O Pantera Grumman F9F was the manufacturer’s first jet fighter and one of the United States Navy’s first successful carrier-based jet fighters. A single-engined, straight-winged day fighter, it was armed with four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon and could carry a wide assortment of air-to-ground munitions.
The Panther was used extensively by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in the Korean War. It was also the first jet aircraft used by the Blue Angels flight team, used by them from 1949 through late 1954. The aircraft was exported to Argentina and was the first jet used by the Argentine Naval Aviation.
Total F9F production was 1,382. The design evolved into the swept wing Grumman F-9 Cougar.
Fonte: Grumman F9F Pantera na Wikipédia
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The Grumman F9F Panther was one of the first successful carrier-based jet fighters of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. It was developed by Grumman in response to a Navy request for a single-engine day fighter with a powerful armament and a long range. The Panther had a straight-winged design and was powered by a Pratt & Whitney J42 turbojet engine, which was a license-built version of the British Rolls-Royce Nene. The Panther could carry four 20 mm cannons and various air-to-ground weapons, such as bombs and rockets.
O Panther voou pela primeira vez em novembro de 1947 e entrou em serviço em 1949. Ele viu uma extensa ação de combate durante a Guerra da Coréia, onde provou ser um caça-bombardeiro eficaz contra alvos terrestres e um caça capaz contra jatos inimigos. O Panther também se tornou o primeiro avião a jato usado pela equipe acrobática Blue Angels de 1949 a 1954. O Panther foi produzido em várias variantes, incluindo versões de foto-reconhecimento e treinamento. Um total de 1.382 Panteras foram construídos antes do término da produção em 1953.
The Panther was later modified with swept wings and renamed as the Grumman F-9 Cougar. The Cougar had improved performance and aerodynamics, but retained much of the Panther’s airframe and engine. The Cougar entered service in 1952 and served until 1965 with various naval units. It also saw limited combat action during the Vietnam War. The Cougar was exported to Argentina and used by its naval aviation until 1969.