F9F Cougar in Detail & Scale (Digital Detail & Scale Series Book 2) [Kindle Edition]

The renowned Detail & Scale Series continues with the newest title, F9F Cougar in Detail & Scale, covering the development, history, color schemes, markings, and details of one of the United States Navy’s first operational swept wing jet fighters. Over the past 35 years, Detail & Scale has published six monographs, 69 full sized volumes, and, earlier this year, its first digital-only book, F3H Demon in Detail & Scale. The Digital Detail & Scale Series now continues with F9F Cougar in Detail & Scale, the most comprehensive and detailed book ever published on this iconic aircraft from the Grumman Ironworks.

F9F Cougar in Detail & Scale continues the series focus on specific aircraft details, including cockpit, fuselage, wings, landing gear, engine and armament, but it includes so much more. It features a detailed look at the developmental history of the F9F Cougar, that begins with the prototypes, and continues with the F9F-6 in both fighter and photo-reconnaissance versions, and the F9F-7 Allison-engined variant. Finally, it covers the ultimate F9F-8 variant in its fighter, attack, and photo-reconnaissance versions, as well as the two-seat F9F-8T. This aircraft, subsequently designated as the TF-9J, filled a training role with the Navy until the mid-1970s, and was the only version of the Cougar to see combat when the Marines used the aircraft in the Fast FAC role in Vietnam.

A comprehensive pilots’ report is included, featuring reminiscences from five Naval aviators who flew every Cougar variant. The aircraft details chapter, long the hallmark of the Detail & Scale Series, covers the cockpit, windscreen and canopy, internal armament, fuselage, wings, pylons & external stores, landing gear, tail and engine assemblies. This chapter alone contains more than 130 photos, mostly in color, that highlight every aspect of this important aircraft.

Another chapter covers all of the paint schemes featured on Cougars as they were flown by the Navy and Marines, including a section on drone and drone controller aircraft. This is followed by a comprehensive, 10-section chapter on Navy and Marine squadrons that flew all variants of the Cougar during its operational service. Finally, as with all books in the Detail & Scale Series, a detailed look at all of the scale model kits that have been released of the Cougar is presented, including a preview of the two new F9F kits being released by the Kitty Hawk Modeling Company in 2014.

F9F Cougar in Detail & Scale features more than 70,000 words of text, over 400 pages, more than 530 photos, color detail drawings, and 43 full color aircraft profiles which accurately depict the Cougar in a variety of colorful schemes.