Grumman F11F Tiger
Grumman · United States · first flew 1954 · fighter
The Grumman F11F Tiger was a supersonic carrier-based fighter notable for its area-ruled fuselage and its long association with the US Navy Blue Angels display team. Despite its advanced design, it saw only a brief front-line career.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Area-ruled 'wasp waist' fuselage pinched at the wing junction |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Area-ruled 'wasp waist' fuselage pinched at the wing junction
- Single Wright J65 turbojet with nose intake
- Flown by Blue Angels from 1957; short front-line service
The strongly pinched waist aft of the wing root, nose intake, and swept low wing identify it; the short, stubby appearance differs from the more slender F-8 Crusader.
Specifications
- The Grumman F11F Tiger has a length of 14.3 m (47 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.64 m (32 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1207 km/h (750 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flying in 1954, the Tiger was one of the first US fighters to apply the area rule concept, giving it its distinctive 'coke bottle' waist. Front-line service was limited because the F-8 Crusader and F-4 Phantom offered superior performance, but the Blue Angels flew the Tiger from 1957 to 1969.
Variants
The F11F-1 was the standard production model; a short-nosed and long-nosed variant existed, and a proposed F11F-1F with afterburning J79 engine did not enter production.
Where you'll see it
After a short operational career with US Navy fleet squadrons in the late 1950s, the Tiger found its lasting fame as the Blue Angels' mount; no foreign operators took the type.
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- Grumman F11F-1F Super Tiger
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- Grumman S-2 Tracker
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- Canadair Sabre Mk 6
- Canadair Sabre Mk.5
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