Grumman F9F Panther

I came across this, my third scale model of a Korean War fighter aircraft, while watching the film The Bridges at Toko-Ri. If you like your military aircraft films, then I recommend you add this one to your watch list. This is a film about US Navy pilots staring: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Mickey Rooney and co-starting the Grumman F9F Panther! Released in December 1954, a year after the war ended, Director, Mark Robson, was fortunate to have unique access to the actual aircraft and pilots who would have seen similar action to that acted out by the film stars. The most impressive part of this film to me, was that most of the flying and aircraft carrier scenes are for real and provides in itself a real insight to life on the flight deck! 

So, by now you will have guessed that the model selected from my back catalogue this week is the Grumman F9F Panther; not only one of the US Navy's early carrier-based jet fighters, but actually Grumman’s very first operational jet fighter. As with Britain's own Gloucester Meteor, the straight winged Panther was no match for the Russian-built MiG-15 but, as portrayed in film, and just like our Meteor, it was quite at home in its ground attack role. To the credit of Lieutenant Commander Tom Amen's flying abilities, in November 1950, just 4 months after arriving in Korea, he claimed the US Navy's first jet-on-jet kill when his squadron was jumped by MiG-15s!

Hasegawa Grumman F9F-2 Panther

It was a revelation, for this life long aircraft enthusiast, to discover a new aircraft after all these years, especially as I was to learn, it was the most heavily used jet fighter of the US Navy and Marines during the Korean conflict. Naturally, I had to then seek out the scale model to build, an experience I remember fondly as it was my first attempt at using masking tape and the application of gloss varnish to complete the finish. I am also sure that it was the catalyst for my first foray in to the Korean War and the aircraft flown.

Here are a few interesting factoids about this aircraft: following on from an earlier scale modelling theme, a number were were field-modified by the Navy to perform a photo-reconnaissance role, indeed in the film I opened with, such modifications were used to photograph the target. Modifications were made by adding a selection of vertical and oblique cameras in place of the nose mounted cannon. In the year before seeing active service it also became the first jet aircraft to be flown by the US Navy's "Blue Angels" air display team! I can't believe it took a chance viewing of an old film for me to discover this gem of an aircraft!

US Navy's "Blue Angels"

It's end came, just as we saw with the Gloucester Meteor, with the need to move to swept wings to keep up, literally, with the Russian MIGs. Its successor was effectively just an updated, swept wing variant of the Panther F9F. Grumman however, felt the changes were sufficient for it to be given a new name, and the Cougar F9F was born. 

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The Model 

Brand: Hasegawa
Title: Grumman F9F-2 Panther U.S.Navy fighter
Number: D011 (Also listed as D11)
Scale: 1:72
Released: 98x | Rebox (Unknown what changed)