The F-100 Super Sabre was the first of the century series fighter jets. It was designed as a daytime air superiority fighter capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. It later served extensively as a close air support platform in Vietnam. This F-100D has the High Wire modifications, which was a program where Super Sabres where rewired and extensively modernized to extend their life through the 1970s.

The F-101 Voodoo was built as an interceptor designed to shoot down attacking bombers. It was known as a hot rod and was capable of hitting Mach 1.7. Variants of the Voodoo were used extensively in Vietnam in the photo recon role. This F-101B carried four Falcon missiles, and could carry two Genie rockets with nuclear warheads.

The F-102 Delta Dagger was built as an interceptor for the Air Defense Command and was built in large numbers. The prototype was not able to break Mach 1. The solution to this problem is the Coke-bottle shape known as area ruling that is used on all modern supersonic fighters. A follow-on, the F-106 Delta Dart, was capable of exceeding Mach 2.

The F-104 Starfighter was designed as an air superiority fighter. The design goal was to build the smallest aircraft that would fit around the GE J-79 jet engine. It features short thin wings, which lead to it being described as a manned missile. While the USAF did not purchase many Starfighters, it was built in large numbers as a common NATO fighter.

The F-105 Thunderchief was built as a deep penetration strike aircraft capable of hauling a nuclear bomb internally. It was the largest single engine fighter to be operated by the USAF. The F-105 was used in large numbers in Vietnam for ground attack. Later versions were adapted to the dangerous Wild Weasel role where one fighter would act as bait for SAM missiles, and a companion would attack the SAM sites with radar seeking missiles when they attempted to lock onto the bait aircraft.