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The
Grumman F9F
Panther was
the manufacturer's first jet fighter and one
of the U.S. Navy's first successful
carrier-based jet fighters. The Panther was
the most widely used U.S. Navy jet fighter
of the Korean War, flying 78,000 sorties and
scoring the first air-to-air kill by the US
Navy in the war, the downing of a North
Korean Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter. Total F9F
production was 1,382, with several variants
being exported to Argentina. The Panther was
the first jet aircraft used by the Blue
Angels flight team, being used by them from
1949 through to late 1954.
F9F-2s, F9F-3s and F9F-5s served with
distinction in the Korean War, mainly as
attack aircraft, showing noticeable
resistance to anti-aircraft fire; despite
their relative slow speed, they also managed
in downing two Yak-9s and five
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s for the loss of two
F9Fs. The type was the primary Navy and USMC
jet fighter and ground-attack aircraft in
the Korean War. Future astronaut Neil
Armstrong flew the F9F extensively during
the war, even ejecting from one of the
aircraft when it was brought down by a wire
strung across a valley. Future astronaut
John Glenn and Boston Red Sox All Star Ted
Williams also flew the F9F as Marine Corps
pilots.
Panthers were
withdrawn from front-line service in 1956,
but remained in training roles and with
Naval Air Reserve and Marine Air Reserve
units until 1958, some continuing to serve
in small numbers into the 1960s.
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SPECIFICATIONS:
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PERFORMANCE: |
| Span:
38 ft 0
in (11.6 m) |
Maximum speed:
500 kn (575 mph, 925 km/h) |
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Length:
37 ft 5 in (11.3 m) |
Cruising speed:
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Height:
11 ft 4 in (3.8 m) |
Range:
1,300 mi (1,100 nmi, 2,100 km) |
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Empty Weight:
9,303 lb (4,220 kg) |
Service ceiling:
44,600 ft (13,600 m) |
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Gross Weight:
16,450 lb
(7,462 kg) |
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Crew:
Pilot |
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Engines:
1 × Pratt & Whitney
J42-P-6/P-8 turbojet, 5,950 lbf (26.5
kN) with water injection |
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Armament:
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- Guns:
4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) M2 cannon, 190 rpg
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Hardpoints:
Underwing hardpoints and provisions to
carry combinations of:
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Rockets:
6 × 5 in (127 mm) rockets on
underwing hardpoints
- Bombs:
2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs
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SOURCE:
Wikipedia |
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