The North American FJ Fury was the first operational jet aircraft in United States Navy service. Ordered in late 1944 as the XFJ-1 along with offerings from Douglas and Vought, the Fury began as a straight-wing, tricycle gear fighter with a single turbojet passing through the fuselage. Straight wings were seen at the time as the only way to ensure the low speed and stability needed for carrier landings. The first flight of the XFJ-1 took place on September 11, 1946, with the first of thirty deliveries beginning in October of 1947.

Flown operationally by Navy squadron VF-5A , the FJ-1 pioneered jet-powered carrier operations and underscored the need for catapult-equipped carriers. The FJ was capable of taking off from an empty carrier without catapult assistance, but on a crowded deck it would be next to impossible.

With the FJ-2 Fury, the Navy entered the swept-wing era. The existing straight-wing fighters were much slower than the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15, and the lead needed to be regained. The FJ-2 was, in fact, not developed directly from the FJ-1, instead being a navalization of the Air Force's F-86 Sabre - itself a swept-wing evolution from the original FJ-1. Most of the 200 FJ-2 models built were delivered to shore-based Marine Corps units beginning in 1954, as the similarly swept-wing Grumman F9F-2 Cougar had better carrier characteristics.

A Fury displayed on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid museum ship.

1952 saw the beginning development of the FJ-3, which was to be powered by a license-built version of the new Rolls-Royce Sapphire turbojet. First deliveries were September 1954, and an FJ-3 was the first fighter to land aboard the new supercarrier USS Forrestal in 1956. 389 FJ-3s were built, with some being modified later in their service lives to control target drones.

The final versions of the FJ were the FJ-4 and FJ-4B, which were more capable than the previous versions in most respects. Internal fuel capacity was increased, necessitating a distinctive, taller 'razorback' rear deck. The tail was modified, as were the wings, to provide more positive control and stability during carrier landings, and the landing gear was widened. The first FJ-4s were delivered in February 1955. The FJ-4B was a fighter-bomber version, capable of carrying double the underwing stores, including nuclear weapons on a single station.

With the new designation system adopted in 1962, the FJ-4 became the F-1E and the FJ-4B the A-1E. A-1Es served with Naval Reserve units until the late 1960s.

General characteristics (FJ-4)

• Wingspan: 39 ft 1 in (11.9 m)
• Length: 36 ft 4 in (11.1 m)
• Height: 13 ft 11 in (4.2 m)
• Empty weight: 13,210 lb (5992 kg)
• Max take-off weight: 23,700 lb (10750 kg)
• Powerplant: One Wright J65-W-16A turbojet, 7,700 lbf thrust (34 kN)
• Speed (sea level): 680 mph (1090 km/h)
• Combat ceiling: 46,800 ft (14,300 m)
• Range: 2020 mi (3250 km), with two external fuel tanks
• Armament: Four 20 mm cannon, and 3,000 lb (1360 kg) of underwing ordnance, including four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, 6,000 lb (2720 kg) for FJ-4B model

Related development

• F-86 Sabre

Similar aircraft

• F-86 Sabre
• MiG-15
• MiG-17

Designation Series (Post-1962)

F-1 - F-2 - F-3 - F-4 - F-5

References

• http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/fjfury.html
• Jane's All the World's Aircraft