wrote in message ...

The F100 and Hunter came into service at about the same time (1954/55) but
whereas the F100 was taken out of service in the early 1970s.

That's because the USAF literally flew them until they wore out. The same
went for the B-47, which the Air Force flew like a fighter for ten years,
ignoring metal fatigue until they just started flying apart in midair. Our
pilots trained under wartime conditions throughout the Cold War, pushing
their machines to the limit.

Besides, had the DOD thought the Hunter was so hot, we'd have built them
under license like the Canberra/B-57.