|
|
| |
|
Grumman F11F / F-11 Tiger
Engine issues limited the service life of the USN F11F - F-11 Tiger series to a mere four years.
By Staff Writer
The Grumman-produced F11F Tiger was designed at about the time the Grumman Cougar was already close to production. The program goal of the Tiger series was to produce a highly-capable daytime fighter with exceptional dogfighting capabilities and be of the lightweight variety. The system was to have supersonic performance and be capable of carrier operations for the United States Navy. On paper, everything worked out well for such a craft. Yet in reality, the Tiger system would see its share of issues leading to one of the shortest aircraft service stints on record.
The F11F Tiger (later redesignated to the more traditional F-11 Tiger) was intended to be the next answer for the United States Navy in terms of dogfighting performance. The F-11F was of a mid-monoplane design fitted with a single Wright-series turbojet engine. Initial prototypes performed poorly in terms of the power and handling that was generated through the engine. Though the size of the aircraft was on par with the smaller storage space needed for carrier operations, the aircraft just simply could not perform as the specs required. In the end, powerplant after powerplant was issued in the hopes that the system would finally come together.
As it was, however, the system never fully performed to expectations. Though it did make it to service with the USN, the system still retained poor qualities in the powerplant department - though it was reportedly a very good aircraft to fly. Nevertheless, powerplant issues can ruin or limit any aircrafts seemingly successful potential and that was exactly the case with the F-11F Tiger series - seeing service for a very short four years of operation before being replaced by the highly-capable and ultimately successful Vought F-8 Crusader series of Navy aircraft.
Text ©2003-2009 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved •
No Reproduction Without Permission • Corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com
Last Revision: 7/22/2008
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Specifications for the Grumman F11F-1 / F-11F Tiger |
 Dimensions: |
Length: 46.95ft (14.31m)
Width:31.63ft (9.64m)
Height: 13.22ft (4.03m)
|
| Performance: |
About MACH |
Max Speed: 750mph (1,207kmh; 652kts)
Max Range: 1,270miles (2,044km)
Rate-of-Climb: 5,130ft/min (1,564m/min)
Service Ceiling: 41,896ft (12,770m; 7.9miles)
|
|
| Structure: |
Accommodation: 1
Hardpoints: 4
Empty Weight: 13,428lbs (6,091kg)
MTOW: 22,161lbs (10,052kg)
|
| Powerplant: |
| Engine(s): 1 x Wright J65-W-18 turbojet engine generating 7,450lbs of thrust. |
|
| Armament Suite: |
4 x 20mm cannons
4 x AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles
|
|
|
| Pictures of the Grumman F11F / F-11 Tiger |
|
| Special Aircraft Collections |
|
|
| Recent Military Aircraft Additions |
|
| Contacting MilitaryFactory.com |
| We can only get better if you tell us how. You can contact MilitaryFactory.com at MilitaryFactory at gmail dot com (replace "at" with "@" and "dot with ".") with any questions, comments or corrections. We also accept related military imagery that you approve for us to use on our website. Keep in mind, however, that due to volume, we may not directly respond to your inquiry. Please add us to your list of non-blocked recipients! |
|
|
Aircraft Quick Profile |
Image courtesy of the United States Department of Defense.
|
 |
 |
| 1957 |
Designation: Grumman F11F / F-11 Tiger
Classification Type: Carrier-Borne High Performance Fighter
Contractor: Grumman - USA
Country of Origin: United States
Production Total: 201 |
|
|
Operators: United States of America
|
|
|
|
| Variants |
YF9F-9 - Prototype Model Designation
F11F-1 - United States Navy Fighter Model Designation; fitted with J-65 powerplant; later redesignated as the F-11 series of aircraft.
F11F-1P - Naval Reconnaissance Model Variant; never produced.
F-11A - Redesignated USN Model Series (1962) of the base F11F-1.
"Super Tiger" - Export Market Variant Designation.
|
|
|
