I hope to attach pictures of the blue Angels:
Such as the the Current FA18 and the starter of them all; theF8F "Bearcat"
Sorry these do not want to post so I will try another method.
In writng, to be supplemented later, the aircraft (with my comments) used by the Angels when they were formed post war were:
1. The
Grumman F8F Bearcat, a derivative of the WWII F6F Hellcat. this figther saw combat on the side of anti Castro force in the Bay of Pigs affair as did the venerable A-26, which saw service in korea and Vietnam.
The Bearcat had a limited service life and was no combat in US Navy hands.
2.
The Grumman F9f "Panther"; a beautiful aircraft somewhat similar to the Lockeed P-80 Shooting Star. It saw strike combat experience in Korea and is somewhat immotalized in the Film "The Bridge at Toki-Ri". Its Dogfight capabilities vs. the Mig 15 would have been a problem at it would have been for its contemporaries: the F-80, and the F-84 Republic "Thunderjet".
3. The
Grumman F9F "Cougar"; a swwept wing variant of the "Panther" much as the F-84 had a swept wing vaiant called the "Thunderstreak" which never saw combat, but was deployed with nato forces in Europe and rather highly regarded. Oddly, the author of "Jonathan Livingstone Seagull" I beleive, wrote a piece about flying the "Thunderstreak". The Thunderstreak was used in ANG service wuntil the early 70's.
4.
The Vought F7U 'Cutlass". A flop.
5.
The Grumman F11F "Tiger". My personal favorite. a beautiful aicraft. Swept wing, fast maneuverable-a BA's ----Dream.
6.
The McDonnel Douglas F-4 Phantom. Some recalled comments "the Earth Shook and the ground moved on their 'flybys'". the F-4 surely must have been a handful for the BA's. Big, gas gulping, not overly manuerable. However, it was FAST and could take the fight to any Sovbloc aircraft of the time vertically. I t came at a time when it was needed much as the F-86 came when it was needed for Korea
7.
The Mcdonnell-Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. "Scooters Forever!!" Still in servcie (much upgraded) with the Argentine Fuerza Airea and the Brazilian AF. Did deadly work against the British in the Falkland. Also still operated, if beleive, with the HAF (Hellenic Air Force-Greece). Also called
Heineman's hotrod as that designer was literally challenged to build a strike aicraft small enough for carrier use without folding wings and yet carry a substantial bomb load. Used in the Navy reserve until the late 70's. Saw combat in Vietnam and the Flaklands War. manueverable, small, fuel efficient, not generally AAM armed but could manage the AIM Sidewinders. Hard to see.
8.
The F/A 18 Hornet; surely as popular with the BA's as any they have flown. Very maneurable, fast. It is becoming the airframe that will serve all Navy Carrier Borne Needs for Strike, Air Supremacy, Fleet protection, and Electronic Warfare. (excepting the E2C Hawkeye).
A picture of all the Airframes flown by the Blue Angels, except the Vought F7U
John