When American and British aircraft carriers were placed in combat positions in

Korean coastal waters, it was increased the activity of the naval fighter-bombers.
On the American side, ground attack

missions were carried by piston-engined aircraft, such as the Vought F4U Corsair
and the Douglas AD Skyraider, to which joined in increasing numbers the turbojet
fighter-bombers Grumman F9F

Panther. The origins of the Panther dated back to 1946, when the US Navy signed a
contract with the Grumman Aircraft Corporation for the construction of a prototype
of night fighter, designed as

XF9F-1, propelled by four turbojet engines Westinghouse J30-WE-20. But, in the next
October, the Bureau of Aeronautics decided to abandon the development of the XF9F-1
in favor of a single-engined

diurnal fighter, denominated XF9F-2, propelled by a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet

engine. Two prototypes were ordered, XF9F2 and XF9F3; the first one flew the 24th
November 1947, propelled by the Nene

engine, while the second one flew in August 1948, propelled by an Allison J33A-8
engine. The initial series lot of F9F-2 aircraft was equipped with the engine Pratt
& Whitney J42-P-6, which was a

licensed version of the Nene. It is notable the fact that the engine Klimov VK-1
installed in the MiG-15 was actually another copy of the Rolls-Royce Nene.
Permanently attached wingtip-mounted fuel

tanks were a characteristic of all Panthers since early in the program.[p]

The Panther entered service with the VF-51 Fighter Squadron in May 1949, replacing
the North American FJ-1 Fury, a transitional turbojet fighter produced in very
small numbers, but which would

serve as the basement for the development of the successful F-86 Sabre. The Panther
entered action for the first time when the aircraft of the VF-51, operating from
the USS Valley Forge,
flew to cover the attacks against the enemy airfields and supply lines near
Pyongyang, in July 1950. During this mission, two pilots from the VF-51 shot down
two veteran Yakovlev Yak-9 with their

Panthers; these were the first downings achieved by the US Navy in Korea. Later, in
November, another Panther from the VF-111 Fighter Squadron would be the first US
Navy's turbojet fighter to shoot

down a MiG-15. The Panthers became a mainstay of the Navy and Marine forces in
Korea and remained in use, in successive versions which included the swept-winged
F9F-6, until the early 1960s.[p]
[aimg96]high_res/aircraft_united_states/
grumman_f9f_panther_fighter_aircraft.jpg[*aimg96]low_res/aircraft_united_states/
grumman_f9f_panther_fighter_aircraft.jpg[/aimg96][br]
[fs]Grumman F9F-2 Panther (number 31) stationed at the Naval Air Station Barbers
Point, in Honolulu, circa 1959.[/span][p]
[aimg96]high_res/aircraft_united_states/
grumman_f9f_panther_fighter_aircraft_photo_01.jpg[*aimg96]low_res/
aircraft_united_states/grumman_f9f_panther_fighter_aircraft_photo_01.jpg[/aimg96]
[br]
[fs]Two Panther, from the VF-721 Fighter Squadron operating in the USS Boxer, fly
to join the attacks on Wonsan, North Korea, the 15th July 1951.[/span][p]
[b]Specifications for F9F-2 Panther[/span][p]
[box]
Type: Carrier-based fighter-bomber[p]
Propulsion plant: One Pratt & Whitney J42-P-6 with 2700 kilograms of thrust[p]
Maximum speed at 6000 meters of altitude: 922 kilometers/hour[p]
Time to reach 6000 meters of altitude: 2 minutes 30 seconds[p]
Maximum range: 2100 kilometers[p]
Service ceiling: 13600 meters[p]
Weight (empty): 4220 kilograms[p]
Weight (full load): 7460 kilograms[p]
Wingspan: 11.58 meters[p]
Length: 11.35 meters[p]
Height: 3.45 meters[p]
Wing area: 23 square meters[p]
Armament: Four Hispano-Suiza M2 20-millimeter cannons; up to 907 kilograms of
rockets/bombs[p]
[/div][p]
Later, a second turbojet fighter, the McDonnell F2H Banshee, would join the Panther
in their runs. The Banshee was a development from the FH-1 Phantom, project
originated in 1943, which became the

first turbojet aircraft designed to operate from carriers. Initially designed as

XFD-1, the Phantom flew for the first time the 25th January 1945, propelled by two
Westinghouse J30 axial-flow

turbojet engines. After the trials in carriers, 100 aircraft were ordered, albeit
this number was finally reduced to 60. The 5th May 1948, the 17-A Fighter Squadron,
equipped with 16 aircraft FH-1,

became the first turbojet squadron qualified for carriers of the US Navy, operating
from the USS Saipan. This aircraft remained in first line of service until July
1950, being the VMF-122 Marine

Fighter Squadron its last operator. The successor of the FH-1, the McDonnell F2H
Banshee, was born from a contract for a turbojet fighter-bomber that should
overcome the limitations of the FH-1.

The prototype, named XF2D-1, flew for the first time the 11th January 1947,
propelled by two Westinghouse J34 turbojet engines. This aircraft was practically
an enlarged reproduction of the

Phantom, bigger in size, bigger in propulsion power and bigger in operational

range, one of the weak points of the first turbojet aircraft, which devoured fuel,
starting so the "fashion" of

wingtip-mounted fuel tanks in the American post-war aircraft.[p]

The first series aircraft F2H-1 were delivered to the VF-171 Marine Fighter
Squadron in March 1949. The Banshee entered combat for the first time the 23rd
August 1951, when the aircraft F2H-2 from

the VF-172 operating in the USS Exeter attacked targets in north-western Korea,
where this aircraft demonstrated to be an optimal fighter-bomber. From the version
F2H-2 were added 760-liter

wingtip-mounted fuel tanks, which were detachable unlike the ones mounted in the
Panther. The version F2H-2B had strengthened portside weapons pylon for holding the
Mk 8 nuclear bomb which weighed

1465 kilograms. The F2H-2N was a night fighter version fitted with an APS-19 radar
housed in a lengthened nose. The F2H-2P was a reconnaissance version fitted with
six photographic cameras housed

in a lengthened nose. The version F2H-3 - later F-2C - was a major improvement for
an all-weather fighter fitted with the APQ-41 radar in a lengthened nose and
increased fuel capacity in a

lengthened fuselage with redesigned tail. The F2H-4 - later F-2D - was similar to
the former but had installed an APG-37 radar. The Banshee started to be retired
from the US Navy and US Marine

Corps in 1959 and from the Royal Canadian Navy in 1962.[p]

[aimg96]high_res/aircraft_united_states/
mcdonnell_fh2_banshee_and_vought_f4u_corsair_fighter_aircraft.jpg[*aimg96]low_res/
aircraft_united_states/
mcdonnell_fh2_banshee_and_vought_f4u_corsair_fighter_aircraft.jpg[/aimg96][br]
[fs]An FH2 Banshee flying together with a veteran F4U Corsair.[/span][p]
[b]Specifications for F2H-3 Banshee[/span][p]
[box]
Type: Carrier-based fighter-bomber[p]
Propulsion plant: Two Westinghouse J34-WE-34 with 1475 kilograms of thrust each[p]
Maximum speed at sea level: 933 kilometers/hour[p]
Time to reach 6000 meters of altitude: 2 minutes 30 seconds[p]
Maximum range: 2760 kilometers[p]
Service ceiling: 14200 meters[p]
Weight (empty): 5980 kilograms[p]
Weight (full load): 11435 kilograms[p]
Wingspan: 12.73 meters[p]
Length: 14.68 meters[p]
Height: 3.62 meters[p]
Wing area: 27.30 square meters[p]
Armament: Four Colt Mk 16 20-millimeter cannons; up to 1416 kilograms of
rockets/bombs[p]
[/div][p]