When it entered service in 1954, the North American F-100 Super Sabre was one of the fastest aircraft in the world. Initially troublesome due to stability issues, it took a few years before the jet realised its true potential. It was used extensively in the Vietnam War, fulfilling a number of roles. With technology moving at a rapid rate, the F-100 was not without rivals. In the skies above Vietnam it often tangled with Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s. The latter was built in considerable numbers (over 8,000) and was essentially a progression of the MiG-15. Though faster than the earlier jet, it was only capable of breaking the sound barrier in the dive, something the Super Sabre could achieve in level flight.
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