On Saturday, May 21st , Intrepid will welcome the newest addition to its extensive aircraft collection: the Grumman F9F (AF-9J) Cougar. The Cougar will make her debut at an 11:00am Unveiling Ceremony hosted on her new home, Intrepid’s Flight Deck.
The Cougar at Intrepid was built at Grumman's Bethpage, New York factory and delivered to the Navy in September 1955. The aircraft served with fighter squadrons VF-111 and VF-94 at Moffett Field in California. In 1957, it was transferred to Naval Air Training Center in Kingsville Texas and used as a chase plane. The aircraft was retired from active service in 1965 and loaned to the town of Wall Township, New Jersey where it was displayed at, what is still called, Airplane Park.
Intrepid has been renovating the Cougar since September 2009. The aircraft maintenance staff has expended over 2,000 man hours on the project and a small cadre of volunteers have accounted for another 2,500 hours of labor. The restored aircraft will wear the colors of fighter squadron VF-61, which flew from Intrepid in 1956. This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. |