Grumman F-9J (F9F-8) CougarIt wasn't the first swept wing design in the Navy inventory but the Cougar was the first to see active service on board an aircraft carrier. In creating its first swept wing design, Grumman greatly reduced development time to less than a year by taking the tried and true Panther fuselage already in production, and fitting it with swept wings and a new tail section. The swept wing design continued as F9F, starting with F9F-6 and carrying the new popular name, Cougar. The first flight of the swept-wing Cougar occurred on September 20, 1951 and many variants followed through the years until production ended in 1959. Pima Air Museum has three Cougar versions; the F9F-8 fighter bomber, the F9F-8P for photo reconnaissance, and the TF-9J two-seat trainer.
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