Ready to finally own and restore an F-100? A Popular Mechanics article from August 19, 2020, titled Hey, Wanna Buy a Cold War Fighter Jet? indicates that
- Two Cold War veteran F-100F Super Sabre fighters are up for auction online, and
- The fighters, built during the Eisenhower Administration, are reportedly flyable
- The F-100F Super Sabre fighter jets are being auctioned with current bids right around the cost of a decent used car. (And as any good used car salesman would say, Hurry up, these beauties won’t last long!)
The F-100 Super Sabres are part of a listing from the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. The planes, tail numbers N417FS and N418FS, are later model-F series jets that were originally built for the U.S. Air Force and then transferred to the Royal Danish Air Force. The planes were flown to the U.K. in 1983 when they apparently passed into private ownership. Both planes are two-seaters, so you can take your spouse up for a spin after telling them you bought a jet fighter at an auction.
The two jets, according to auction hosting site Proxibid, are “flyable,” though N417FS has some damage to the tail and front landing gear. N418FS is in better shape, with only a hard-to-open canopy.
In July 1989, F418FS had a runway mishap when the aircraft failed to slow down on landing and the plane skidded into the ditch. The pilot, a veteran with approximately 10,000 flight hours (5,460 in the F-100), was not injured. In the 2000s, the jets were registered to Big Sky Warbirds in Montana. The planes’ last known gig was with Tracor Flight Systems, where they flew as radar targets.
The Auction lots start closing August 23rd. Here’s the link to the auction site: https://www.proxibid.com/Ken-Geyer-Real-Estate-Auctioneers-Inc/Fighter-Jets-Humvee-s-Surplus-Absolute-Auction/event-catalog/182794
“This is a No Reserve Liquidation Auction for surplus from the Mojave Air & Space Port and an electrical engineering school. Every item will sell to the highest bidder, regardless of price. Two Locations. SURPLUS INCLUDES:
2 – F100 Super Sabre Fighter Jets. 2 – Humvee’s from the US Forestry Service. Industrial Racking and Shelving, Electrical Analyzing Equipment, a Dozen Oscilloscopes, Ten Heath Kit Trainers, Fire-Proof Work Tables (some up to 12 FT in length), Work Room Stools, Large Portable Generator, Commercial Storage Cabinets and more….”
Source: Popular Mechanics