AC35089 GRUMMAN F9F-8P COUGAR PHOTO-RECO

The Grumman F9F Cougar was an American-made on-board fighter with an all-metal low wing structure. The drive was provided by a single Pratt and Whitney J48-P-8-A engine. The prototype flight took place in 1951, and the machine entered the US Navy line in 1952. It was withdrawn from it only in 1974. The deck was armed with 4 20mm AN / M3 cannons. In total, about 1980-1990 examples of this type of aircraft were built. The Grumman F9F Cougar was created as a far-reaching development of another aircraft from this manufacturer - the F9F Panther. The main difference was the use of a different power unit and the use of slanted wings in the F9F Cougar. Compared to its predecessor, the new machine was characterized by slightly better flight characteristics, and above all a higher maximum speed, which allowed it to compete with the latest Soviet fighters of that time - especially the MiG-15. In the course of serial production, many versions of this aircraft were created, including: F9F-6P (reconnaissance version), F9F-7 (fighter version with a new engine - Allison J33) or F9F-8T (two-seater training version). Machines of this type took part in the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975) to a very limited extent. The only user outside the US was Argentina.