F9F Panther/Couger (Family)
F9F may refer to:
Rank V - Aircraft
Rank VI - Aircraft
F9F Panther
Service
The Panther was the main US Navy and Marine Corps fighter aircraft during the Korean War; it flew a total of 78,000 sorties during the war. Panthers of the -2, -3, and -5 versions were able to carry out ground attack missions, even despite heavy anti-aircraft fire. In comparison to earlier propeller-driven planes, pilots saw the air conditioned cockpit as a huge improvement, which were often hot and humid during flight.
Lieutenant, Jr. Grade Leonard H. Plog of VF-51 was the first US Navy pilot to score an air-to-air victory during the Korean War. He shot down a Soviet-built Yak-9 propeller-driven fighter in his F9F-3 Panther on 3 July 1950. In comparison to the MiG-15, the F9F Panther was relatively slow. Despite this, the F9F was able to achieve seven MiG-15 kills during the war, while only losing 2 Panthers. During a UN attack on the Sinuiju bridges (near the mouth of the Yalu River) on 9 November 1950, an F9F-2B Panther flown by Lieutenant Commander William Amen of VF-111 achieved the first MiG-15 kill by a Panther. On 18 November 1950, two more MiG-15 fighters were shot down.
