My cousin by marriage frequently flew the Cutlass at Pax River. He liked
it as a flyer. When I referred to it as gutless, he asked if I ever saw
anything in that period that wasn't a bit gutless..... He did mention the
AB design was poor at first due to an issue in the way fuel was supplied to
the burners.
He's something of an authority. He flew most Navy fighters from the
early 50's through the early 70's and commanded the USS Constellation in
addition to CAG tours, CO of an F-4 command, Navy Flight Test School, etc.
Said the constant maintenance issues ruined it as a squadron bird. He
said 3 out of 8 in flying condition was pretty good.