Grumman F9F Panther / Cougar First Grumman Cat of the Jet Age

As good as U.S. piston-powered fighters may have been at the end of World War II, America’s aviation industry had to start over in the Jet Age with new airplanes powered by anemic and somewhat cantankerous turbine engines. More importantly, before these airplanes had a chance to mature, they were thrust into war in the ominous skies over Korea. With more than 3,300 built, Grumman’s first jets proved to be not only potent combat aircraft, but also served as the seminal building blocks from which two more Grumman legends were born – the famed Vietnam-era A-6 Intruder and the supersonic Gulf War veteran F-14 Tomcat.

Grumman F9F Panther/Cougar tells the story of the F9F series, from initial concept through early design and manufacturing, flight test, aircraft carrier trials, and combat operations during the Korean War. Panthers scored a total of nine aerial kills, which included the first downing of a MiG-15 by a Navy jet. Also covered is the more advanced swept-wing, transonic F9F-6 Cougar that went on to become an effective photo-recon aircraft and two-seat trainer.

The Navy’s famed Blue Angels Aerial Demonstration Team flew both the Panther and Cougar as well. This book’s detailed appendices provide the reader with comprehensive data on all F9F production numbers, combat deployments, and individual squadron designations.