Grumman F-11 Tiger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_F-11_Tiger

The Grumman F11F/F-11 Tiger is a supersonic, single-seat carrier-based United
States Navy fighter aircraft in operation during the 1950s and 1960s. Originally
designated the F11F Tiger in April 1955 under the pre-1962 Navy designation
system, it was redesignated as F-11 Tiger under the 1962 United States
Tri-Service aircraft designation system.

The F11F/F-11 was used by the Blue Angels flight team from 1957–1969. Grumman
Aircraft Corporation made 200 Tigers, with the last aircraft being delivered to
the U.S. Navy on 23 January 1959.

The F11F (F-11) Tiger origins can be traced back to a privately funded 1952
Grumman concept to modernize the F9F-6/7 Cougar by implementing the area rule
and other advances. This Grumman company project was known as the G-98, and when
it was concluded it was a complete design departure from the Cougar.

The design's potential for supersonic performance and reduced transonic drag
stirred interest in the U.S. Navy. By 1953, redesigns led to a completely new
aircraft bearing no more than a familial resemblance to the Cougar. The new wing
had full-span leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps with roll control
achieved using spoilers rather than traditional ailerons. For storage on
aircraft carriers, the F-11 Tiger's wings manually folded downwards.
Anticipating supersonic performance, the tailplane was all-moving. The aircraft
was designed for the Wright J65 turbojet, a license-built version of the
Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire.

The U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics was sufficiently impressed to order two
prototypes, designated XF9F-8 even though the new fighter was clearly a new
design. To add to the confusion, the prototypes were then redesignated XF9F-9
with the XF9F-8 designation going to another more straightforward Cougar
derivative. Since the afterburning version of the J65 was not ready, the first
prototype flew on 30 July 1954 with a non-afterburning engine. In spite of this,
the aircraft nearly reached Mach 1 in its maiden flight. The second prototype,
equipped with the afterburning engine, became the second supersonic U.S. Navy
aircraft, the first being the Douglas F4D Skyray. In April 1955, the aircraft
received the new designation F11F-1 (F-11A after adoption of the unified
Tri-Service naming system in 1962). Carrier trials started on 4 April 1956 when
an F11F-1 Tiger landed on and launched from USS Forrestal.

The F-11 Tiger is noted for being the first jet aircraft to shoot itself down.
On 21 September 1956, during a test-firing of its 20 mm (.79 in) cannons, pilot
Tom Attridge fired two bursts midway through a shallow dive. As the velocity and
trajectory of the cannon rounds decayed, they ultimately crossed paths with the
Tiger as it continued its descent, disabling it and forcing Attridge to
crash-land the aircraft; he survived.

In the late 1950s, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) evaluated the F11F-1 as a
replacement for the F-86 Sabre, then its primary jet fighter. World War II
Spitfire pilot, and later honorary colonel, R.G. (Bob) Middlemiss, W/C (Ret)
DFC, CD, SSM, and RCAF test pilot Jack Woodman, proceeded to California to
evaluate the top two contenders, the Lockheed F-104 and the Grumman F11F-1, at
Edwards AFB. As a result of their recommendations, the Canadian government
selected the F-104.

In addition to the F-11A (F11F-1) fighter, Grumman also proposed a more advanced
version of the airframe known as the F11F-1F Super Tiger. This was the result of
a 1955 study to fit the new General Electric J79 engine into the F11F-1
airframe.


Role
Fighter aircraft

Manufacturer
Grumman

First flight
30 July 1954

Introduction
1956

Retired
1961 (Carrier)
1967 (Training)
1969 (Blue Angels)

Primary user
United States Navy

Produced
1954–1959

Number built
200

Variants
Grumman F11F Super Tiger

Seven U.S. Navy squadrons flew the F11F-1: VF-21 and VF-33 in the Atlantic Fleet
and VA-156 (redesignated VF-111 in January 1959), VF-24 (redesignated VF-211 in
March 1959), VF-51, VF-121, and VF-191 in the Pacific Fleet.

In service, the Tiger operated from the carriers Intrepid, Lexington, Hancock,
Bon Homme Richard, Shangri-La, Forrestal, Saratoga and Ranger. The F11F's career
lasted only four years because its performance was inferior to the Vought F-8
Crusader and the J65 engine proved unreliable. Also, the range and endurance of
the Tiger was found to be inadequate. Thus, the Navy cancelled all orders for
the F11F-1P reconnaissance version and only 199 F11F-1 (F-11A) fighters were
built.

The aircraft was withdrawn from carrier operations by 1961. It continued in
service, however, in the Naval Air Training Command in south Texas at NAS Chase
Field and NAS Kingsville, until the late 1960s. Students performed advanced jet
training in the TF-9J Cougar, and upon completing that syllabus, were given a
brief taste of supersonic capability with the F-11 before transitioning to fleet
fighters.

While the F-11's fighter career was short, the Blue Angels performed in the
aircraft from 1957–1968, when the Tiger was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas
F-4 Phantom II.

Prior to the 1962 code unification, the fighter was known as the F11F; after
unification, it was redesignated as the F-11.

Specifications (F11F-1/F-11A)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 46 ft 11 in (14.3 m)
Wingspan: 31 ft 7.5 in (9.6 m)
Height: 13 ft 3 in (4.0 m)
Wing area: 250 ft² (23 m²)
Empty weight: 13,810 lb (6,277 kg)
Loaded weight: 21,035 lb (9,561 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 23,459 lb (10,663 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Wright J65-W-18 turbojet Dry thrust: 7,400 lbf (32.9 kN)
Thrust with afterburner: 10,500 lbf (46.7 kN)


Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 1.1 (727 mph, 1,170 km/h) at 35,000 ft (11,000 m), (753 mph
(1,211 km/h) at sea level)
Cruise speed: 577 mph (929 km/h)
Range: 1,275 mi (1,110 nmi, 2,050 km)
Service ceiling: 49,000 ft (14,900 m)
Rate of climb: 16,300 ft/min (83 m/s)
Wing loading: 84 lb/ft² (411 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.50

Armament

Guns: 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon, 125 rounds per gun
Hardpoints: 4 with a capacity of – and provisions to carry combinations of:
Rockets: Aero 6A or Aero 7A "Rocket Package"
Missiles: AIM-9 Sidewinder
Other: 150 gal drop tank




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