North American FJ-4 Fury
North American Aviation · United States · first flew 1954 · fighter
The North American FJ-4 Fury is a swept-wing carrier-capable fighter-bomber for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. It was the final development of the lineage that included the F-86 Sabre.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Single turbojet in the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Swept low wing, thinner than the FJ-3's and tapering more sharply to the tips
- Single turbojet in the fuselage
- Outer wing panels fold for carrier stowage
A single-seat sweptback-wing jet of the Sabre lineage, with folding outer wings and a thin, sharply tapered wing.
Specifications
- The North American FJ-4 Fury has a length of 11.1 m (36 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.9 m (39 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1094 km/h (680 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The FJ-4 shared its general layout and engine with the FJ-3 but had an entirely new wing, thinner with a six percent thickness-to-chord ratio and of increased area. It first flew on 28 October 1954, and the wing was designed to be wet, with integral fuel tanks.
Variants
The FJ-4B was a ground-attack version with six underwing pylons and the ability to carry a nuclear weapon, and 222 were built against 152 FJ-4s. Two FJ-4F aircraft were fitted with an extra rocket engine and reached Mach 1.41.
Where you'll see it
Ten Navy squadrons and three Marine squadrons flew the FJ-4B, and 374 FJ-4s of all types were built. After the 1962 redesignation the FJ-4 became the F-1E and the FJ-4B the AF-1E, which served with Naval Reserve units until the late 1960s.
Related aircraft
- North American F-100 Super Sabre
- North American X-10
- North American F-107A
- North American F-86F Sabre
- A-4 Skyhawk
- Armstrong Whitworth Meteor F8 Prone Pilot
- Canadair Sabre Mk 6
- Canadair Sabre Mk.5
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