Ali Machinchy Flies His Grumman F-9 Cougar On Model Airplane Videos

UK Top Gun, Ali Machinchy, flies his usual, impeccable display with his Grumman Cougar F9 rc model airplane. 

The United States Navy replaced the earlier F9F Panther with it's straight wing by the more advanced swept wing of the Grumman F-9 Cougar for aircraft carrier-based operations.  The Cougar was Based on the earlier Grumman F9F Panther and the Navy considered the Cougar an updated version of the Panther so Cougars started off with the designation F9F-6.

Design and development

Prototypes, modified Panthers, were quickly produced and the first (XF9F-6) flew on September 20, 1951. To the surprise of the Navy (who had been cautious about adopting swept-wing fighters on the carrier deck) the Cougar was easier to fly from carriers than the Panther.  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 feet (10,000 m), improving performance markedly. The Cougar, unlike the Panther, would not be outclassed by Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s, but it was too late to see Korean war service.

The F9F-8 was the final fighter version of the Grumman Cougar. It featured an 8 inch (200 mm) stretch in the fuselage and modified wings with greater chord nd wing area, to improve low-speed, high angle of attack flying and to give more room for fuel tanks. 601 aircraft were delivered between April 1954 and March 1957; most were given in-flight refuelling probes, and late production was given the ability to carry four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles under the wings. Most earlier aircraft were modified to this configuration. A number were given nuclear bombing equipment. Later re-designated F-9J in 1962.

F9F-8s were withdrawn from front-line service in 1958-59, replaced by the Vought F8U Crusader and Grumman F11F Tiger. Reserves used them until the mid-1960s, but none saw Vietnam War service.

Training aircraft

The Navy acquired 377 two-seat F9F-8T trainers between 1956 and 1960. They were used for advanced training, weapons training and carrier training, and served until 1974. They were armed with twin 20 mm cannon and could carry a full bombs or missiles load. In the 1962 re-designation, these were called TF-9J.

The only version of the Cougar to see combat was, oddly enough, the TF-9J trainer; they were used in the airborne command role, directing airstrikes against
enemy positions in South Vietnam during 1966 and 1967.

The model

Flown to his usual high standards, Top Gun Ali Machinchy displays his 24 kg (53lb) Grumman Cougar to perfection in his displays on The Boys With Big 'Uns model airplane videos. Although the model is over-powered Ali holds back on the throttle to give accurate scale performances of his 2006 season display model airplane.