145 pages, 313 b&w photos, including squadron history, patches and ships they served on
Naval Fighters Number Sixty-one [NF 61] is the final volume of a three part series on the F9F Panther and illustrates those
aircraft flown by the United States Navy during and following the Korean War time frame. The card cover book is in the
standard 8.5 x 11 inch [21.5 x 28 cm] format of Ginter’s Naval Fighters series. The binding is of the glued type holding
a total of 148 pages including the covers. By my count there are three colour and 312 black & white aircraft photos plus
an additional 70 photos of unit emblems. The colour photos are presented on the front and rear covers.
As with Part 2 [NF-60 USMC Panthers] this is strictly a photo resource and no line or structural drawings are included – development and structural detail information along with kit reviews will be found in Naval Fighters Number 59, part one, of the series.
In this volume we are presented with numerous photos of the various USN squadrons that flew the F9F Panther. The text accompanying this photographic feast is well done and very informative. In addition, Steve makes note, in the text, of the other aircraft used by the squadrons both before and after the Panther, so if the inclination strikes to build multiple types of aircraft from a particular squadron this is a great place to start your research. The condensed squadron histories related in the text are worthy of note.
If you are looking for action there are plenty of crash scenes both on board the carriers and ashore to grab your attention. One neat photo shows a bomb bouncing down a carrier deck after breaking loose from a landing Panther. Could it be a 500 pounder? At any size it probably held everyone’s attention for a bit as I’d imagine there are a number of aircraft parked just out of the camera’s field of view and right where the bomb seems to be heading. There are also some good, fairly close-up photos showing the 5 inch rockets and markings on the 250 lb bombs. A detailer’s delight.
As far as colour schemes go it would seem as if overall blue or natural metal are the most prevalent. However, Panthers of the Utility and Missile Range squadrons provide different and colourful schemes with various combinations of engine grey or blue fuselages mated with yellow wings and tail areas. Some of these Panthers are also marked with orange wing stripes and rudders. In addition there are Panthers with day-glo [red/orange] nose sections. Many interesting schemes are available from these squadrons with colour information being noted in the photo captions. And then there’s VF-153’s Blue-Tail-Fly. That’s the aircraft that the maintenance personnel, on board the USS Princeton CV-37, cobbled together from two damaged machines and produced a Panther with a natural metal front fuselage and a glossy sea blue tail. Decals for this aircraft are available – check your sources. You will also find ample squadron markings in a bewildering array of shapes and colours that can be used to spruce up your overall blue or metal Panther.
One thing that struck me was the almost complete absence of photos showing Panthers fitted with the AN/ARA-25 antenna under the nose. These antennas were quite common on USMC and other aircraft depicted in Part Two of the series. As with Part Two of the series, this volume relates many interesting stories about the pilots who flew these aircraft on what must have been heart pounding missions over Korea. One of the many pilots of note who flew Panther missions in Korea was future astronaut Neil Armstrong of VF-51.
If it’s a different looking Panther you want to build and are looking for something other than colour schemes, take a wander through this book and you’ll find Panthers fitted with Zuni rocket pods, Panthers with an amazing array of antenna when used as trainers for drone control pilots [F9F-2KD], and a Panther with the unusual fitting of under wing fuel tanks in addition to the usual tip tanks. There are many great ideas for uncommon Panthers in this book. On page 63 there is a photo of a F9F-2 from VF-71 with some unusual nose art. The nose art consists of a stylized cloud and the name ‘BLPFSTK’ painted below it. The text indicates that the meaning of the legend is not known. I wonder if it could be a reference to, or a misspelling of, Joe BTFSPIK, the character from the Li’l Abner comic strip, who was portrayed as the world’s worst jinx and always went around with a dark cloud hanging over his head? Possibly this particular Panther was somewhat of a lemon. Maybe, but we’ll probably never know.
Nit-picks? Well, I don’t suppose any publication can escape that threat, so I’ll mention three. One thing that kind of irks me is that the colour photos on the covers are repeated within the book in black & white format. The next two are little things that escaped the notice of the proof reader. I always feel that somewhere in the process the draft should be read by someone who is not involved with writing the original text. I might add that this review is a good case in point. First off, the top and bottom colour photos on the back cover are reversed with regard to their text captions as printed on the inside front cover – maybe we could let the proof reader off the hook for this one and nail the printer? Secondly, on page one; reference is made to the shortage of pilots in 1950 being solved by tripling the training output. However, prior wording in the paragraph states that this tripling of pilot output could not be accomplished in 1950. Perhaps the tripling of the pilot output should read as 1940 instead of 1950? In any event none of these minor glitches takes away the fact that this is a very comprehensive and well presented reference and all of the F9F Panther series by Steve Ginter should find their way into a modeller’s or aviation enthusiast’s library. They’re that good.
This publication is very highly recommended as a resource for the aviation modeller, enthusiast or historian. Did I miss anyone? If you have even the slightest interest in the Wyvern this book is for you. Not interested by the Wyvern? Get this book and you will change your mind.
The review copy was generously donated by Steve Ginter
Reviewed by Jim MacKenzie C2465
As with Part 2 [NF-60 USMC Panthers] this is strictly a photo resource and no line or structural drawings are included – development and structural detail information along with kit reviews will be found in Naval Fighters Number 59, part one, of the series.
In this volume we are presented with numerous photos of the various USN squadrons that flew the F9F Panther. The text accompanying this photographic feast is well done and very informative. In addition, Steve makes note, in the text, of the other aircraft used by the squadrons both before and after the Panther, so if the inclination strikes to build multiple types of aircraft from a particular squadron this is a great place to start your research. The condensed squadron histories related in the text are worthy of note.
If you are looking for action there are plenty of crash scenes both on board the carriers and ashore to grab your attention. One neat photo shows a bomb bouncing down a carrier deck after breaking loose from a landing Panther. Could it be a 500 pounder? At any size it probably held everyone’s attention for a bit as I’d imagine there are a number of aircraft parked just out of the camera’s field of view and right where the bomb seems to be heading. There are also some good, fairly close-up photos showing the 5 inch rockets and markings on the 250 lb bombs. A detailer’s delight.
As far as colour schemes go it would seem as if overall blue or natural metal are the most prevalent. However, Panthers of the Utility and Missile Range squadrons provide different and colourful schemes with various combinations of engine grey or blue fuselages mated with yellow wings and tail areas. Some of these Panthers are also marked with orange wing stripes and rudders. In addition there are Panthers with day-glo [red/orange] nose sections. Many interesting schemes are available from these squadrons with colour information being noted in the photo captions. And then there’s VF-153’s Blue-Tail-Fly. That’s the aircraft that the maintenance personnel, on board the USS Princeton CV-37, cobbled together from two damaged machines and produced a Panther with a natural metal front fuselage and a glossy sea blue tail. Decals for this aircraft are available – check your sources. You will also find ample squadron markings in a bewildering array of shapes and colours that can be used to spruce up your overall blue or metal Panther.
One thing that struck me was the almost complete absence of photos showing Panthers fitted with the AN/ARA-25 antenna under the nose. These antennas were quite common on USMC and other aircraft depicted in Part Two of the series. As with Part Two of the series, this volume relates many interesting stories about the pilots who flew these aircraft on what must have been heart pounding missions over Korea. One of the many pilots of note who flew Panther missions in Korea was future astronaut Neil Armstrong of VF-51.
If it’s a different looking Panther you want to build and are looking for something other than colour schemes, take a wander through this book and you’ll find Panthers fitted with Zuni rocket pods, Panthers with an amazing array of antenna when used as trainers for drone control pilots [F9F-2KD], and a Panther with the unusual fitting of under wing fuel tanks in addition to the usual tip tanks. There are many great ideas for uncommon Panthers in this book. On page 63 there is a photo of a F9F-2 from VF-71 with some unusual nose art. The nose art consists of a stylized cloud and the name ‘BLPFSTK’ painted below it. The text indicates that the meaning of the legend is not known. I wonder if it could be a reference to, or a misspelling of, Joe BTFSPIK, the character from the Li’l Abner comic strip, who was portrayed as the world’s worst jinx and always went around with a dark cloud hanging over his head? Possibly this particular Panther was somewhat of a lemon. Maybe, but we’ll probably never know.
Nit-picks? Well, I don’t suppose any publication can escape that threat, so I’ll mention three. One thing that kind of irks me is that the colour photos on the covers are repeated within the book in black & white format. The next two are little things that escaped the notice of the proof reader. I always feel that somewhere in the process the draft should be read by someone who is not involved with writing the original text. I might add that this review is a good case in point. First off, the top and bottom colour photos on the back cover are reversed with regard to their text captions as printed on the inside front cover – maybe we could let the proof reader off the hook for this one and nail the printer? Secondly, on page one; reference is made to the shortage of pilots in 1950 being solved by tripling the training output. However, prior wording in the paragraph states that this tripling of pilot output could not be accomplished in 1950. Perhaps the tripling of the pilot output should read as 1940 instead of 1950? In any event none of these minor glitches takes away the fact that this is a very comprehensive and well presented reference and all of the F9F Panther series by Steve Ginter should find their way into a modeller’s or aviation enthusiast’s library. They’re that good.
This publication is very highly recommended as a resource for the aviation modeller, enthusiast or historian. Did I miss anyone? If you have even the slightest interest in the Wyvern this book is for you. Not interested by the Wyvern? Get this book and you will change your mind.
The review copy was generously donated by Steve Ginter
Reviewed by Jim MacKenzie C2465