Eldon F-100 Super Sabre - Red-Silver SP

Okay, I'm gonna cheat a little here. In order to save time writing about the development of the F-100 Super Sabre, I'm gonna let this photo do all the talking:

It's the plaque sitting directly beneath this:

This is one of the static displays at Nellis AFB here in Las Vegas. I remember the F-100 because it was just being phased out when I was stationed at my first airbase in Victorville, California. I think by 1979 they were all gone from base - except for, I believe, one static display.

I remember the Super Sabre in another way as well. I had the all-silver version of the Eldon toy as a kid! There were only two versions made by Eldon, the all-silver one and this red-&-silver variant both of which were originally mail-in premiums from one of the Kelloggs cereals. Even though I have photos of the all silver version, the photos just didn't turn out the way I wanted so it may be some time before I get around to re-taking them. Ya got to admit, this is one heck of a cereal premium, nothing like the dinky little toys that are the common fare of cereal boxes and measures 12 1/2" (31.8cm) L x 10" (25.4cm) wingspan x 4 1/2" (11.4cm) H. For what was essentially a cheap toy it had retracting wheels and firing rockets. The four rockets mount below the wings and shoot from the fuselage nose. In tests at the house they flew a respectable 9' (274.3cm). Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

(First a little Photoshop fun)

It's 1969 and an Eldon F-100D Super Sabre, assigned to the 4536th Fighter Weapons Sq at Nellis AFB, NV takes flight over the skies of Las Vegas.

Now let's look at the toy

The spring-loaded rocket slips into the nose of the fuselage

Retractable wheels