Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Normal
Close enough and there's been one too many snide remarks. The Naval Air Material Center was responsible for developing catapults and arresting gear, including barriers and the barricade. The latter resulted in a high incidence of damage to the test article, so NAMC was always on the outlook for test specimens. One source was obsolete or obsolescent airplanes and another was failed programs. In this case, they took possession of at least one F7U-1 and reconfigured as shown in the picture. To repeat for those who raised specific questions about the identification, the long nose gear was replaced by what looks like an F9F Panther nose gear and a wing plug was inserted at the root, which is why the leading edge extends so much farther forward and the main landing gear appears to be farther outboard than an F7U's should be.I can assure all but the most skeptical that it is in fact an F7U-1, in part because I'm probably looking at a somewhat better picture than you have on your screen and also because I'm writing a monograph on the F7U-1, so I'm very familiar with the configuration. The nose may appear to be a bit short but it also seems to be bashed in a bit. The main landing gear strut and wheel is clearly that of an F7U-1 and I can discern what's left of the fin fairing aft of the strut and the natural metal aft fuselage. Also the ejection seat bulkhead and the gun ports are in the right relationship and there is a cartridge chute that is evident behind the gun port which is normally covered by a fairing, not present, that funnels the cartridges aft of the intake.I don't know what airplane it was supposed to represent but I suspect that it was the new F9F Cougar and was intended to be a barricade test article. For an example of the unsuccessful use of surrogates to qualify the S2F for Davis barrier engagements, see http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2010/12/davis-barrier-one-more-time.html
Close enough and there's been one too many snide remarks. The Naval Air Material Center was responsible for developing catapults and arresting gear, including barriers and the barricade. The latter resulted in a high incidence of damage to the test article, so NAMC was always on the outlook for test specimens. One source was obsolete or obsolescent airplanes and another was failed programs. In this case, they took possession of at least one F7U-1 and reconfigured as shown in the picture. To repeat for those who raised specific questions about the identification, the long nose gear was replaced by what looks like an F9F Panther nose gear and a wing plug was inserted at the root, which is why the leading edge extends so much farther forward and the main landing gear appears to be farther outboard than an F7U's should be.
I can assure all but the most skeptical that it is in fact an F7U-1, in part because I'm probably looking at a somewhat better picture than you have on your screen and also because I'm writing a monograph on the F7U-1, so I'm very familiar with the configuration. The nose may appear to be a bit short but it also seems to be bashed in a bit. The main landing gear strut and wheel is clearly that of an F7U-1 and I can discern what's left of the fin fairing aft of the strut and the natural metal aft fuselage. Also the ejection seat bulkhead and the gun ports are in the right relationship and there is a cartridge chute that is evident behind the gun port which is normally covered by a fairing, not present, that funnels the cartridges aft of the intake.
I don't know what airplane it was supposed to represent but I suspect that it was the new F9F Cougar and was intended to be a barricade test article. For an example of the unsuccessful use of surrogates to qualify the S2F for Davis barrier engagements, see http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2010/12/davis-barrier-one-more-time.html
