Vought F7U-3 Cutlass: New Book

Crecy Publishing launched a series of books: Famous American Aircraft featuring the Vought F7U-3 Cutlass
The Chance Vought F7U Cutlass, a pioneer of the time. When it flew for the first time in 1948, its design was a marvel of modernity and exoticism. It featured a jet-powered fighter with no tail, powered by afterburning engines. The F-86 Sabre, a new carrier-based fighter with swept-wings from North American Air Force, was to climb faster and move at a higher speed. It took too long for it to be operationalized due to development problems, and this is partly responsible for the Cutlass’s relatively short career. Its lack of horizontal tail was also intended to help with transonic pitch control problems, but it turned out that they could be avoided. The F7U-3 was introduced to service before the Navy had perfected its process of transitioning new pilots into the aircraft. This is especially important for the Cutlass, which has unusual handling characteristics, including a phenomenon known as the “post-stall gyration”. The F7U-3 was first used before the development of the concept of angled decks, which made it easier to land high-performance fighter jets on carriers. It’s often listed, perhaps unjustly, as one of the worst jet fighters in history. It was genuinely innovative in many respects and this new detailed history of the development and operation of the type provides a more balanced perspective on what was a fascinating aircraft.