<p>The North American F-107, or company NA-212, was the last USAF fighter to bear this famous manufacturer's name. Originally designated F-100B, it was an all-weather fighter-bomber version of the F-100 powered by a 23,500-lb (104.53-kN) thrust Pratt & Whitney YJ75-P-9 turbojet fed via an air inlet above and behind the cockpit, so positioned to create space in the nose for radar.
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<p>Design work began in June 1953 and a year later the USAF ordered nine aircraft (55-5118/5126), although only three were actually completed. In 1955, the F-107 lost out to the Republic F-105 in a paper competition even though it had not yet flown and its competitor did not then have all-weather capability. Thus, the future of the F-107 was already clouded on 10 September 1956 when Robert Baker made the first flight at Edwards AFB, California, in the first of three service-test YF-107As.
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<p>Considering the early difficulties encountered by other 'century series' fighters, the YF-107A was relatively troublefree and might well have played an important role in Tactical Air Command. But, despite good performance, the three YF-107As were soon relegated to permanent test status. Features of the aircraft warranting further evaluation included a flush centerline fuel tank mounted in the indented fuselage bottom, spoilers on the wing surface instead of ailerons, and a one-piece all-moving rudder, later adopted on the A-5 Vigilante attack bomber. The first YF-107A eventually found itself in a scrapheap, the second is now on display at Pima County Air Museum, Arizona, and the third was lost in a crash landing while on loan to NACA.
<item><hi format=bold>Performance:</hi> maximum speed 1,300 mph (2,092 km/h) or Mach 2.0 at 20,000 ft (6,096 m); initial climb rate, clean 31,000 ft (9,450 m) per minute; service ceiling 46,000 ft (14,021 m); range 1,550 miles (2,494 km)
<item><hi format=bold>Weights:</hi> empty about 28,000 lb (12,700 kg); maximum take-off about 40,000 lb (18,144 kg)
<item><hi format=bold>Dimensions:</hi> span 36 ft 7 in (11.15 m); length excluding probe 60 ft 10 in (18.54 m); height 19 ft 6 In (5.94 m); wing area 376.02 sq ft (34.93 m<su>2</su>)
<item><hi format=bold>Armament:</hi> four 20-mm fixed forward-firing cannon (installed on second aircraft only), plus provision for 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) of underwing ordnance
