F9F-8

F9F-8

F9F-5

F3H-2

F9F-8

F9F-5

F3H-2

USA

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.3	8.3	8.3

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Naval aircraft

Research:61 000

Purchase:340 000

Show in game

This page is about the American naval jet fighter F9F-8. For other uses, see F9F (Family).

Description

The F9F-8 Cougar is a rank V American naval jet fighter with a battle rating of 8.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters".

General info

Flight Performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	12500	??.?	??.?	??.?	??.?	???
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at ?,000 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	12500	??.?	??.?	??.?	??.?	???

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	✓	✓	✓

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
1127	410	620	~??	~?

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 950	< 790	< 510	> ???

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
0 m	3120 kgf	No WEP

Survivability and armour

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The F9F-8 is armed with:

• 4 x AN/M3 20 mm cannon (190 RPG = 760 total)

Suspended armament

The F9F-8 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 4 х 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 2 х 1000 lb AN-M65A1 Fin M129 bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 4 х AIM-9B Sidewinder air-to-air missiles

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using vehicles in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable No automatic pitch	Not controllable	Controllable	Combined	Controllable	Controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Compressor
II	New Boosters		Airframe	Offensive 20 mm	FLBC mk.1
III	Wings Repair	Engine		New 20 mm Cannons
IV	G-Suit		Cover		AIM-9B

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good bombload options
• Four 20 mm cannons can shred enemy aircraft and light ground targets
• Slightly better top speed than on the F9F Panther
• Can equip with AIM-9 Sidewinder guided missiles.

Cons:

• Bad turn time overall; even the Hawker Hunter can turn tighter in some scenarios
• Top speed is not great, but is not terrible either
• Can't equip rockets

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === Encyclopedia Info ===, also if applicable).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] F9F-8 Cougar - A Perfect Predator