Subject: Grumman F-9 Panther/Cougar (10 of 13)

From: [email-masked] (Joe Baugher)
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 00:42:16 GMT

The F9F-8 was the last fighter version of the Cougar to see 
production.  It was an attempt to reduce the stalling speed, to 
improve the control at high angles of attack, and to increase the 
range of the basic F9F-6.  Known as Design 99 by the company, work on 
the project began in April of 1953.  It featured an 8-inch extension 
of the center fuselage.  In order to reduce the stalling speed, Design 
99 was fitted with extended and cambered leading edges in place of the 
slats outboard of the fences.  In addition, the trailing edges of the 
wing were extended further aft.  This increased chord resulted in an 
increase of wing area from 300 to 337 square feet.  It produced a wing 
with a relatively thinner cross section which resulted in an improved 
critical Mach number.  Internal fuel was increased from 919 to 1063 
gallons by adding a fuel tank in the extended wing leading edge and by 
enlarging the forward fuselage tank.  The F9F-8 was fitted with a 
reinforced sliding canopy.  The engine was the J48-P-8A or P-8C 
turbojet, rated at 7250 lb.s.t. dry.  

The first F9F-8 flew on January 18, 1954.  A total of 601 F9F-8s were 
delivered to the Navy between April 1954 and March 1957.  During the 
course of production, a fixed inflight refuelling probe was added to 
the nose.  Most F9F-8s were fitted with a UHF homing antenna in a 
fairing underneath the nose.  Late production F9F-8s were fitted with 
the capability of carrying two Sidewinder infrared-homing air-to-air 
missile underneath each wing.  This feature was retrofitted to many 
earlier F9F-8s.  The first Sidewinder-equipped Cougars were deployed 
overseas by VA-48 in July of 1956.  

On October 5, 1956, three VF-144 pilots set an unofficial round trip 
record by flying their F9F-8s from NAS Miramar, California to Long 
Island, New York and back with refuelling stops each way at NAS 
Olathe, Kansas.  The total time was 10 hours 49 minutes 11 seconds.  

The *Blue Angels* exchanged their F9F-5 Panthers for F9F-8s in 1954.  
They flew the Cougars until they transitioned to F11F-1 Tigers in the 
summer of 1957.  

Several F9F-8s were converted into F9F-8B tactical nuclear bombers.  
They were fitted with the Low-Altitude Bombing System (LABS), 
additional instruments, as well as with the control and arming 
equipment needed for the nuclear weapon, or "special store" as it was 
euphemistically called.  However, in service most F9F-8Bs were 
operated as conventional fighter-bombers and were provided with six 
underwing weapons pylons.  

The F9F-8 and F9F-8B were withdrawn from fleet squadron service in 
1958 and 1959 respectively.  They served with reserve units until the 
mid-1960s, when they were retired to the boneyards at Davis-Monthan 

The Cougar was extremely popular with its crews, who admired it for 
its ease of piloting, its superb carrier handling capabilities, and 
its robust construction.  However, the F9F-8 Cougar was rapidly made 
obsolete by newer supersonic designs that began to enter service in 
the late 1950s.  The service life of the Cougar was consequently 
relatively brief.  The F9F-8 and F9F-8B were phased out of active Navy 
squadron fleet service during 1958-59.  They continued to serve with 
Naval and Marine Corps reserve outfits until the mid-1960s.  Some 
obsolescent F9F-8s served for a time as drones and drone directors.  
Most were retired to the boneyards at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona.  
None were still in service by the time of the Vietnam War.  

In 1962, the F9F-8 was redesignated F-9J under the new Defense 
Department Tri-Service designation scheme.  The F9F-8B fighter-bomber 
became AF-9J.  Later, when used as advanced trainers, some of these 
aircraft became TAF-9J.  

Serial numbers of F9F-8 Cougar:

131063/131251		Grumman F9F-8 Cougar
134234/134244		Grumman F9F-8 Cougar
138823/138898		Grumman F9F-8 Cougar
141030/141229		Grumman F9F-8 Cougar
141648/141666		Grumman F9F-8 Cougar
144271/144376		Grumman F9F-8 Cougar

Specification of Grumman F9F-8 (F-9J) Cougar:  

One Pratt & Whitney J48-P-8A turbojet rated at 7250 lb.s.t. dry and 
8500 lb.s.t. with water injection.  
Performance:  Maximum speed 642 mph at sea level, 647 mph at 2000 
feet, 593 mph at 35,000 feet.  Cruising speed 516 mph.  Landing speed 
132 mph.  Initial climb rate 5750 feet per minute.  An altitude of 
20,000 feet could be attained in 4 minutes.  Service ceiling 42,000 
feet.  Combat ceiling 42,500 feet.  1050 miles normal range.  1209 
miles combat range.  1312 miles maximum range.  
Internal fuel was 1063 US gallons.  With two 150-gallon drop tanks, 
total fuel load was 1363 US gallons.  
Dimensions:  wingspan 34 feet 6 inches, length 42 feet 2 inches, 
height 12 feet 3 inches, wing area 337 square feet.  
Weights:  11,866 pounds empty, 20,098 pounds loaded, 24,763 pounds 
maximum takeoff.  
Armament:  The armament consisted of four 20-mm cannon in the nose 
plus two underwing racks for 1000-pound bombs or 150-US gallon drop 
tanks.  Two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles could be carried 
underneath each wing.  

Sources:

    United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911,  Gordon Swanborough and
    Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute Press, 1990.

    The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.

    Grumman Aircraft Since 1929, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute
    Press, 1989.

    American Combat Planes, 3rd Enlarged Edition, Ray Wagner,
    Doubleday, 1982.

Joe Baugher			  **************************************
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