F-100 Stars & Stripes Structured Twill Cap

The F-100 Super Sabre, often called the “Hun”, was a supersonic jet fighter and fighter-bomber developed for the U.S. Air Force as a high-performance successor to the F-86 Sabre. The YF-100A prototype first flew on May 25ᵗʰ, 1953, and the F-100 became the world’s first production aircraft capable of flying faster than the speed of sound in level flight.

As the first of the USAF’s Century Series fighters, the Super Sabre marked a major step from Korean War-era jet design into the supersonic age. Early F-100A models served mainly as day fighters, while later F-100C and F-100D versions became fighter-bombers. The F-100D, first flown on Jan 24ᵗʰ, 1956, became the main fighter-bomber version, with four 20 mm cannon, underwing pylons, a supersonic autopilot, a low-altitude bombing system and the ability to carry bombs, rockets, missiles and special stores.

The F-100 saw its combat debut in Southeast Asia, where it became an important close air support and ground-attack aircraft. During the Vietnam War, Super Sabres struck bridges, road junctions, troop concentrations and supply routes, and also flew missions over Laos. Two-seat F-100F aircraft took on specialised roles, including surface-to-air missile suppression and high-speed forward air control.

F-100 numbers in Southeast Asia peaked at 490 aircraft in 1969, and the last Super Sabres left Vietnam in 1971. Between 1964 and 1971, F-100s flew more than 360,000 combat missions in Southeast Asia. Although later aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom II, F-105 Thunderchief and A-7 Corsair II took over many of its roles, the F-100 remained one of the most heavily used USAF combat aircraft of the Vietnam War.

A total of 2,294 F-100s were built before production ended in 1959, including 1,274 F-100D models. The type also served with the Air National Guard until 1979 and with several allied air forces, including France, Denmark, Turkey and Taiwan.

Why are the stripes vertical?
Great question - and you're absolutely right that the U.S. flag is usually displayed with horizontal stripes. But in this design, we’ve reimagined the flag as an artistic tribute rather than a literal representation. We chose to depict the flag as if it were hanging vertically from above, similar to how it might appear draped at a hangar entrance or suspended during a ceremony. This vertical orientation allows the iconic silhouette of the aircraft to really shine -with the red and white stripes running the length of the fuselage, it creates a bold, centred look while still honouring the flag’s spirit and symbolism.