General Description

The F9F-5 (Panther) airplane is a single seat, folding mid-wing, high-performance-day fighter, equipped with tricycle landing gear and powered by a J48-P-6A engine. It is designed to operate from carriers and ordinary landing fields. The turbo-jet engine of this model airplane is fueled by a pressurized (constant feed) system that includes two self-sealing cells in the fuselage and two wing tip tanks with all fuel feeding thru the front fuselage cell. Combustion air is taken in thru duct openings in the wing stub leading edges. Hinged doors at the fuselage spine suck open to provide additional air under take-off and low speed flight conditions. A pressure operated water injection system is provided. The cabin is equipped with a pressurizing and air conditioning system. The landing gear, wing flaps and movable leading edge, dive brakes, gun chargers, cabin canopy, aileron control booster, aileron emergency control linkage, wheel brakes, wing folding, seat adjustment and arresting hook and tail skid raising are operated by the hydraulic system.

The gross weight, without external stores, is between 11,500 and 17,500 pounds depending on amount of gasoline and ammunition onboard. Addition of external stores (bombs, rockets, etc.) could add up to 3,465 pounds to the above figures. Use of JP-3 or JP-4 fuel in internal and tip tanks would add 500 pounds to the take-off gross weight.

  For a larger image, click the drawing.

Dimensions

The principal three-point dimensions of the aircraft are shown below:

Power Plant

The J48-P-6A centrifugal flow type turbo-jet engine is equipped with a booster fuel pump, two main fuel pumps and a fuel control unit that automatically adjusts for engine speed and altitude changes. This fuel control unit has a primary and an emergency system.

Cockpit Instrument Panel

  For a larger image, click the picture

 1. Normal (Hydraulic) Canopy Control Lever
 2. Radio Altimeter (AN/APN-I) Low Limit Warning Light
 3. Emergency (Air) Canopy Control Lever
 4. Low Fuel Boost Pressure Warning Light
 5. Oil Pressure Indicator
 6. Location of Dive Brake Position Indicator
7. Radio Altimeter
 8. Armament Switch Panel
 9. MK 8 Mod 0 Gunsight Unit
10. Accelerometer
11. ID-295/APG-30 Tracking Indicator
12. Stand-by Compass
13. Elapsed Time Clock
14. Fire Warning Lights
15. Fuel Quantity Gage Press-To-Test Switch Button
16. Fire Warning Light Circuit Test Switch
17. Clock
18. Arresting Hook Position Warning Light
19. Fuselage Sliding Nose Unlocked Warning Light
20. Cabin Altimeter
21. Arresting Hook and Barrier Guard Control Handle
22. Arresting Hook Raising Switch Button
23. Fuel Flowmeter
24. Low Fuel Level Warning Light
25. Radio Compass Indicator
26. Fuel Quantity Gage
27. Rate-of-Climb Indicator
28. Fast Erecting Gyro Horizon
29. Turn and Bank Indicator
30. G-2 Remote Compass Indicator
31. Sensitive Altimeter
32. Maximum Allowable Airspeed Indicator
33. Tailpipe Temperature Indicator
34. Elevator Trim Tab Control Switch
35. Tachometer
36. Airstart Emergency Igniter Control
37. Wheels and Flaps Position Indicator
38. Landing Gear Normal Control Lever (Warning Light in Handle)
39. Movable Leading Edge Position Indicator
40. Emergency Landing Gear T Handle Control
41. Water Injection Toggle Switch

Cockpit Port (Left) Console

    For a larger image, click the picture

   2. Emergency Dive Brakes UP T-Handle (Override Control)
 3. Anti-G Suit Tube (Personal Gear Composite Disconnect to Suit)
 4. Cabin Thermometer
 5. Canopy Defroster Tube
 6. Microphone Plug (Personal Gear Composite Disconnect to Microphone)
 7. Cabin Pressure Dump Control
 8. Cabin Pressure Regulator
 9. MK 20 Mod 0 AFCS Control Rheostats
10. Tab for Personal Gear Connections
11. C-637/APG-30 Gun Ranging Radar Control
12. Rudder Tab Control
13. Wing Flap Control
14. Tip Tank Dump Switch
15. Ejection Seat Pre-ejection Lever
16. Tip Tank Fuel Flow Warning Lights (Left and Right Tanks)
17. Tip Tank Selector Switches (Left and Right Tanks)
18. Dive Brake Control (on throttle)
19. deleted
20. Emergency Fuel System-ON Indicator Warning Light
21. Fuel Boost Pump Cut-off Switch Button
22. Engine Fuel System Selector Switch
23. Water Injection Pressure Indicator
24. Engine Fuel Pumps (Top and Bottom Pumps) Failure Warning Light
25. Water Injection Quantity (FULL) Press-to-test Indicator Light
26. Canopy Control (Normal Hydraulic)
27. Guns – 5” HVAR Selector Switch (AFCS Control)
28. Dive Angle, 35° and Under, 35° and Over Selector Switch (AFCS Control)
29. MK 51 - Ready-Safe Switches (Lit and RH)
30. Canopy Control (Emergency Air)
31. Water Injection Toggle Switch
32. Emergency Landing Gear T-Handle
33. Landing Check-off List
34. Location of MK 2 Mod 0 Rocket Selector
35. Landing Gear Normal Control Lever
36. Oxygen Regulator
37. Relief Tube
38. Catapult Grip
39. Throttle Friction Control
40. Throttle Lever
41. Aileron Tab Control
42. Emergency Elevator Trim Tab Control Positioning Switch
43. Elevator Trim Tab Position Indicator and Selector Switch
44. AN/APN-1 Altitude Limit Switch
45. Emergency Elevator Trim Tab Control Positioning Switch
46. Brake Emergency T-Handle
47. Bomb Emergency Release (MKS1 Rack Only)
48. Dive Brake Circuit Breaker Reset Button
49. Dive Brake Emergency Landing Override Switch

Cockpit Starboard (Right) Console

  For a larger image, click the picture.

 1. Circuit Breaker Re-set Button Panel (See Detail B)
 2. Cabin Pressurizing and Heating Control Panel
 3. Arresting Hook Raising Switch Button
 4. Arresting Hook and Barrier Guard Control
 5. Fuselage Sliding Nose Unlocked Warning Light
 6. Arresting Hook Position Warning Light
 7. Exterior Lights Switch Panel
 8. Interior Lights Switch Panel
 9. Engine and Miscellaneous Controls Switch Panel
10. Chartboard Stowage Latch
11. Chartboard Stowage Channel
12. Fuse Panel
13. C-149/ARN-6 Radio Compass Control
14. Hydraulic Pressure On-Off Control
15. Aileron Booster On-Off Control Switch
16. Wing Folding and Locking Controls
17. Unit II Servo Radar Range Aero 1A
18. Spare Lamp and Fuse Container
19. Emergency Hydraulic Pump Switch
20. Utility Receptacle
21. Emergency Hydraulic Pump Pressure Gage
22. Map Case
23. Hydraulic System Pressure Gage
24. C-544/APX-6 Radar Set Control
95. C-116/ARR-2A Control
26. C-U5/ARC-1 Control
27. C-127A/ARC Master Control
28. Battery and Generator Switch
29. Generator Warning Light
30. Voltammeter
31. Seat Height Control
32. Inverter Changeover Switch and Warning Light
33. Stand-by Temperature Control Switch
34. Ram Air Vent Switch
35. Pressurizing and Heating System Control Switch
36. Pressurizing and Heating System Combat-Normal Control Switch
37. Automatic Temperature Control Rheostat
38. Auto-Manual Code Selector Switch
39. Manual Coding Indicator Light
40. Exterior Lights Control Switches (4)
41. Code Letter Selector Control
42. Master Exterior Lights Selector Control
43. Manual Coding Key
44. Instrument Lights Control
45. Console Lights Control
46. G-2 Compass Switch
47. Fast Erecting Gyro-Horizon Warning Light
48. Pitot Tube and Stall Warning Heater Switch
49. Fast Erecting Gyro-Horizon Switch
50. Engine Cranking Switch
51 Fuel Master Switch
52. Engine Starting Master Switch
53. Tail Skid Down Switch (for Catapult Take-off)

    All above text, illustrations and photos were taken from:
Pilots Handbook, Navy Models, F9F-5, -5P Aircraft -  AN 01-85FGC-1.

The model described/shown above,
is nearly identical to the model flown in 1950.