GRUMMAN F9F COUGAR

[svekalex]

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]

Now is your chance to buy it!


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

[Dan K]

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!

[svekalex]

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

[Jack Cook]

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]

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]

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

[marine air]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

Last edited by MX304 on Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[cg51]

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]

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]