Ginter Books – Grumman F9F-6P/8P Photo-Cougar 067

Next to the helicopter, the photo aircraft are among the less glamorous aircraft aboard ship but are some of the most important because without them the ship would be blind.

F9F-6P/8P photo Cougar replaced the F9F-5P photo Panther in two Navy and 2 USMC squadrons in 1954. It was replaced in 1956 by the more capable F9F-8P photo cougar, of which 100 aircraft were built. F9F-8P’s were replaced by the supersonic F8U-1P photo Crusader starting in 1958, with the last F9F-8P retiring from the fleet in early 1961. Two Navy squadrons provided 3-aircraft detachments to both the Atlantic and the Pacific Fleet Carriers.