Page 155 - Demo

155However, despite this costly and inauspicious start to its career, theNorth American engineers and their USAF customer retained faith in thebasic design of the aircraft. Subsequent chapters go on to provide aninsight into its later development as the longer range F-100C and morecapable F-100D tactical fighter-bombers and to describe their worldwide deployment in the strike/attack role in which the Hun performed atits best.The author emphasises that, until the arrival in theatre of the morecapable F-105, the versatile F-100 was the workhorse of early airoperations in South East Asia where the first offensive sorties wereflown in 1964 against the Pathet Lao. Later it was used mainly overSouth Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos where the author states that the Hunflew more sorties in the following six years than did the Mustang duringthe Second World War, a claim which is hard to believe. Nevertheless, itfound its niche in the skies over South Vietnam where it built a soundreputation as an enduring and effective attack aircraft and where the twoseat F-model, suitably equipped with modified avionics, paved the wayfor the later F-105G Wild Weasel. Throughout this book the numerouspersonal, and often colourful, anecdotes of the pilots and groundcrewsinvolved in these operations are vivid and readable, adding interest andauthority to the story of this great fighter-bomber%u2019s remarkable careerwhich spanned some 34 years in front line service with the USAF andfour other air forces.With its long nose, flat oval air intake and low set tailplane the Hunwas a familiar sight over Britain during the 1960s, flying from the USAFbases at Lakenheath, Wethersfield, Woodbridge and, briefly, at UpperHeyford where its presence on %u2018Victor%u2019 alert duties was a vitalcontribution to the Cold War. Many of us gained our first experience ofAmerican fighter cockpits in the back seat of an %u2018F in the 1960s and theHun was flown on exchange duties by a score or more RAF pilots, atleast one of whom was deployed with his squadron to Florida on standbyfor operations in support of the Cuban missile crisis. Despite the Hun%u2019speculiar handling characteristics at high angles of attack and thetendency for its J57 engine to surge under these circumstances, theydeveloped great affection for the last of the North American fighters. Forthose with a special association with the first of the %u2018Century Series%u2019 thisis an essential book for the personal library and for those whose interestmay be more superficial it still makes excellent reading.