You've Probably Never Seen This Plane | Century Series Part 3 

Wouldn't this make the F107 the "Super Duper Sabre"? That would have been fun.

That F-106 deserved to survive, glad it's the one in the museum

The 107 that ended up Orange County Airport (John Wayne) was in a very accessible area and my Dad was working to get his pilot's license in 62/63 and one afternoon, he took me out there to see it and crawl around on and in it. By "in" just means the engine was gone and I climbed from the tail up to the intakes to look out over the cockpit. Time has only made that visit more special.

The Thunder Chief was the first model I ever made, my father helped me it is still one of my greatest moments with him.

Went to this museum as a kid. It is absolutely awe inspiring. One of the greatest collections of aircraft in the world.

All great aircraft. That big, beautiful EC-121D sitting behind the F-105 is 'Triple Nickel", an aircraft that I was lucky enough to have worked on as a mechanic when I was stationed with the 5th OMS at McClellan AFB in Sacramento CA in 1970.

( 12:23 ) If viewers have not already discovered them, the A 5 "Vigilante" and the XF 108 "Rapier" designs are also fantastic! The XB 70 'Valkyrie" supersonic bimber is in a legendary class all its own ( despite the... stupid / tragic way one was lost ). Thanks for this informative video!

I’m surprised you don’t mention the pilots’ nickname for the 107: Maneater because of the location of the air intake just above the cockpit.

What a great series - and a great curator. He's OUR GUY! (I live just north of Denver).

This is awesome, thanks so much for visiting and telling the great stories!!!

I love The Museum of Flight! Absolutely amazing collection and wonderful people working there! I had the honor of being a student in a two year program there and it was a life changing experience! Thanks to them I'm on my way to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to pursue my BA and become a Pilot

It always amazes me how many different aircraft were designed and built in such a short time back then, and considering jet technology was relatively new, it's even more amazing. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the fun/informative vid! The Museum is my favorite of all, as I grew up in nearby Springfield and got to watch it grow over the years. I now live distant (Texas), but almost every single visit home includes a trip to see the progress.

I specifically took vacation and visited this museum this past Dec. for 2 solid days, it's beyond awesome. I've also gone to the museum that Mr.Burchette used to be at in Denver, also a very cool place.

Finally, back in the cool part of RU-vid.

I have lived in Fairborn, Oh my whole life. This F-107 was stored outside along Central Ave in the “Wood City” portion of the WPAFB for many years. I remember seeing it setting there many times. It’s finally in the AF Museum.

Love the Six! I used to see them fly out of Tyndall AFB back in the mid '70s, as they chased drones to shoot down over the Gulf of Mexico. One of the most beautiful fighters ever built.

Great video...👍

Talking about a Thud with that big beautiful Connie right behind him. Nice gig.

That’s something like 10 years after the ME-262. Impressive.

lots' of great info in a small package. Top shelf vid

Very good video. Keep them coming.

I have not been to the Museum of Flight in years. First time there I flew from Portland's Hillsboro (KHIO) in a rented 172 into Boeing Field (KBFI). I felt very welcome. Having grown up just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, I had been to Wright-Pat many times during the 60s with the last time was about 1972.

Just a few "possible" corrections (not an engineer), F-105 was felt by many to have the best airframe shape for the Thunderbird paint scheme. The F-106 was unbeatable at altitude, I worked F-4s when we flew against them in training and to beat them, we had to bring them to lower altitude. I was told the Vari-ramp was to prevent the supersonic shockwave from entering the intake and damaging the engine (one of the systems I worked on). Now about the "Century Series", the F-4 was going to be called F-110 by the AF, but that was when the Pentagon decided to align Navy and AF numbering systems, so it remained F-4 and Navy retained F-4J of their original numbering system and if the series includes any over 100, you can say the F111 and F117 are included as well.

Brilliant commentary and information.

Yes, I have seen one of these in the Pima Air Museum in Tuscon AZ. Many, many years ago!

I and my friends grew up making plastic models of these great aircraft and going to airshows. I also lived in St. Louis Missouri where the McDonald Douglas factory was located when they were making the F-4 Phantom. Phantom flyovers where I lived were common, and I always ran outside for a look. Great episode.

I am in love with the F105. My father was a Crew Chief on them and has amazing stories. Thank you

I've been to that museum 3 times. Best air and space museum in the world.

The F107 has been at WPAFB museum for a very long time. I thought this all looked familiar as I have been going there since the early 1960s with my dad and uncles who were in the USAAF in WW2.

Well done, thank you.

Fantastic show

I saw one decades ago at Pima Air Museum. Definitely an interesting design.

Great stuff 😊🇺🇸

Excellent breakdown and video! 🍻

My mother worked at Edwards AFB 1957 at the photo lab. When my dad took a job at Vandenberg in 1958 the photo lab presented her with a nice photo of the F107A in flight gear down with Edwards AFB in the back ground. I still have the photo. My mother told me that it was taken with Ansco 35 mm film. Love this photo as well as the F107. copy

An F-107. Saw one back in the later 1980s at the Pima Air Museum. I have seen the entire Century series, both on static display and a few in flight. The XB-70 at Wright Patterson is quite impressive.

The 49th FIS that 106 served with was the last active duty USAF squadron that flew it, flying out of Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY. They were still flying it when I was initially stationed there in 1985. I think the 106 was also one of my father's projects when he was a Convair engineer.

I love all models of the 'century series' of aircraft. But the F-106 is absolutely the most beautiful :)

Excellent stuff bro

I remember the F106 at Loring AFB, they had to keep them plugged in to keep the electronics warm so they could take off at a moments notice.

Awesome series, love the NMUSAF live only 45 min away, would love to see you come back and do this for more of the one of a kind aircraft that call this museum there home.

Thanks for this 👍✈️

You should do a Canadian tour!! The guys in Windsor at the Canadian Aviation Museum can be a teaser. They have some cool stuff, both airworthy and under restoration. Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton is amazing, the best things in their collection are airworthy and fly regularly. The Lancaster is fully booked for this summer. They have a backlog as Vera has been in and out of surgery for the last 2 years. She rattled my windows today though so I know she's back. But they could probably use a boost as they aren't great at social media and would probably get you a ride in something else cool. The Norseman, or Fairey Firefly perhaps? Give them a call. The Canadian Air and Space Museum in Ottawa is great too. It's all static so, kinda graveyard vibes, but, they have most of what is left of the Avro Arrow is on display there.

GREAT video guys! I've been to PIMA several times and Wright Patterson only once. Hope to get there again soon.

I was wondering where this guy went and now I know! Glad he is still in the biz.

Re: weapons bays on US 'fighters': The F-111 had a weapons bay between the F-106 and the F-117. True, in most configurations they installed the Pave Tack pod in said bay, but bombs could definitely be mounted internally if the mission dictated.

A slight correction, both the F105 and F111 also had internal weapons bays before the F117.

I live in the Columbus, Ohio area and was just over there a few months ago. Spent two days walking around this fantastic museum.

Great video, learned something new about eatly jets 🙂👍

Good to hear Kartveli's name. Amazing man that is criminally underappreciated.

I have loved the 106 story of it landing in a field for years.

Mr Curator can you do a show on Marine Corps Aviation !! Thank you for your amazing Videos

I grew up in that museum. First time i was probably a couple years old but by 1960 it was something my family went to very often and i spent alot of my time with my dad whom worked at WPAFB until 1988 at retirement. Great place to grow up. If i wasn"t at my grandparents farm i was at the museum

First of all thank you for your videos and I don't know why your face looks familiar cuz you're not old enough for me to remember it as a child, but I grew up with my father being an X cheap Aviation electrician during the Korean conflict on the Midway! I spent my childhood getting cut up by sheet metal rivets and God knows what else cables you name it, crawling through Wing Roots underneath control panels in fuselages tail cones as well as nose cones on multiple vintage warbirds as well as Jets! Thank you so much for the video it brings me back I remember seeing these Jets sitting outside Martin Marietta Marietta Georgia

After seeing this series on the Century series of aircraft, it makes me want to see a series on the first american jet bombers, such as the b-45, B-46, and B-57, along with any other of those late 40's and all the way through the 50's experimental bombers that still survive!

I ❤ The National Museum of the United States Air Force

That intake! If the situation with the F-107 ever got so bad that you had to eject, you were dead either way!

Nice Red Canoe brand cap! 👍👍

I have indeed seen that exact XF-107, I was at the AF museum in 2014 and was able to get out to that hanger that has it. It also has one of two YF-23, and an XB-70.

Recognized the F-107 from the thumbnail in the RU-vid sidebar. I was a volunteer docent at the USAF Museum from 92 - 96.

Thanks for the video. How about some tours of the museums across America?

Thanks, great video and explaining the jets, showing ACTUAL jets.

Hey! I finally found you after you left the Wings over the Rockies museum! Subbed!

great channel!

I have pics of the 107A when it first arrived at the museum.

Back in the early 60's in the UK, my first plastic model kit was a 1/72 scale model aircraft kit. Many were to follow. One of the loudest planes I've ever heard....

My late Dad worked extensively on the tooling for those F-107 prototypes, along with the F-86 Sabrejet, the Navy's FJ-Fury series, and the F-100 Super Sabre. That airframe is REAL familiar to my memory...

My Uncle Jack flew the 101 and F4 in Vietnam and also volunteers at the museum. He gives tours in that area and has some great stories. After his military service was done, he was part of the development team for the F117.

we had the 106 at loring afb back in 82 when i got there, really cool plane.

Man! That unusual over the fuselage air intake! The reverse of the usual chin-mounted or under the belly type. North American F-107A Ultra Sabre was a real beauty, a bigger brother of the F-100 nicknamed "Super" Super Sabre or the Ultra Sabre! 👍👍👍

Probably my favorite experimental aircraft ever. Researched showed it could go Mach 2 however it was never tested to hit those speeds. Very sleek and modern aircraft for its time

Hi. The yellow squadron shield is from the 561st Squadron, last stationed at George AFB, CA. I was there working on the F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft, from 1977 to 11980.

Being an Air Force brat and a career airman. I've seen all these century fighters fly before their retirement with exception of the weird 107. Langley AFB had the 106's as interceptors and I saw them and heard them take off regularly. Those J75s have a unique "loud" signature sound. The only other fighter I've ever been around that was louder was the F-111

They had a few F-105s at Hill Air Force Base when I was stationed there. When they landed, they deployed a drag chute. I often heard them referred to as a Lead Sled.

The F-107 used to be displayed outside on the 'taxiway' east & north of the original building. Not until the additional buildings were built did it go inside. Been there many times and seen it then & now. Did you know the original museum had displayed some a/c on Patterson field (mid 50s)? They were outside in the elements before being moved to Wright field. Looks as if the F-107 is now in the 'rehab' hanger not in the major part of the museum complex.

l am an old fighter pilot in my 80's and i just Sub'ed to this amazing channel.....Thank you.... Shoe🇺🇸

Not only have I seen it, I have a stack of originals my uncle took of the first one along with the very first F-5 prototype at Edwards AFB when he was Chuck Yeager’s crew chief.

Growing up by Holloman AFB in the 50s&60s i saw a lot of fighter aircraft. My favorite was the RF-101 Voodoo .

Yep sure did see it Over 35 years ago my cousin was a Lt Colonel in the USAF and was at Wright-Patterson AFB the home of the USAF museum visted him and he took us on the tour of the museum and gave me a awesome hard covered book that featured all of the Aircraft of the museum and another book that highlighted all of the experimental Aircraft there like the XB-73 Valkyrie

I’ve seen it 3 times. Beautiful aircraft. USAF Museum has one.

I built a model of one of these when I was a kid. My dad worked on the avionics systems of these and others during the Vietnam era.

I have a lifetime goal of visiting this museum. I live in Europe but have made it to quite a few USA aviation museums. (Udvar-Hazy being my favourite so far)

It would be nice to see an episode on the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow, what a sad story...

When I was a refueler in the AF I refueled one of those in the early 80's and a delta dart

In my younger days I was in USAFJROTC and CAP. My JROTC instructor was Major and flew 106s and A10s. He talked about how bad an idea it was to solo trail a TU95. He said he was censured for not getting closer while he had no wingman.

They have one of the F-107's down at Pima Air Museum in Tucson.

Your absolutely spot on, I had never heard of or seen an F-107, and to be honest I think it looks like a “dogs dinner”, I am not a fan of the air intake position but the fact it was variable geometry makes it a fascinating test bed, the cockpit and nose look 👀 a bit incongruous, thin and without much room for any Radar equipment, if it had Radar at all, which is a silly statement because it would have useless without it.

192nd FW (when at Richmond VA) had F-105 Thunderchief my dad worked avionics for A-7 & F-16. He told me the older guys went on a bombing training run hit the tops of the pine trees and they were still partially embedded in the wing an flow home didn't even realize it till they landed. Said it was the strongest plane they ever flown.

When I was a kid in the early 80s they still had a few F-106s on the flightline at OTIS AFB.

I first tried to comment in the general section, but there was nowhere to do it. Then when I tried to post the comment originally in reply to one of your replies, all but the first sentences disappeared. Excellent job on this! But for those studying the history of them, there’s so much more perspective and nuance behind the politics, the procurement process, and the actual performance of each of these aircraft. Without the context of that perspective, the history becomes confusing, and in jeopardy of being meaningless. Too much detail to go into here, but I would highly recommend “Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War.” Better, and more accurately stated, it is an absolute prerequisite. The book was recommended to me by a chance meeting with the college roommate of the author, Robert Coram, when he learned that I am a pilot, and that I went to the same college as both he, the author, and the subject of the book. But for a long time, I ignorantly passed off the man’s enthusiasm as affection for, and loyalty to his former roommate. Then much later, I read the book. I have since read it eight times and have listened to it another three times as an audiobook. It is that good. More crucial is that the book is that important. John Boyd was an imperfect person, as we all are, but his imperfections are understandable in the context of his absolutely unswerving, almost unbelievable and literally physically and mentally impossible life long dedication to our nation, and more importantly, to the men and women who serve it. Though an argument can be made the John Boyd literally saved both Air Force and Naval Aviation, saved at least 35,000 lives in Desert Storm (shortening the actual ground war to the relatively tiny amount of time that it took), the Air Force long ago disowned him, and as a result, would not want you reading that book. That’s the only reason I am posting this, rather than simply assuming that you’ve read that book, because I’ve discovered that so many in the Air Force do not even know that it exists. John Boyd’s record from the beginning as the only undefeated fighter pilot ever would be in a compelling enough reason to read the book. But it is his selfless sacrifice in advocating for the American service member, and to the great nation each serves which is the most compelling reason to read it. For without future John Boyds, produced through learning about he and others of the greatest generation, who sacrificed so much for the rest of us, our nation dies.

Back in the 60s they had it(107) on display outdoors at the old museum.

I wondered where you ended up after Colorado, now I know, somehow YT decided to tell me today.

The Thunder THUD!!!

Saw a lot of “Thuds” at McConnell AFB in the late ‘60s.

All cool But I did noticed the sweet Superconnie in the hangar and it is always cool

It's a very interesting series, especially if you can't even visit these museums yourself.👍

I was stationed at George AFB , for the last F-105 flights.

I had a toy F 107.... 1960....the jet engine intake above and behind the pilot always fascinated me. The 1940s German people's fighter, the modern Cirrus jet I just seems to make more sense somehow

If y'all haven't been, I suggest a good long visit to The Air Force Museum in Dayton. It's incredible.