Last month had two airshows for me. Both close to home. One was a one day event, for me, and the other was a long weekend. From what I can tell, there was only one aircraft that made both shows. The Selfridge ANGB and Thunder over Michigan are not small shows. I thought there would have been more crossover between the two shows within a few miles of each other.
The aircraft that made both shows was a North American Aviation F-100 Super Saber.
The Super Saber was designed/developed in the 50's, which makes it older than me.
The Super Saber was the first operational jet aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in level flight. (Operational, not test.) It was also the first jet fighter to cross the North Pole in 1959. It was the first jet to enter the Viet Nam war. The Super Saber has a place in history.
The aircraft is powered by a P&W J-57, which is where we cross paths. This J-57 has an afterburner for extra thrust. The J-57 I worked on used water to increase thrust on take-off. But a J-57 is still a J-57. It's all in the guts.
Photographically this is a tough bird to catch. Polished scored aluminum. On a sunny day, there is probably a hot spot somewhere. Somehow I survived. The first shot is from the Selfridge Open House, where the sky helped the shot a lot.
F-100F in the air.
F-100F Inflight
NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
247 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100
EV 0, Shutter Priority, Size DX
Another F-100F inflight shot, but this time there are two aircrew at the ToM show. Fortunately there was heavy overcast which cut down on the sun hotspots. The blue sky is due to heavy post processing and a RAW file format. If I ever do another post on why I shoot RAW, this would be a test photo.
F-100F Straight and Level
NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
495 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100
EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX
I like takeoff shots, especially if there is something unique to capture. Not that an afterburner shot is unique, but an older AB shot is interesting.
F-100F AB Take Off
NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
540 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800
EV +1, Shutter Priority, Size DX
I thought this last shot was a bit different. Two in the cockpit. For most taxi shots, there is only one.
F-100F Taxi with Two
NIKON D850 Ver.1.20/70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8
135 mm, 1/640 sec, f/5.0, ISO 64
EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX
Neat aircraft to watch and listen to. It is interesting to hear the differences between one of the early jet engines of the F-100 and the current generation of engines in modern aircraft.
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