F9F Panther Stars & Stripes Rocks Glass

Sale price$10.99 USD Regular price$14.99 USD
Save $4.00 USD

Tax excluded.


The F9F Panther was one of the first successful carrier-based jet fighters used by the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and it played a pivotal combat role during the Korean War. Introduced in 1949, the Panther was Grumman’s first jet fighter and became a symbol of the U.S. Navy’s transition from piston-engine to jet-powered aircraft. With its straight wings, dependable design, and rugged construction, the F9F combined jet-age speed with carrier-deck survivability—exactly what the Navy needed at the dawn of the Cold War.

Powered by a single Pratt & Whitney J42 turbojet (a license-built Rolls-Royce Nene), the F9F was subsonic but solidly built, easy to fly, and well-armed. It carried four 20mm cannons and could be outfitted with bombs, rockets, and napalm for ground attack missions. The Panther proved especially valuable in Korea, flying close air support, interdiction, and fighter escort missions with great success. It was the first U.S. Navy jet to shoot down an enemy aircraft, when Lt. Commander William T. Amen downed a North Korean Yak-9 in November 1950.

The Panther served with both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, operating from aircraft carriers and forward-deployed airbases. It was flown by several notable pilots, including future astronaut Neil Armstrong and baseball legend Ted Williams, who flew the type during his Marine Corps service. A total of 1,382 Panthers were built, including multiple variants—most notably the F9F-5, the definitive production model, and the F9F-2P, a photo-reconnaissance version.

Though it was gradually replaced by the swept-wing F9F Cougar in the mid-1950s, the Panther earned a strong reputation for its reliability, handling, and effectiveness in combat. It was never exported and remained a U.S.-only platform. As one of the Navy’s first frontline jets to prove itself in war, the Panther holds a significant place in aviation history—a tough, dependable jet that brought naval air power confidently into the jet age.