Grumman F11F Tiger

The Grumman F11F (F-11) Tiger was a carrier-borne, day fighter used by the US Navy during the Cold War.  It was the first supersonic fighter aircraft to enter US Navy service. Being introduced in 1957, its career was relatively short as it was phased out from carrier operations in 1961, being relegated as an advanced pilot trainer from then on, with the new designation F-11. The reason for this was the appearance of the more capable Vought F8U Crusader. Thus, it would not see combat action in Vietnam.

The prototype of the Grumman F11F Tiger, the XF9F-9, first flew on July 30, 1954. Almost three years of intense trials had gone by, when it entered fleet service with the Attack Squadron One Five Six (VA-156) at NAS, Moffet Field, California, in March 1957, as the F11F-1. Thus, delivery occurred two years later than it had originally been planned. Although it had advanced features, which made it capable of flying at supersonic speeds, it lacked a powerful air-to-air radar. Only 201 aircraft would be produced between 1954 and 1959 in two variant; the short-nosed and the long-nosed Tiger.

Below, a photo of the F11F-1 in flight (belly view), carrying four Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

Technical Description

The Grumman F11F was a single-seat, single-engine, carrier-capable fighter. It was powered by one Wright J65-W-18, afterburning, turbojet engine, which delivered 7,450-lb of thrust. The engine was of the axial-flow type and it incorporated 13 compressor stages, and two turbine stages rotating clock-wise (when viewed from the rear). This power plant enable this aircraft to fly at the maximum speed of Mach 1.2 at 35,000 ft of altitude. The landing gear was of a retractable tricycle type, with all wheels retracting into the fuselage.

Technically, the Tiger was a cantilever mid-wing monoplane, built with an all-metal fuselage. It was fitted with swept wings, with a 30 degrees leading-edge sweepback and a 6.5% thickness/chord ratio. It had leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps over the whole fixed portion of wings, whose tips were manually hinged for carrier stowage. The all-metal fuselage had three finger-type speed brakes located on belly of aircraft. Meanwhile, the tail unit was made up of a fixed fin, with rudder, and low-mounted all-flying horizontal plane, with a slight dihedral.

Specifications (F11F-1/F-11A)

Type: carrier-based day fighter

Length: 14.31 m (46 feet, 11 inches)

Wing Span: 9.64 m (31 feet, 7 inches)

Wing Area: 23.23 m (250 square feet)

Height: 4 m (13 feet, 3 inches)

Power Plant: one Wright J65-W-18 turbojet engine

Maximum Speed: 1,211.8 km/h (753 mph)

Range: 2,044 km (1,267 miles)

Service Ceiling: 12,770 m (41,900 feet)

Armament: four 20-mm Mk-12 cannons; up to four underwing AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles

Below, an F11F-1, lengthened nose variant, in 1958. You can see its speed brakes on the underside of fuselage.

The Tiger in flight, with refuel probe extended.

Below, the first production aircraft in 1957.