The Cougar was a well liked aircraft, rugged and reliable, with excellent handling.
Aircraft design was moving rapidly in the 1950’s and changes were prevalent. This carrier-based subsonic aircraft was considered an improved version of the F9F Panther, thus all versions F9F-6 forward are 35 degree swept-wing and tail “Cougar” variants.
A number of F9F-8s were modified as “F9F-8B” tactical nuclear bombers, fitted with a “Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS)”.
Even the Blue Angels loved the Cougar, trading up from F9F-5 Panther (1949-54) for the new, improved F9F-8 Cougars from 1954-56.
In the Photo Cougar many changes were made to the fuselage structure and equipment, including the longer “duck’s bill” camera nose added to accommodate the K-17 and trimetrogon cameras (three cameras shooting simultaneously for use in topographic mapping). All the armament systems were removed, many were fitted with a nose refueling probe and the compressor ducting was re-routed to provide heat to defrost the camera windows.
| DISPLAY STATUS | COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | CURRENT LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| Own | United States | Boneyard |
| PURPOSE & TYPE | MATERIALS | ERA & DATE RANGE |
| Bomber | Steel | Early Jets 1945 – 1975 |
| PRODUCTION & ACQUISITION |
SPECIFICATIONS | SERVICE HISTORY |
| MFG: Grumman First Produced: 1954 Number Built: 3,312 F-9s, 110 RF-9Js Armament: None Acquired by Yanks in |
Wingspan: 34 ft 6 in Wing Area: 337 sq ft Length: 42 ft 2 in Height: 12 ft 3 in Empty Weight: 11,866 lbs Gross Weight: 20,089 lbs Powerplant: P&W J48-P-8A Thrust: 7,250 lbs Cruise Speed: 508 mph Maximum Speed: 714 mph Range: 1,000 miles |
Delivered:Jan 31, 1956 Feb 14, 1956 – VC-61 (later VFP-61) NAS Miramar, CA Aug 21, 1958 – Litchfield Park, AZ May 1960 – Stricken from inventory |