Hun Pilot examines the first of the Century Series of new fighters of the mid-'50s from a young fighter pilot's perspective. The North American Aviation F-100 Super Sabre was the first U.S. fighter capable of exceeding the speed of sound in level flight. Designed as a day superiority fighter, it quickly morphed into the Air Force's mainstay fighter-bomber. The F-100 design and its Pratt and Whitney J-57 engine were a quantum leap in aerodynamics and engine technology that expanded the day-to-day operational flight envelope. Pioneering supersonic operations discovered a previously unknown aeronautical phenomenon that challenged new piloting skills. Over its quarter of a century operational career, the F-100 suffered one of the highest accident rates in the fighter inventory, with 38.75% of the fleet destroyed in aircraft accidents. With properly trained pilots, the aircraft fulfilled the USAF requirement for a worldwide deterrent against the nuclear Communist threat.