F7U CUTLASS LAUNCHING USS INTREPID

[kdrapertrucker]

Better engines & slats would have improved the cutlass. as would a better designed nose gear.

[kdraper2007]

The engines were not only underpowered, but were also slow to respond to throttle commands. a common problem with early Jet engines.

[dopenhagen2009]

fugg ze USA!

[Vermiliontea]

The way I remember it, I'm fairly certain the engines were the overwhelming cause for accidents and the relevant reason the F7U failed.

[redbaroniii]

@Vermiliontea Correct... the westinghouse engines were the big problem, they just could not get the required thurst. it was common that the pilot had to hit afterburnner in the pattern just to keep it from falling out of the sky. It was said that Westinghouse toasters could produce more heat than their jet engines. Vaught was never known fro their landing gear designs, they were always complicated, and weak.

[maxcool951]

the f-7u is cool looking and is a hot ship but has a bad design in its wings

[Canashea]

The F-7 Cutlass is a good plane and its layout still would be today. Its just the very long nose landing gear what caused the crashes.

[oriskany]

That's exactly right according to my dad.

He flew he A7 Corsair II off a carrier back in the early 70s.

The undercarriage of the Cutlass was under-designed for an aircraft of this weight and stated mission.

All carrier landings are "controlled crashes".

I'm glad dad didn't have to fly the Cutlass.

Mom was already a basket case at it was with him flying a Corsair II.

[sakoshooter48]

@Canashea Actually, the F7U suffered a much higher accident rate than other naval jets of this time due to the wing design and the terribly underpowered angines fitted to the airframe. The Cutlass was a known "sinker" on approach and many a Cutlass ended its tenure and the life of its pilot on the round down. In flight the Cutlass was a well behaved and a pilots aircraft. On approach she became a malicious bitch with fangs waiting for an inattentive pilot to get behind.

[megashegem]

I heard somebody was restoring one to fly again...That was more than ten years ago.

[imnazhole]

Wow, the Gutless launching off of the deck of the USS Intrepid? Sheeyat, there are some really brave people in this world.

[Motoguzzi750]

Oh I love the 50s stuff - todays jets leave me cold. Skynight, Cutlass, SeaHawk, Javelin great stuff.

[SendMoreAmmo]

My dad served on the Intrepid in 1956 I wonder if he saw that launch. Makes me wonder .Good shot.

[nagmashdriver]

One of the weirdest and coolest of the Nifty Fifties jet fighters! Another favorite of mine: the F4D Skyray!

[TheSanityInspector]

There's some awesome footage of 1950s carrier ops in the film The Bridges At Toko-Ri. I watched some of it on my pc, and it made me want to get a big-screen TV right then. Thanks for posting this, too.