F11F Tiger Pilot Manual

As the Blue Angels' aircraft in the late 1950s, Grumman's F11F-1 Tiger came to symbolize the speed and might of Navy airpower. The Tiger's design incorporated the area rule to enable cruising speeds up to 1.1 Mach. The prototype flew in 1954, and carrier trials commenced in 1956.

Eventually seven squadrons flew F11Fs. Hampered by maintenance issues, and the fact that the Vought Crusader proved superior, the Tiger had a short service life, withdrawn from carrier duty after four years, in 1961. Only 199 were built. The remaining Tigers flew in a training capacity, and the Blue Angels continued to fly them for over a decade, 1957-1969.

Originally printed by the U.S. Navy, this handbook provides a fascinating glimpse inside the cockpit of the Tiger. Originally classified "restricted", the manual was declassified and is here reprinted in book form.

210 pages, 8.5x11, b&w with color covers.