Grumman F-9 Cougar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_F-9_Cougar

The Grumman F9F/F-9 Cougar was an aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft for
the United States Navy. Based on Grumman's earlier F9F Panther, the Cougar
replaced the Panther's straight wing with a more modern swept wing. Thrust was
also increased significantly. The Navy considered the Cougar an updated version
of the Panther, despite having a different official name, and thus Cougars
started off from F9F-6 upward.

The Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics presented requests for a testbed to study the
low speed characteristic and Grumman proposed a modified Grumman F4F Wildcat
with a lengthened nose and a nosewheel as well as a new swept-wing design of
similar configuration but with two seats, although neither were built and the
Bell L-39 (a modified Bell P-63 Kingcobra) was chosen instead. Rumors that the
Soviet Union had produced a swept-wing fighter had been circulating since 1948
and the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was widely shown at air shows in 1949. Despite
the level of activity taking place with swept-wing aircraft, the Navy was
initially not heavily focused on the development of such aircraft. This was
largely because the Navy's focus at the time was defending the battle group
against high speed and high altitude bombers with interceptors, as well as
escorting medium-range carrier-based bombers in all types of weather conditions.
Nonetheless the Navy appreciated the importance of getting a capable
carrier-based swept-wing jet fighter. Grumman was finally awarded a contract for
the development of a swept-wing fighter jet in 1951. The arrival the Mig 15,
which easily outclassed straight-wing fighters in the air war over North Korea
was a major contributing factor.


Role
Fighter aircraft

National origin
United States

Manufacturer
Grumman

First flight
20 September 1951

Introduction
December 1952

Retired
1974, US Navy

Status
Retired

Primary users
United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
Argentine Navy

Number built
1,988[1]

Developed from
Grumman F9F Panther

The first F9F-6s were assigned to fleet squadron VF-32 at the end of 1952. The
First F9F Cougar squadron to actually deploy was VF-24, assigned to the USS
Yorktown in August 1953 but arrived too late to the Korean theater to
participate in the air war.

The only version of the Cougar to see combat was the TF-9J trainer (until 1962,
F9F-8T). Detachments of four Cougars served with US Marines Headquarters and
Maintenance Squadron 11 (H&MS-11) at Da Nang and H&MS-13 at Chu Lai, where they
were used for fast-Forward Air Control and the airborne command role, directing
airstrikes against enemy positions in South Vietnam between 1966 and 1968.

F9F-8s were withdrawn from front-line service in 1958–59, replaced by F11F
Tigers and F8U Crusaders. The Naval Reserves used them until the mid-1960s, but
none of the single-seat versions were used in the Vietnam War.

Specifications (F9F-6/F-9F)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 40 ft 11 in (12.47 m)
Wingspan: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Height: 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
Empty weight: 11,483 lb (5,209 kg)
Loaded weight: 16,244 lb (7,368 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 21,000 lb (9,525 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney J48-P-8A turbojet, 7,250 lbf (38 kN)
Fuel capacity: 919 US gallons (3,480 L)

Performance
Maximum speed: 654 mph[53] (568 knots, 1,051.9 km/h)
Cruise speed: 541 mph (470 knots, 870.4 km/h)
Range: 932 mi (810 nmi, 1,500 km) without additional tanks
Service ceiling: 44,500 ft (13,564 m)
Rate of climb: 6,750 ft/min[53] (34.3 m/s)
Wing loading: 61 lb/ft² (300.3 kg/m²)

Armament

Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) M3 cannon, 190 rounds per gun
Rockets: 6 × 5 in (127 mm) rockets
Missiles: 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles
Bombs: 2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs




*