veterans of different decades. Its outgoing work woudl center on an offshoot of the F-100 in the Super Sabre-inspired YF-107 design - an aircraft brought about by a United States Air Force (USAF) need for a Mach 2-capable nuclear delivery platform.
The design of the YF-107 was originally known as the F-100B while later referencing changed its designator to
"YF-107A". The YF-107A was a highly modified F-100 with an all new nose cone and dorsal spine-mounted intake. The nose cone was to house the needed fire control radar for precision weapons delivery while the unique positioning of the intake opening was simply due to the constraints of the existing F-100 layout. The YF-107 design retained the wings, rear fuselage, and tail section of its F-100 origins. The crew numbered one and standard proposed armament was to be 4 x M-39E internal cannons and up to 10,000 pounds of externally stores.
The aircraft competed unsuccessfully against others in a USAF tactical fighter design phase which was won out by the aircraft to become the Republic F-105 "Thunderchief". The three YF-107s completed were still utilized in a variety of air research and development tests to help further high-speed, high-level flying. The North American interceptor concept evolved some during the YF-108 "Rapier" program which was billed as a Mach 3-capable interceptor though this system was not adopted for service either.
Of the three YF-107s completed, one was scrapped during the 1960s while the remaining two ended their service lives as preserved museum showpieces - one at Pima Air and Space Museum of Tucson, Arizona and the other at the National Museum of the United States Air Force of Dayton, Ohio.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
Length
61.8 ft (18.85 m)
Width/Span
36.6 ft (11.15 m)
Height
19.3 ft (5.89 m)
Empty Wgt
22,697 lb (10,295 kg)
MTOW
39,756 lb (18,033 kg)
Wgt Diff
+17,059 lb (+7,738 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the North American YF-107A (Ultra Sabre) production variant)
Installed:
1 x Pratt & Whitney J57-P-9 turbojet with afterburner developing 24,000 lb of thrust.
PROPOSED (Optional):
Up to 10,000 lb of external stores.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 1
F-100B - Original product designation
YF-107 - Revised product designation
YF-107 (55-5118) - Initial prototype; showcased at Pima Air and Space of Tucson, Arizona.
YF-107 (55-5119) - Second prototype; on display at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
YF-107 (55-5120) - Third prototype; scrapped during the 1960s.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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