Vought F7U Cutlass - Operational History

Operational History

Three prototypes were ordered in 1946, with the first example flying on 29 September 1948, piloted by Vought's Chief Test Pilot, J. Robert Baker. The maiden flight took place from Naval Air Station Patuxent River and was not without its problems. During testing one of the prototypes reached a maximum speed of 625 mph (1,058 km/h)

Production orders were placed for the F7U-1 in a specification very close to the prototypes, and further developed F7U-2 and F7U-3 versions with more powerful engines. Because of development problems with the powerplant, however, the F7U-2 would never be built, while the F7U-3 would incorporate many refinements suggested by tests of the -1. The first 16 F7U-3s had non-afterburning Allison J35-29 engines. The -3 with its Westinghouse J46-WE-8B turbojets would eventually become the definitive production version, with 288 aircraft equipping 13 U.S. Navy squadrons. Further development stopped once the Vought F8U Crusader flew.

The F7U bore the fleet nickname of the Gutless Cutlass in reference to its lack of sufficient engine thrust; consequently its carrier landing and takeoff performance was notoriously poor. The J35 was known to flame out in rain, a very serious fault.

The first fleet squadron to receive F7Us was Fighter Squadron 81 (VF-81) in April 1954; the last with Cutlasses was Attack Squadron 66 (VA-66) in November 1957. Few squadrons made deployments with the type, and most "beached" them ashore during part of the cruise owing to operating difficulties. Those units known to have taken the type to sea were:

• Fighter Squadron 124 (VF-124), USS Hancock (CVA-19), August 1955 – March 1956;
• Fighter Squadron 81 (VF-81), USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14), November 1955 – August 1956;
• Attack Squadron 86 (VA-86), USS Forrestal (CVA-59), January – March 1956 Shakedown Cruise;
• Attack Squadron 83 (VA-83), USS Intrepid (CVA-11), March – September 1956;
• VA-116, USS Hancock (CVA-19),
• Attack Squadron 151 (VA-151), USS Lexington (CVA-16),
• Attack Squadron 212 (VA-212), USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31), August 1956 – February 1957.
• Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 4 (VX-4), USS Shangri-La (CVA-38) and USS Lexington (CVA-16)