Grumman’s First Supersonic Jet
The F11F (later F-11) Tiger was the Navy’s second supersonic fighter, entering service in the 1955 as the Navy was phasing out its slow straight-winged jets. The F11F was originally conceived as an updated version of Grumman’s F9F Cougar, but the project developed into a completely new fighter.
In its later service, the Tiger served as the plane of choice for the Blue Angels through the 1960s. Most famously, the F11F was the first plane to shoot itself down, after testing firing its guns while in a supersonic dive.