The Grumman F9F/F-9 Cougar was a carrier-based fighter aircraft for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps.
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 with the installation of a newer, more powerful engine.
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.
Rumours that the Soviet Union had produced a swept-wing fighter had circulated a year before the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 first appeared at air shows in 1949.
Despite the level of activity taking place with swept-wing aircraft, the Navy was not initially 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, high-altitude bombers with interceptors, as well as escorting medium-range carrier-based bombers in all weather conditions.
Air-to-air combat was of less interest.
Nonetheless, the Navy appreciated the importance of getting a capable carrier-based swept-wing jet fighter.
Grumman was awarded a contract for the development of a swept-wing fighter jet in 1951.
The arrival of the MiG-15, which easily outclassed straight-wing fighters in the air war over North Korea, was a major factor.
Prototypes were quickly produced by modifying Panthers, and the first (XF9F-6) flew on 20 September 1951.
The aircraft was still subsonic, but the critical Mach number was increased from 0.79 to 0.86 at sea level and to 0.895 at 35,000 ft (10,000 m), improving performance markedly over the Panther.
Instead of using conventional ailerons for roll control, the F9F-6 uses spoilers on the upper surfaces of the wing.
Wing fences were soon added, and the spoilers extended from the fences to the tips of the wing.
The rudder pedals controlled the part of the rudder below the horizontal tail surface, while the upper portion of the rudder was controlled by a yaw damper.
This allowed the Cougar to fly safely and easily without the upper portion of the tail.
Variants
XF9F-6
Prototypes built from the F9F-5 Panther, featuring swept-wing design.
F9F-6
Initial production version; redesignated F-9F in 1962.
F9F-6P
Photo-reconnaissance versions; redesignated RF-9J in 1962.
F9F-6PD
Drone director aircraft, converted from F9F-6Ps; redesignated DF-9F in 1962.
F9F-6D
Drone director aircraft, converted from F9F-6s; redesignated DF-9F in 1962.
F9F-6K
Unmanned drone for combat training, converted from F9F-6s; redesignated QF-9F in 1962.
F9F-6K2
An improved version of the F9F-6K target drone; redesignated QF-9G in 1962.
F9F-7
Built with the Allison J33 engine; most were converted to take J48s; redesignated F-9H in 1962.
F9F-8
Longer centre fuselage, strengthened canopy, redesigned wing, increased fuel capacity, and the ability to carry AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles; redesignated F-9J in 1962.
YF9F-8B
Prototype for a single-seat attack-fighter aircraft converted from a F9F-8; later redesignated YAF-9J.
F9F-8B
F9F-8s converted into single-seat attack-fighters; later redesignated AF-9J.
F9F-8P
Photo-reconnaissance versions built from F9F-8s; later redesignated RF-9F.
YF9F-8T
One F9F-8 aircraft converted into a prototype for the F9F-8T training aircraft; later redesignated YTF-9J.
F9F-8T
Two-seat trainers built from F9F-8s; redesignated TF-9J in 1962.
NTF-9J
Two TF-9Js used for special test duties.
YF9F-9
Original designation of the YF11F-1 Tiger prototypes.
First flight was on 30 July 1954; redesignated in April 1955.
Specifications
Crew
1
Length
40 ft 11 in (12.47 m)
Wingspan
34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Width
14 ft 2 in (4.32 m) folded (tail plane span)
Height
12 ft 3.5 in (3.747 m)
Height folded
15 ft 10 in (4.8 m) (wingtips)
Wing area
300 sq ft (28 m2)
Aspect ratio
4
Airfoil
NACA 64A010
Empty weight
11,483 lb (5,209 kg)
Empty equipped
12,090 lb (5,484 kg)
Gross weight
15,800 lb (7,167 kg)
Combat weight
16,244 lb (7,368 kg)
Max take-off weight
21,000 lb (9,525 kg) on land
20,000 lb (9,072 kg) from catapult
Maximum landing weight
16,000 lb (7,257 kg) on land
14,000 lb (6,350 kg) arrested landing
Fuel capacity
763 US gal (635 imp gal; 2,890 l) in two fuselage tanks
&
156 US gal (130 imp gal; 590 l) in four wing leading edge tanks;
