The Grumman F9F Panther was the manufacturer's first jet fighter and the U.S. Navy's second. The Panther was the most widely used U.S. Navy jet fighter of the Korean War. It flew 78,000 sorties and was responsible for the first air kill by the US Navy in the war - the downing of a North Korean Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter. Total F9F production was 1,382, with several variants being shipped to Argentina for export.

Development studies at the Grumman company began near the end of the World War II as the first jet engines emerged. The prototype Panther, piloted by test pilot Corky Meyer, first flew on November 24th, 1947. Propulsion was a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet built under license by Pratt & Whitney as the J42. Since there was insufficient space within the wings and fuselage for fuel for the thirsty jet, permanently-mounted wingtip fuel tanks were added which incidentally improved the fighter's rate of roll. It was cleared for flight from aircraft carriers in September 1949. During the development phase, Grumman decided to change the Panther's engine, selecting the Pratt & Whitney J48-P-2, a license built version of the Rolls-Royce Tay. The other engine that had been tested was the Allison J33-A-16, a development of the Rolls-Royce Derwent.

From 1946, a swept-wing version was considered and after concerns about the Panther's inferiority to its MiG opponents in Korea, a conversion of the Panther (Design 93) resulted in a swept-wing derivative of the Panther, the Grumman F9F Cougar, which retained the Panther's designation number.

Pictured here is a 1:48 scale replica of a US Navy Grumman F9F-5 Panther fighter that was attached to VF-192 "Golden Dragons", then embarked upon the USS Oriskany (CV-34), from 1954-55. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9-1/2-inches
Length: 9-3/4-inches

Release Date: April 2024

Historical Account: "Flying Dragons" - In 1950, the squadron was once again re-designated, becoming VF-192 on February 15th aboard USS Boxer while deployed to the Western Pacific. The squadron returned in June and transitioned to the F4U-4 Corsair. In August, the squadron became the Flying Dragons, and changed insignia to a silver dragon flying across the bow of a grey aircraft carrier (the Dragon pilots still wear this patch on occasion, in deference to the squadron's history). Flying Close Air Support (CAS) missions in support of the Marines in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, the Dragons deployed on a combat cruise aboard USS Princeton (CV-37) in November, participating in the squadron's first combat operations on December 5th. During this cruise, VF-192 participated in a rare historical occurrence, when ENS Eugene Tissot (who later became the Commanding Officer of VA-192 during the Vietnam Conflict) lead an all-Ensign strike consisting of four AD-4 Skyraiders and three F4U-4 Corsairs that destroyed a North Korean headquarters complex at Hoeyang on the 4th of January. On May 1st, the Flying Dragons participated in the strike that destroyed the Hwachon Reservoir Dam, providing flak and small arms suppression for VF-195, who earned the nickname the "Dambusters" while on this mission. Tragically, VF-192 lost three pilots during this cruise, two of whom, ENS William Patton and ENS Richard Ruppenthal, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for their actions. The other pilot, LTJG Marcus Merner, was hit by gunfire and attempted to ditch his aircraft in the water. His remains were never found.

After returning, the Flying Dragons moved to NAS Moffett Field and briefly transitioned to the F9F-2 Panther until their new aircraft were given to VF-191 to replace combat losses. Instead, VF-192 continued to fly the Corsair, and once again deployed aboard the USS Princeton in March 1952. On this cruise, the Dragons saw extensive combat. Because they lacked radar, the Corsairs were supposed to fly only day missions. However, the squadron's commanding officer, LCDR Elwin "Ace" Parker, convinced the Commander of 7th fleet to allow VF-192 to conduct night missions, under the condition that they still fulfill their day missions. Their skillful pilots proved very successful in their night strikes, inflicting significant damage to the enemy due to the Chinese's decision to move most of their supplies at night. Despite their nighttime attacks, the Flying Dragons also continued to perform well during the day. Two of VF-192's pilots earned the Distinguished Flying Cross while participating in a two-day campaign against several hydroelectric plants in North Korea. LCDR Parker earned one as part of a 17-Corsair strike against Kyosen #3. Lieutenant Commander John Dineen earned his by leading 14 F4U-4 Corsairs and 10 F9F-2 Panthers in a strike that destroyed Fusen #2 and #3. In July of that year, the Dragons participated in major strikes against industrial targets in Pyongyang. On one such attack, LT Barbour received a wound in his left arm from small arms fire, but he was able to stop the bleeding by using a tourniquet made from strip of parachute he had made by the squadron's Parachute Riggers (PRs). On this combat deployment, VF-192 pilots earned five Distinguished Flying Crosses, two of which were awarded posthumously to LTJG Howard Westervelt Jr. and ENS Conrad Neville, the only pilots lost during this cruise.