F-11 Stars & Stripes Structured Twill Cap

The Grumman F11F Tiger, redesignated F-11A in 1962, was a single-seat, carrier-based supersonic fighter developed for the U.S. Navy during the 1950s. It began as an advanced development of the F9F Panther and Cougar line, but soon became a largely new aircraft, with a thin swept wing, side-mounted intakes, an afterburning Wright J65 turbojet and an area-rule “Coke bottle” fuselage to reduce drag at high speed.

The first prototype, then known as the YF9F-9, flew on Jul 30ᵗʰ, 1954. The aircraft was redesignated F11F-1 in Apr 1955, and the first production Tigers reached the fleet in March 1957. The Tiger gave the Navy a compact, sleek, supersonic day fighter armed with four 20 mm cannon and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

Although advanced in appearance, the F11F had a short front-line career. Its range and endurance were limited, and the Vought F-8 Crusader soon proved the stronger carrier-based day fighter. Only six fleet squadrons received Tigers, and the type was withdrawn from carrier fighter service after only a few years.

The Tiger became far better known through the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The team flew the F11F-1 from 1957 to 1968, making it their first supersonic demonstration aircraft and one of their longest-serving mounts. Its clean lines, afterburner and sharp handling made it well suited to formation aerobatics, even though its fleet service had been brief.

One of the Tiger’s strangest claims to fame came on Sep 21ˢᵗ, 1956, when Grumman test pilot Tom Attridge accidentally shot down his own F11F during a gun-firing test. After firing the aircraft’s 20 mm cannon in a dive, the Tiger caught up with its own projectiles, suffered engine damage and crashed short of the runway. Attridge survived.

A total of 201 Tigers were built, including 199 F11F-1 aircraft and two more powerful F11F-1F Super Tiger test aircraft. The Super Tiger reached Mach 2-class performance and set an altitude record, but it did not enter production. Although the F11F was not a major combat success, it remains an important Grumman naval fighter and a distinctive bridge between the Panther and Cougar era and later aircraft such as the F-14 Tomcat.

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.