(Grumman) F9F Cougar @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Grumman F8F-8T Cougars of VMT-1 in flight<br>near MCAS Cherry Point, in 1962 Grumman F8F-8T Cougars of VMT-1 in flight<br>near MCAS Cherry Point, in 1962
    Grumman F8F-8T Cougars of VMT-1 in flight
    near MCAS Cherry Point, in 1962
  • A Grumman F9F-6 Cougar<br>and a F9F-5 Panther A Grumman F9F-6 Cougar<br>and a F9F-5 Panther
    A Grumman F9F-6 Cougar
    and a F9F-5 Panther
  • A F9F-8 with Sidewinder missiles (1956) A F9F-8 with Sidewinder missiles (1956)
    A F9F-8 with Sidewinder missiles (1956)
  • Grumman TF-9J of VT-10 at NAS Miramar in 1973 Grumman TF-9J of VT-10 at NAS Miramar in 1973
    Grumman TF-9J of VT-10 at NAS Miramar in 1973
  • Grumman F9F-8P Cougar of VFP-61, circa 1957 Grumman F9F-8P Cougar of VFP-61, circa 1957
    Grumman F9F-8P Cougar of VFP-61, circa 1957
  • Grumman F9F-6 Cougar (1952) Grumman F9F-6 Cougar (1952)
    Grumman F9F-6 Cougar (1952)
  • Grumman F9F-6P of U.S. Navy composite<br>squadron VC-61 "Eyes of the Fleet" in 1954 Grumman F9F-6P of U.S. Navy composite<br>squadron VC-61 "Eyes of the Fleet" in 1954
    Grumman F9F-6P of U.S. Navy composite
    squadron VC-61 "Eyes of the Fleet" in 1954
  • Grumman QF-9J target drone at China Lake in 1970 Grumman QF-9J target drone at China Lake in 1970
    Grumman QF-9J target drone at China Lake in 1970
  • Experimental refueling of a F9F-7 by a Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior Experimental refueling of a F9F-7 by a Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior
    Experimental refueling of a F9F-7 by a Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior
  • Blue Angels, 1955 (F9F-8) Blue Angels, 1955 (F9F-8)
    Blue Angels, 1955 (F9F-8)
  • F9F-8 Cougar of VF-61 aboard USS Intrepid (April 1956) F9F-8 Cougar of VF-61 aboard USS Intrepid (April 1956)
    F9F-8 Cougar of VF-61 aboard USS Intrepid (April 1956)
  • Blue Angel TF-9J Cougar at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum Blue Angel TF-9J Cougar at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
    Blue Angel TF-9J Cougar at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
  • Grumman F9F-8 Cougar of VA-76 on USS Forrestal in 1957 Grumman F9F-8 Cougar of VA-76 on USS Forrestal in 1957
    Grumman F9F-8 Cougar of VA-76 on USS Forrestal in 1957
  • A F9F-8 with refueling probe and Sidewinder missiles (1958) A F9F-8 with refueling probe and Sidewinder missiles (1958)
    A F9F-8 with refueling probe and Sidewinder missiles (1958)
  • Grumman F9F-8 of VA-44 on USS Saratoga in 1956 Grumman F9F-8 of VA-44 on USS Saratoga in 1956
    Grumman F9F-8 of VA-44 on USS Saratoga in 1956
  • The F9F-8Bs of VMA-311 could deliver nuclear weapons (1958) The F9F-8Bs of VMA-311 could deliver nuclear weapons (1958)
    The F9F-8Bs of VMA-311 could deliver nuclear weapons (1958)
  • Grumman F9F-6 (VF-103 - Maintenance on the 20 mm M39 cannon - USS Coral Sea, 1954) Grumman F9F-6 (VF-103 - Maintenance on the 20 mm M39 cannon - USS Coral Sea, 1954)
    Grumman F9F-6 (VF-103 - Maintenance on the 20 mm M39 cannon - USS Coral Sea, 1954)
  • F9F-8Bs of VA-192 and a F9F-8P of VFP-61 over Formosa in 1957 F9F-8Bs of VA-192 and a F9F-8P of VFP-61 over Formosa in 1957
    F9F-8Bs of VA-192 and a F9F-8P of VFP-61 over Formosa in 1957
  • F9F-8s of VF-121 launching from USS Hancock, circa 1955 F9F-8s of VF-121 launching from USS Hancock, circa 1955
    F9F-8s of VF-121 launching from USS Hancock, circa 1955
  • F9F-6 Cougar of VF-24 on USS Essex in 1955 F9F-6 Cougar of VF-24 on USS Essex in 1955
    F9F-6 Cougar of VF-24 on USS Essex in 1955
  • Grumman F9F-7 Cougar in the Cradle of Aviation Museum (Garden City, New York) Grumman F9F-7 Cougar in the Cradle of Aviation Museum (Garden City, New York)
    Grumman F9F-7 Cougar in the Cradle of Aviation Museum (Garden City, New York)
  • The F9F-8 aboard USS Intrepid, in New York City The F9F-8 aboard USS Intrepid, in New York City
    The F9F-8 aboard USS Intrepid, in New York City
  • Grumman QF-9G Cougar target drone of VU-8 at NAS Roosevelt Roads (June 1965) Grumman QF-9G Cougar target drone of VU-8 at NAS Roosevelt Roads (June 1965)
    Grumman QF-9G Cougar target drone of VU-8 at NAS Roosevelt Roads (June 1965)
  • Grumman F9F-8 of VF-61 on USS Intrepid in April 1956 Grumman F9F-8 of VF-61 on USS Intrepid in April 1956
    Grumman F9F-8 of VF-61 on USS Intrepid in April 1956
  • Grumman TF-9J Cougar (or F9F-8T) of HMS-13 in Vietnam (1967) Grumman TF-9J Cougar (or F9F-8T) of HMS-13 in Vietnam (1967)
    Grumman TF-9J Cougar (or F9F-8T) of HMS-13 in Vietnam (1967)

Grumman F-9 Cougar

The Grumman F9F/F-9 Cougar is an aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Based on Grumman's earlier F9F Panther, the Cougar replaced the Panther's straight wing with a more modern swept wing. Thrust was also increased. The Navy considered the Cougar an updated version of the Panther, despite having a different official name, and thus Cougars started off from F9F-6 upward.

Early development

Rumors that the Soviet Union had produced a swept-wing fighter had circulated a year before the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 first appeared at air shows in 1949. Despite the level of activity taking place with swept-wing aircraft, the Navy was not initially focused on the development of such aircraft. This was largely because the Navy's focus at the time was defending the battle group against high speed, high altitude bombers with interceptors, as well as escorting medium-range carrier-based bombers in all weather conditions. Nonetheless the Navy appreciated the importance of getting a capable carrier-based swept-wing jet fighter. Grumman was awarded a contract for the development of a swept-wing fighter jet in 1951. The arrival of the MiG-15, which easily outclassed straight-wing fighters in the air war over North Korea was a major factor.

Prototypes were quickly produced by modifying Panthers, and the first (XF9F-6) flew on 20 September 1951. The aircraft was still subsonic, but the critical Mach number was increased from 0.79 to 0.86 at sea level and to 0.895 at 35,000 ft (10,000 m), improving performance markedly over the Panther. Instead of using conventional ailerons for roll control, the F9F-6 uses spoilers on the upper surfaces of the wing. Wing fences were soon added and the spoilers extended from the fences to the tips of the wing. The rudder pedals controlled the part of the rudder below the horizontal tail surface, while the upper portion of the rudder was controlled by a yaw damper. This allowed the Cougar to fly safely and easily without the upper portion of the tail. The Cougar was too late for Korean War service, however, and thus assessments of the Cougar against potential foes such as the (likewise subsonic, but not carrier-rated) Soviet MiG-15 remain a matter of conjecture.

F9F-6

Initial production (646 airframes) was the F9F-6, delivered from mid-1952 through July 1954. The F9F-6 first flew on September 20, 1951, seven months after Grumman signed a contract with the Navy for swept-wing fighter. The first 30 production aircraft used the same J42 P-6 engine used in the F9F-5, but was then replaced by the more powerful J42 P-8 with 7,250 pounds of thrust. The J42 was a licensed version of the Rolls-Royce Nene.

Armament was four 20 mm (.79 in) AN/M3 cannons in the nose and provisions for two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs or 150 US gal (570 l) drop tanks under the wings. Most were fitted with a UHF homing antenna under the nose, and some were fitted with probes for inflight refuelling. The F9F-6 used an Aero 5D-1 weapons sight with an APG-30A gun-ranging radar. The F9F-6 was later designated F-9F in 1962. Sixty were built as F9F-6P reconnaissance aircraft with cameras instead of the nose cannon.

After withdrawal from active service, many F9F-6s were used as unmanned drones for combat training, designated F9F-6D, or as drone controllers, designated F9F-6K. The F9F-6K and the F9F-6D were redesignated the QF-9F and DF-9F, respectively.

F9F-7

The F9F-7 referred to the next batch of Cougars that were given the Allison J33 also found in the F9F-4, instead of the Pratt & Whitney J48. A total of 168 were built, but the J33 proved both less powerful and less reliable than the J48. Almost all were converted to the J48 engine, and were thus indistinguishable from F9F-6s. These were redesignated F-9H in 1962.

Flexible deck testing : The Navy used two modified F9F-7s to conduct experiments landing on British-inspired flexible decks which did not require the use of landing gear. The reasoning was that since an airplane's landing gear comprises some 33% of the total weight, a plane without landing gear would gain a greater range and would be able to carry more ordnance. The aircraft were fitted with a 3-inch-deep false bottom under the center fuselage to help balance the plane during landings on the flex-deck made up of a lubricated rubberized fabric. The deck, built by Goodyear was 1/2 inch thick and featured several arresting cables. The planes were launched using a ramp and a handling dolly which served as temporary landing gear. The two F9F-7 aircraft in the test were equipped with the powerful J48-P8 engine instead of the Allison J33 engine originally used with the F9F-7. While the landing tests yielded positive results and proved that landing was clearly possible, the project was terminated in 1955 as it would have been difficult to move the aircraft around the carrier deck once they landed. It also required a highly skilled pilot to perform the landings and would have made it impossible to divert to a land base if necessary.

F9F-8

Work on the F9F-8 began in April, 1953 with three goals: lower the airplane's stall speed, improve aircraft control at high angles of attack, and increase range. It featured an 8 in (20 cm) stretch in the fuselage and modified wings with a greater chord, an increased area (from 300 to 337 square feet) and a dogtooth. The airframe changes improved low-speed, high angle of attack flying and gave more room for fuel tanks. The top speed was 704 mph and minimum catapult speed was lowered to 127 knots (146 mph). It also was now capable of breaking the sound barrier in a steep dive. All four ammunition boxes were mounted above the guns, in contrast to the split location of most previous F9Fs including the Panther. Visibility, which was already very good was improved with the F9F-8. 601 aircraft were delivered between April 1954 and March 1957. Late production F9F-8 aircraft were given the ability to carry four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles under the wings (the first Navy aircraft to deploy with the missiles). Most earlier aircraft were later modified to carry Sidewinders. A number were given also nuclear bombing equipment. The F9F-9 was redesignated F-9J in 1962. The F9F-8B aircraft were F9F-8s converted into single-seat attack-fighters, later redesignated AF-9J. The Navy acquired 377 two-seat F9F-8T trainers between 1956 and 1960. They were used for advanced training, weapons training and carrier training, and served until 1974. They were armed with twin 20 mm (.79 in) cannon and could carry a full bombs or missiles load. In the 1962 redesignation, these were later called TF-9J.

Aerial reconnaissance

A total of 110 F9F-8Ps (photo-reconnaissance) were produced with an extensively modified nose carrying cameras. They were withdrawn after 1960 to reserve squadrons. In 1962, surviving F9F-6P and F9F-8P aircraft were re-designated RF-9F and RF-9J respectively.

Modifications of F9F-8 to convert to F9F-8P:

The modification to eliminate the guns and related equipment and incorporate the photographic equipment and automatic pilot and their controls and instruments has resulted in the following changes:

  • Rearrangement of electronics equipment installed in the area enclosed by the fuselage nose section, lengthening of this section by 12 inches, and shortening of the sliding nose section.
  • Rearrangement of the left and right consoles and the main instrument panel to provide space for the controls associated with the additional equipment.
  • Some minor changes of the fuselage structure and equipment installations to provide for the necessary ducting control for hot air from the engine compressor, which is used for defrosting the camera windows and heating the camera compartment.
  • Removal of all armament and the Armament Control System, removal of AN/APG-30 radar system and installation of an additional armor plate bulkhead.

    • Flight characteristics and deployment

    The F9F was known to be highly maneuverable and easy to fly. Corky Meyer who flew both the F9F Cougar and North American FJ-3 Fury noted that compared to the FJ-3 the Cougar had a higher dive speed limit (Mach 1.2 vs Mach 1), had a higher maneuvering limit of 7.5-g compared to 6-g and had greater endurance.

    "[The] Combat Air patrol mission was for two hours on station at 150 nm from the carrier. This required 2+30 takeoff, cruise, and landing endurance plus reserves. The F9F-6 could perform a three-hour CAP mission on internal fuel. The FJ-2 and -3 with external tanks had less that 1+30 mission time and the FJ-4 just met the mission requirement."

    The F9F Cougar was also a capable multi-role aircraft, which may explain why it was deployed less often than dedicated fighters. In spite of engine problems that plagued the FJ-3, it was deployed for a longer period than the F9F Cougar. This was more likely attributable to the fact the F9F had an attack role that was being superseded by new jets such as A4D-1 Skyhawk, rather than any deficiency as a fighter.

    "The reason the FJ-3 was deployed a little longer and a little more often (19 times vs 16) in fighter squadrons than the F9F-8 probably wasn't because it was the better fighter. More likely it was because it has a minimal capability as an attack aircraft, whereas the F9F-8 was good for that too, including nuclear weapon delivery. In effect the F9F-8 was a jet attack placeholder along with the F7U-3M, while the pipeline was being filled with the FJ-4Bs and A4Ds. As a result, the FJ-3 was the designated day fighter by default on most deployments"

    Operational history

    United States

    The first F9F-6s were assigned to fleet squadron VF-32 at the end of 1952. The First F9F Cougar squadron to actually deploy was VF-24, assigned to USS Yorktown in August 1953 but arrived too late to the Korean theater to participate in the air war.

    F9F-8s were withdrawn from front-line service in 1958–59, replaced by F-11F Tigers and F-8U Crusaders. The Naval Reserves used them until the mid-1960s, but none of the single-seat versions were used in the Vietnam War.

    The only version of the Cougar to see combat was the TF-9J trainer (known as F9F-8T until 1962) during the Vietnam War. Detachments of four Cougars served with US Marines Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 11 (H&MS-11) at Da Nang and H&MS-13 at Chu Lai, where they were used for fast-Forward Air Control and the airborne command role, directing airstrikes against enemy positions in South Vietnam between 1966 and 1968.

    The TF-9J two-seat trainer had a long service with the U.S. Navy. It served as the Navy's advanced flight trainer for more than two decades. The proposed Cougar modification (reengined with a J52 engine) was rejected, and the Navy selected the TA-4F Skyhawk. The last Cougar was phased out when Training Squadron 4 (VT-4) re-equipped in February 1974. A F9F-8T, BuNo 14276, is displayed at the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

    Transcontinental speed record

    Despite missing the Korean war, the Navy put the F9F Cougar to good use setting the transcontinental crossing record on April 1, 1954. Three pilots from fleet fighter squadron VF-21 completed the 2,438-mile flight in under four hours with LCDR F.X. Brady setting the quickest time of 3 hours 45 minutes and 30 seconds. This was the first time the distance had been covered in under four hours. The three F9F-6 aircraft refueled over Kansas from a North American AJ Savage, using an experimental refueling probe mounted on the nose.

    Blue Angels

    The U.S. Navy's flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels flew four different variants of F9Fs from the F9F-2 Panther to the F9F-8. The Blue Angels replaced their six F9F-5 Panthers with six F9F-6s in 1953. This was short lived however and the Navy subsequently took them for fleet use without actually using the planes in an air show. They F9F-6s were then replaced with overhauled F9F-5s until 1954 when the Blue Angels switched to the F9F-8. The Blue Angels used the F9F-8 until 1957 they were replaced by the Grumman F11F-1 Tiger, although one two-seat F9F-8T was retained for press and VIP flights.

    Argentina

    The only foreign air arm to use the F9F Cougar was the Argentine Naval Aviation, who also used the F9F Panther as well. Two F9F-8T trainers were acquired in 1962, and served until 1971. The Cougar was the first jet to break the sound barrier in Argentina. One aircraft (serial 3-A-151) is on display at the Naval Aviation Museum (MUAN) at Bahía Blanca, while the other was sold to an owner in United States.

    Variants

    • XF9F-6 : First three prototypes of the F9F Cougar.
    • F9F-6 : 646 built; redesignated F-9F in 1962.
    • F9F-6P : 60 were built for reconnaissance; ;later redesignated RF-9J.
    • F9F-6D : drone directors, converted from F9F-6s; redesignated DF-9F in 1962.
    • F9F-6K : unmanned drones for combat training, converted from F9F-6s; redesignated QF-9F in 1962.
    • F9F-6PD : drone directors, converted from F9F-6Ps; redesignated DF-9F in 1962.
    • F9F-6K2 : an improved version of the F9F-6K target drone, converted from F9F-6s; redesignated QF-9G in 1962.
    • F9F-7 : 168 were built with the Allison J33 engine; most were converted to take J48s; redesignated F-9H in 1962.
    • F9F-8 : 601 aircraft; redesignated F-9J in 1962; they had up to 4 AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles
    • YF9F-8B : Prototype for a single-seat attack-fighter aircraft converted from a F9F-8; later redesignated YAF-9J.
    • F9F-8B : F9F-8s converted into single-seat attack-fighters; later redesignated AF-9J.
    • F9F-8P : 110 photo-reconnaissance versions; later redesignated RF-9F.
    • YF9F-8T : one F9F-8 aircraft converted into a prototype for the F9F-8T training aircraft; later redesignated YTF-9J.
    • F9F-8T : 377 two-seat trainers acquired; redesignated TF-9J in 1962.
    • NTF-9J : Two TF-9Js used for special test duties.
    • YF9F-9 : Original designation of the YF11F-1 Tiger prototypes. First flight was on 30 July 1954; redesignated in April 1955.

    Operators

    • Argentina : Argentine Navy – Argentine Naval Aviation.
    • United States :
      • United States Navy.
      • United States Marine Corps.

    Aircraft on display

    Argentina

    • F9F-8T : 0516/3-A-151 (Argentine Navy) – Argentine Naval Aviation Museum (Museo de la Aviacion Naval - MUAN) at Bahía Blanca, Argentina.

    United States

    F9F-6

    • 126670 – in storage at the National Air and Space Museum, Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility, Suitland, Maryland.
    • 128109 – National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola, Florida.
    • 127236 – New Iberia Veterans Memorial Building, New Iberia, Louisiana.

    F9F-6P

    • unknown – The Town of Tonawanda Veterans Memorial in the Town of Tonawanda, New York. The aircraft has been on display since 1959 and in 2009 was refurbished when the new Town of Tonawanda Veterans Memorial was created.
    • 127484 – Former Marine Corps aircraft has been a ground display for children to play on in Boysen Park in Anaheim, California, since about 1960. For safety reasons, in 1967 the aircraft was coated in gunite to cover sharp edges that had developed.
    • 127490 – Previously assigned to VC-61; was on static ground display for children in Larsen Park in San Francisco from 1959 to 1967, when it was replaced with a F-8 Crusader.

    F9F-7

    • 130763 – Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York.
    • 130802 – Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Horseheads, New York.

    F9F-8

    • 131063 – Texas Air Museum in Slaton, Texas.
    • 131230 – National Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola, Florida.
    • 131232 – Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.
    • 138876 – Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum in Pueblo, Colorado.
    • 141117 – Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York, New York. It is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation. It was built in Grumman's Bethpage factory in 1955 and retired from active service in 1965. It previously served as a gate guard for Naval Weapons Station Earle, and later was displayed at a playground in Wall Township, NJ. Once restored, it will wear the colors of fighter squadron VF-61, which flew from USS Intrepid in 1956.
    • 141121 – Pima Air & Space Museum, adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB, in Tucson, Arizona.
    • 144275 – Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. It is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation and is painted to represent the narrator's aircraft for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels precision flight demonstration team.

    F9F-8B

    • 144276 – Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park, Maryland.

    F9F-8P

    • 141675 – Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.
    • 141702 – USS Midway Museum in San Diego, California.
    • 141722 – Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California.
    • 144388 – Estrella Warbird Museum in Paso Robles, California.
    • 144426 – Pima Air & Space Museum, adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona.
    • 144402 – Military Aviation Preservation Society, M.A.P.S. in Canton, Ohio.

    F9F-8T

    • 142442 – The Town of Woodridge, New York.
    • 147276 – USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas.
    • 147283 – Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
    • 147385 – USS Yorktown (CV-10) at the Patriot's Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
    • 147397 – Pima Air & Space Museum, adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona.
    • 142985 – Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory Regional Airport (KHKY) in Hickory, North Carolina.

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    This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
    Source : Article Grumman F-9 Cougar of Wikipedia ( authors )

    Grumman F-9 Cougar

    • Role : Fighter aircraft.
    • National origin : United States.
    • Manufacturer : Grumman.
    • First flight : 20 September 1951.
    • Introduction : December 1952.
    • Retired : 1974, US Navy.
    • Primary users :
      • United States Navy.
      • United States Marine Corps.
      • Argentine Navy.
    • Number built : 1,988.
    • Developed from : Grumman F9F Panther.

      • Specifications (F9F-6/F-9F)

    • Crew : 1.
    • Length : 40 ft 11 in (12.47 m).
    • Height : 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m).
    • Wingspan : 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m).
    • Wing area : 300 ft² (27.87 m²).
    • Wing loading : 61 lb/ft² (300.3 kg/m²).
    • Empty weight : 11,483 lb (5,209 kg).
    • Loaded weight : 16,244 lb (7,368 kg).
    • Max. takeoff weight : 21,000 lb (9,525 kg).
    • Fuel capacity : 919 US gallons (3,480 L).
    • Max. speed : 654 mph at loaded weight (568 kts, 1,051.9 km/h).
    • Cruise speed : 541 mph (470 kts, 870.4 km/h).
    • Range : 932 mi (810 nmi, 1,500 km) without additional tanks.
    • Service ceiling : 44,500 ft (13,564 m).
    • Rate of climb : 6,750 ft/min at loaded weight (34.3 m/s).
    • Powerplant : One Pratt & Whitney J48-P-8A turbojet.
    • Thrust : 7,250 lbf (38 kN).
    • Armament :
      • Guns : Four 20 mm (0.79 in) AN/M3 cannon, 190 rounds per gun.
      • Rockets : Six 5 in (127 mm) rockets.
      • Missiles : Four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
      • Bombs : Two 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs on inboard pylons plus two 500 lb (227 kg) bombs on outer pylons

    — — — = = — — —

    This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
    Source : Article Grumman F-9 Cougar of Wikipedia ( authors )
    Grumman F9F Cougar : Your comments on this subject
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    Administrators shall in no case be liable for the non-availability of websites operated by third parties to which users would access through the Website.

    Administrators assume no liability for any content, advertising, products and/or services available on such third party websites. It is reminded that those sites are governed by their own terms of use.

    Placing a link to third party sites or authorize a third party to include a link on their website refering to this Website does not mean that the Administrators recommend in any way the products or services offered by these websites.

    Modifications

    The Webmaster reserves the right to modify at any time without notification the present terms of use as well as all content or specific functionality that the Website offers.

    The modified terms and conditions immediately apply to the using Visitor when changes come online. Visitors are invited to consult the site regularly on the most current version of the terms and conditions

    Governing Law and Jurisdiction

    These general conditions are governed by Belgian law.

    In case of dispute regarding the interpretation and/or execution of the above terms, the parties agree that the courts of the district of Nivelles, Belgium shall have exclusive jurisdiction power.

    Credits page

    Wikipedia.org

    Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia.

    Youtube

    YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, view and share videos.

    Special thanks to all Youtube quality aviation vids providers, specially (Those I forgot, please excuse me or report) :

    Airboyd
    Andys Video
    Aviation videos archives
    Bomberguy
    Classic Aviation TV
    Historical Aviation Film Unit
    Horsemoney
    Jaglavaksoldier
    Joluqa Malta
    Just Planes
    Koksy
    Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture
    Memorial Flight
    Octane130
    Okrajoe
    SDASM archives
    Spottydog4477
    The Aviators TV
    Valentin Izagirre Bengoetxea
    Vexed123
    VonBerlich
    Zenos Warbirds

    Bundesarchiv

    The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv are the National Archives of Germany.

    FAQ

    I don't see my comments any more!

    Please note that each page has it's own comment entry. So, if you enter a comment i.e. on the B-747, you will only see it on that related page.

    General comments are accessed via the "BLOG En" button.

    Comments are moderated, so please allow some delay before they appear, specially if you are outside Europe.

    Menus are developing below the page, because they are too long!

    But they remain accessible, for example by scrolling the mouse wheel, or with your finger (on the menu) on a smartphone or tablet.

    I see adds on all videos.

    Use a good free add remover software.

    The site is loading random pages at startup.

    We think it is a good way to bring back the memory of aircraft, persons or events sometimes quite forgotten.

    HELP PAGE

    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).