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Description
The F11F Tiger was a supersonic, carrier-based fighter jet developed
in the 1950s for the U.S. Navy. The Tiger’s fuselage implemented an aerodynamic principle called the area rule. The pinched-waist shape of the fuselage made the airplane narrower in the middle and wider forward and aft. This special shape reduced drag and enabled the Tiger to attain supersonic speed.
Tiger production was short-lived. Only 201 examples were built between 1954 and 1958. Newer designs with superior performance made the Tiger obsolete as a frontline fighter. By 1959, Tigers began to be relegated to training and reserve squadrons.
During a Tiger test flight in September 1956, a Grumman pilot shot himself down. During a dive, he caught up to his own cannon fire, which damaged his plane. The pilot survived the ensuing emergency landing.

he Tiger continued to serve in another way. The Navy’s flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, flew Tigers from 1957 through 1968. The airplane on display served as Blue Angel number 5 from 1961 through 1963. It was flown by just one pilot, Lt. Lew Chatham.

Description
The F11F Tiger was a supersonic, carrier-based fighter jet developed
in the 1950s for the U.S. Navy. The Tiger’s fuselage implemented an aerodynamic principle called the area rule. The pinched-waist shape of the fuselage made the airplane narrower in the middle and wider forward and aft. This special shape reduced drag and enabled the Tiger to attain supersonic speed.
Tiger production was short-lived. Only 201 examples were built between 1954 and 1958. Newer designs with superior performance made the Tiger obsolete as a frontline fighter. By 1959, Tigers began to be relegated to training and reserve squadrons.
During a Tiger test flight in September 1956, a Grumman pilot shot himself down. During a dive, he caught up to his own cannon fire, which damaged his plane. The pilot survived the ensuing emergency landing.

he Tiger continued to serve in another way. The Navy’s flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, flew Tigers from 1957 through 1968. The airplane on display served as Blue Angel number 5 from 1961 through 1963. It was flown by just one pilot, Lt. Lew Chatham.