GRUMMAN F9F COUGAR

svekalex · **Joined:** Sat Sep 10, 2005 12:27 pm **Posts:** 16

Does any one know much about the F9F Cougar that was restored, flown and then lost in the early 1990s? Are there any other private Cougars out there? Photos anyone? THanks,

Broken-Wrench · **Joined:** Sun Oct 24, 2004 12:37 pm **Posts:** 1197

Now is your chance to buy it!

http://www.kruse.com/realty_special/auc ... etail.html

Dan K · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:23 am

Holy Toledo! That's quite an auction--first I've heard of it.

Not quite sure about those liquid-cooled Ranger L-440's though! :wink:

svekalex · **Joined:** Sat Sep 10, 2005 12:27 pm **Posts:** 16

Thanks but I was curious about the Cougar lost in the Gulf Of Mexico not the Panther.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:16 am

The pilot Col. John Verde flew F9Fs in Korea and commanded a F-4 Phantom squadron in VN. He was a legend in Marine Corps Aviation. Has I remember he was returning from the Museum of flying Auction where the plane was up for sale. Unfortunately he and the F9 were not certified for IFR flight and the conditions were heavy IFR. I don't believe a trace of he, his pax or the a/c was ever found.

RickH · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:00 pm

That TF-9-F was at the Wings Over Houston Airshow as an ad hoc static and departed from here on its final flight.

Eric Friedebach · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:35 pm

I was talking with someone about this not too long ago. Did this aircraft come on the circuit around 1985?

marine air · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:22 pm

For a while there were three restored to fly panther/cougars in the mid 1980's >
1) the late Dr. Jack Levine's F-9F Panther
2) The F-9F of Arthur Wolk's which I believe became Cavanaugh's
3) and the TF-9G Cougar two place restored by the Whittingtons.
Levine was killed in a P-51 and his all blue Panther was sold.
Cavanaugh's with the red nose, which is still around.
There are half a dozen projects around a for a while Howard Pardu had one but resold it .
The Whittington's Cougar which flew for about a year and a half. It was flown to an warbird auction in California, and failed to meet minimum reserve. It was being flown back to Miami when the pilot stopped for fuel in Louisiana. He intended to fly directly over the gulf however just off shore near New Orleans he radioed that he had a flame out. He established a glide and was in contact with New Orleans approach when the airplane disappeared and was never recovered. Until last year when they found it in a marsh with the remains of the pilot still inside. He rode it in. The Whittingtons have always had an air of "mystery" around them so you can imagine the wild speculation about where the pilot and airplane disappeared.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:28 pm

Quote:

1) the late Dr. Jack Levine's F-9F Panther
2) The F-9F of Arthur Wolk's which I believe became Cavanaugh's
3) and the TF-9G Cougar two place restored by the Whittingtons

Art Wolk purchased Jack Levine's F9F. The wreckage is i believe at the air Zoo in storage.
Harry Doan's F9F which was VERY marginally flyable was the one purchased and restored by Cavanaugh.
It's a TF-9J (or F9F-8T).
I have never heard before that it and Col Verde were found.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11282

marine air wrote:

The Whittington's Cougar which flew for about a year and a half. It was flown to an warbird auction in California, and failed to meet minimum reserve. It was being flown back to Miami when the pilot stopped for fuel in Louisiana. He intended to fly directly over the gulf however just off shore near New Orleans he radioed that he had a flame out. He established a glide and was in contact with New Orleans approach when the airplane disappeared and was never recovered. Until last year when they found it in a marsh with the remains of the pilot still inside. He rode it in. The Whittingtons have always had an air of "mystery" around them so you can imagine the wild speculation about where the pilot and airplane disappeared.

http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X18291&key=1

http://162.58.35.241/acdatabase/NNumSQL.asp?NNumbertxt=24WJ&cmndfind.x=11&cmndfind.y=11

kr1360 · **Joined:** Fri Jul 01, 2005 2:46 pm **Posts:** 18

In the Mid to late 80s there was a Panther and Skyraider, both very stock,parked by the south east corner of Oakland Pontiac airport in Michigan owned by By a gentleman, who I believe also owned a Mustang and was killed in the crash of the Mustang.

Chad Veich · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:17 pm

marine air wrote:

Until last year when they found it in a marsh with the remains of the pilot still inside. He rode it in.

First I've heard of this, is there any place on the web to substantiate this information?

MX304 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:24 pm

The Cavanaugh bird is NICE. I'm not sure if it is till being flown or not.

cg51 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:48 pm

This is the Cougar that went missing over the golf 14 years ago today[url]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/cgruz/cougar.jpg
hope the link works![/url]

cg51 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:01 pm

Got it to work! This is the Cougar that went missing 14 years ago today![img][img]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/cgruz/cougar.jpg[/img][/img]

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GRUMMAN F9F COUGAR

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