Vought F7U Cutlass

Vought F7U Cutlass
U.S. Navy · Public domain · source
Name	Vought F7U Cutlass
Caption	Vought F7U Cutlass in flight
Type	Carrier-based jet fighter/interceptor
Manufacturer	Chance Vought
First flight	1948
Introduced	1952
Retired	1959 (US Navy)
Primary user	United States Navy
Produced	1950s

Vought F7U Cutlass The Vought F7U Cutlass was an early post–World War II carrier-based jet fighter and interceptor built by Chance Vought for the United States Navy, notable for its tailless, swept-wing canard-like configuration and pioneering use of twin axial-flow turbojets. Designed during the late 1940s, the Cutlass represented an ambitious attempt to translate advanced aerodynamic concepts into naval aviation, but its operational career was limited by engine unreliability, structural problems, and challenging carrier suitability.

Design and development

Chance Vought initiated the Cutlass program amid a wave of postwar innovations influenced by designs such as the North American P-51 Mustang, Gloster Meteor, Messerschmitt Me 262, and aerodynamic research from institutions including the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and Convair. The airframe featured a radical tailless layout with a mid-mounted swept wing, twin turbojet nacelles, and a cruciform control arrangement inspired by glider and rocket designs evaluated by Langley Research Center and NACA engineers. Powerplants evolved from early Westinghouse and Allison turbojets to more powerful variants as development proceeded, while avionics suites incorporated radar concepts being explored by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, General Electric, and naval laboratories supporting fleet air defense requirements emphasized by Chief of Naval Operations planning. Structural choices reflected metallurgical advances from firms like Carpenter Technology Corporation and fatigue testing protocols derived from studies at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.

Operational history

After carrier trials aboard vessels such as USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) and USS Coral Sea (CVB-43), frontline squadrons including VF-32 (U.S. Navy) and VF-52 (U.S. Navy) received Cutlasses in the early 1950s. Operational deployment occurred during a period of rapid naval aviation change that also involved contemporaries like the Grumman F9F Panther, McDonnell F3H Demon, and Douglas F4D Skyray. Squadrons confronted recurring engine failures traced to suppliers including Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Allison Engine Company, while arrestor gear and catapult compatibility tested shipboard procedures developed aboard USS Midway (CV-41). Maintenance and safety burdens prompted accelerated retirements influenced by policy decisions from Bureau of Naval Weapons and Congressional oversight by committees such as the House Armed Services Committee. The Cutlass saw limited service and no combat deployments, and its retirement reflected lessons that informed later designs like the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.

Variants

Vought produced several variants and prototypes, reflecting iterative changes in powerplant, avionics, and structural reinforcement. Early prototypes and experimental airframes led to production models tailored for fleet use, with variant designations reflecting modifications overseen by the United States Navy Bureau of Aeronautics and testing at Naval Air Test Center. Developmental work paralleled other postwar programs such as the Northrop F-89 Scorpion and the Lockheed XF-90 concepts, and variant tooling involved subcontractors like Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation and Hawker Siddeley in component testing. Specific variant nomenclature corresponded to different engine installations and mission-fit equipment that attempted to meet evolving interceptor specifications from Naval Air Systems Command.

Survivors and display

A limited number of Cutlass airframes survive in museum collections and on public display, presented by institutions such as the National Naval Aviation Museum, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and regional museums connected to naval aviation history like the Milwaukee Public Museum and the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Preserved examples are frequently exhibited alongside contemporaries including the Grumman F9F Panther and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, and are used in educational programs supported by organizations such as the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and veteran associations like the Tailhook Association to illustrate early jet-era carrier aviation.

Specifications

Typical specifications varied by production model. General characteristics included twin axial-flow turbojet engines developed from units by Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Allison Engine Company, a tailless swept wing with pronounced wingtip surfaces, a length and wingspan comparable to other contemporaries like the McDonnell F2H Banshee, and a single-pilot cockpit fitted with instrumentation derived from systems by Honeywell International Inc. and Collins Aerospace. Performance parameters—maximum speed, range, service ceiling—were affected by engine selection and airframe modifications performed under contracts administered by the Department of the Navy and tested at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

Accidents and safety issues

The Cutlass program experienced a high accident rate attributed to unreliable engines, arrestor hook and landing gear failures, and structural problems revealed under carrier landing loads; investigations involved participation from Naval Air Systems Command, accident boards convened by the Judge Advocate General's Corps (United States Navy), and technical analyses by contractors such as Bureau of Aeronautics consultants. Losses precipitated policy responses and informed safety directives adopted across naval aviation, influencing procurement and testing processes overseen by entities like the Chief of Naval Operations and Congressional panels including the House Armed Services Committee.

Category:United States Navy aircraft Category:Carrier-based aircraft