United States Navy United States Marine Corps Argentine Navy
Number built
1,385[2]
Developed into
Grumman F-9 Cougar
The Grumman F9F Panther is an early carrier-based jet fighter designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Grumman. It was the first jet-powered fighter aircraft to see air-to-air combat with the United States Navy as well as being Grumman’s first jet fighter.
Development of the Panther commenced in the final months of World War II to harness the recent innovation of the jet engine. Grumman designed a single-engined, straight-winged day fighter that was armed with four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons and could also carry a wide assortment of air-to-ground munitions. Production aircraft were typically powered by a single Allison J33 or Pratt & Whitney J48-P-2 turbojet engine. On 21 November 1947, the prototype performed its maiden flight, powered by an imported Rolls-Royce Nene engine. During September 1949, the F9F was cleared for flight from aircraft carriers.
The Panther was used extensively by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in the Korean War. On 3 July 1950, a F9F-3 recorded the first U.S. Navy air victory of the conflict, having shot down a propeller-powered Yak-9. In the Korean theatre, Panther pilots cumulatively claimed the shooting down of seven Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s. During 1956, the type was withdrawn from front-line combat service, but remained in secondary roles, such as for training and with U.S. Naval Air Reserve and U.S. Marine Air Reserve units, until 1958. The Panther was also the first jet aircraft used by the Blue Angels aerobatics demonstration team, being flown in this capacity from 1949 through to late 1954. Future astronauts Neil Armstrong and John Glenn both flew the F9F extensively during the Korean War.
While Australia was interested in the Panther during the late 1940s, the nation ultimately opted for the Gloster Meteor F.8 and the CAC Sabre instead. The aircraft's only export customer was Argentina, where it became the first jet aircraft to be operated by the Argentine Naval Aviation. It was operated mainly from land, as the catapults of the aircraft carrier ARA Independencia lacked sufficient power to readily launch the F9F. Several Panthers participated in the 1963 Argentine Navy Revolt, firing upon Argentine Army forces sent to quell the revolt. During 1969, it was withdrawn from Argentine service due to a lack of spare parts. Grumman would develop the F9F design in response to U.S. Navy interest, producing the swept wing Grumman F-9 Cougar.
^"F9F-2 Panther". National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
^Thomason 2008, p. 61.
and 20 Related for: Grumman F9F Panther information
The GrummanF9FPanther is an early carrier-based jet fighter designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Grumman. It was the first jet-powered...
GrummanF9F could be: F9FPanther - US Navy jet aircraft F-9 Cougar - fighter aircraft based on earlier F9FPanther This disambiguation page lists articles...
F9F may refer to: GrummanF9FPanther jet fighter (straight wing) GrummanF9F Cougar jet fighter (swept wing development of the Panther) This disambiguation...
California Eurocopter AS565 Panther, military helicopter GrummanF9FPanther, jet fighter used by the US Navy in the Korean War PANTHER, the callsign for Falcon...
production contracts. Grumman's first jet aircraft was the F9FPanther; it was followed by the upgraded F9F/F-9 Cougar, and the F-11 Tiger in the 1950s. The company's...
In the 1954 film of the same name, the Banshee was replaced by a GrummanF9FPanther. Two privately owned Skyraiders depicted U.S. Air Force "Sandy" search-and-rescue...
June 1951 when Cdr. George Chamberlain Duncan attempted to land a GrummanF9F-2 Panther on USS Midway in BuNo 125228, during carrier suitability tests in...
enticing. Originally conceived as a swept-wing version of the earlier F9FPanther, in February–March 1948, the design was reconfigured with a T-tail and...
is best known for surviving the spectacular crash in 1951 of his GrummanF9FPanther (which was captured on film) while attempting to land on the USS Midway (CV-41)...
fighter, initially known as the G-79; it would later become the GrummanF9FPanther. On 23 March 1948, the XF3D-1 performed its maiden flight from Douglas'...
The Grumman F4F Wildcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that entered service in 1940 with the United States Navy, and the British Royal...
experiences as a United States Navy pilot during the Korean War flying the GrummanF9FPanther Jet aircraft. What we did as part of the war was soon forgotten by...
170 imp gal) wingtip fuel tanks but, unlike those of the contemporary GrummanF9FPanther, the Banshee's wingtip tanks were detachable. A pair of armament...
to active duty as a naval aviator during the Korean War, and flew GrummanF9FPanther fighters with Fighter Squadron 144 (VF-144) from the aircraft carrier...
bomber aircraft List of military aircraft of the United States Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, US heavy bomber under development "B-17G Flying Fortress"...
low-cost carrier GrummanF9FPanther, a United States Navy fighter aircraft Grumman F-9 Cougar, a swept wing version of the F9FPanther LSWR F9 class, British...
caused pilots to be dazzled by muzzle flash. The F2H Banshee and GrummanF9FPanther, both of which began flight tests around the time of the Phantom's...