F-9F Panther КНИГИ ;ВОЕННАЯ ИСТОРИЯ F-9F Panther (Detail and Scale 15)ByBert Kinzey, Ernest J. GentlePublisher:Squadron/Signal Pubns 1999 71PagesISBN: 0816850259PDF10 MBDuring WWII Grumman's F4F Wildcat and F6F Hell­cat were regarded as simple, rugged, dependable, and efficient fighters. They were simple in design, which made them easy to mass produce and to main­tain. They were simple to fly. so that large numbers of young college boys could be quickly taught to fly them in combat and on and off carrier decks. This allowed for a rapid expansion of Naval aviation in those early desperate days of the war. Their rugged dependable design brought many pilots back "home" across an unforgiving ocean after substantial battle damage had been received. Spectacular crashes aboard ship, that in some cases literally cut the air­craft in two, often resulted in little or no injury to the pilot. These first two "cats" earned Grumman a repu­tation that prompted one observer to say. "The name Grumman on an airplane is like the name Sterling on silver." sharingmatrixletitbit 85 1 2 3 4 5