Vought F7U-3 Cutlass

Vought · USA · first flew 1951 · fighter

The F7U-3 was the definitive and only operational production version of the Cutlass, introducing Westinghouse J46 afterburning engines and a lengthened fuselage over the troubled F7U-1. Despite entering fleet service it remained notorious for accidents and engine unreliability.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, embedded-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.6 m fuselage
T — Tail	No tailplane

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Spot it by:

Tailless carrier fighter with twin tip fins
Long nose with afterburning J46 turbojets
Pronounced anhedral on outer wing panels

Instantly identified by its tailless layout, sharply swept wings with small vertical fins at each wingtip, and absence of any horizontal tail surface; the long nose and low-slung twin jet exhausts are also distinctive.

Specifications

The Vought F7U-3 Cutlass has a length of 13.6 m (45 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.8 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

Some 180 F7U-3s were built and the type entered US Navy squadron service from 1954. The design was innovative but the J46 engines were chronically unreliable and the aircraft's accident rate was extremely high — it was nicknamed 'Gutless Cutlass' by its pilots. The type was withdrawn from fleet service by 1959.

Variants

The F7U-3M was a missile-armed variant carrying four AIM-7 Sparrow I radar-guided missiles, while the F7U-3P was a photo-reconnaissance version. All shared the same basic airframe.

Where you'll see it

Served with US Navy attack carrier squadrons in the mid-1950s but had a brief and troubled career; no examples remain in flying condition and few survived the type's early retirement.

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