Century Series

The Century Series is a popular name for a group of US fighter aircraft representing models designated between F-100 and F-106 which went into full production.

[1] The NASA airborne science program maintains a group of F-104G in airworthy condition for use as test platforms and chase aircraft.

As it evolved, the attribution of the Century Series moniker reflects models designated between F-100 and F-106 which went into full production: The term "Century Series" does not include less successful models between the F-100 and F-109 that did not go past design or prototype stage: the Republic XF-103 and North American XF-108 Rapier interceptor concepts, the North American F-107 tactical fighter prototype (cancelled in favor of the F-105), and designation "F-109" which was originally assigned to the F-101B Voodoo and later requested but not granted for the Bell XF-109 VTOL concept.

These weapons, designed to destroy incoming nuclear-armed Soviet bombers even when not scoring a clear hit (due to the nuclear explosion radius, shock wave, and radiation burst), were the only nuclear weapons in the USAF arsenal at the time to be under sole control of their pilots (during a mission).

Similar advancements were made in this period by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps with the Douglas F4D Skyray (later F-6), Vought F8U Crusader and F4H Phantom II carrier-based aircraft, but US Naval Aviation lacked a similar naming group.