North American YF-107A, 55-5118 / 212-1, Pima Air & Space Museum
This picture is © Martin Laycock and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: 55-5118
Construction Number: 212-1
Code Number: 55118
Model North American YF-107A
Operator: Pima Air & Space Museum
Airport: Tucson - Pima Air and Space Museum, USA - Arizona
Photographer: Martin Laycock
Date Taken: 13/05/1993
Date Submitted: 13/07/2009
This aeroplane was the first of only three F-107As built in response to a competition to design a new tactical fighter-bomber for the USAF. The designation YF-107A is sometimes used in publications, however this was never officially assigned. The F-107A was unsuccessful, the competition being won by Republic's F-105 Thunderchief. The F-107A was based on the F-100 Super Sabre but incorporated many innovations and radical design features not least the dorsal-mounted Variable Area Inlet Duct (VAID). The VAID was a system unique to the F-107A, it was an early form of variable geometry intake ramp, automatically controlling the amount of air fed to the engine. The air intake was located in this position as a result of the requirement for the aircraft to carry a semi-conformal nuclear weapon under the belly. The implications of having the air intake in this position were problematic, especially for the pilot if he had to eject, pilots soon began to refer to the aircraft as the 'man eater'! Also, this arrangement severely limited the pilot's view to the rear. After losing the competition, the three F-107A prototypes were relegated to test flying with prototypes #1 and #3 being leased to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) for research into high-speed flight. The #3 aircraft was damaged during an aborted take-off in September 1959 with Scott Crossfield at the controls. She was not repaired and was later used for fire fighting training, being destroyed in the early 1960s. When this photograph was taken she was being displayed outside, however, she's now been moved inside and can be found in Hangar 1, also known as the 'Spirit of Freedom' hangar. This one is displayed at Pima courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the other surviving F-107A (55-5119) can be seen on display there as part of that museum's extensive collection of research and development aircraft.
Picture ID:1182599