As the Blue Angels¿ aircraft in the late 1950s, Grumman¿s F11F-1 Tiger came to symbolize the speed and might of U.S. Navy airpower. The Tiger was originally conceived as an upgrade of the F9F Cougar. It eventually morphed into a new design, that incorporated the area rule to enable cruising speeds up to 1.1 Mach. The prototype flew in 1954, and carrier trials commenced in 1956. Eventually seven squadrons flew F11Fs. Hampered by maintenance issues affiliated with the J65 engine, and the fact that the Vought Crusader was clearly superior, the Tiger had a short service life. It was withdrawn from carrier duty after four years, in 1961. Only 199 were built. The remaining Tigers flew in a training capacity, and the Blue Angels continued to fly them for over a decade, 1957-1969. Originally printed by the U.S. Navy, this handbook provides a fascinating glimpse inside the cockpit of the Tiger. Originally classified ¿restricted¿, the manual was declassified and is here reprinted in book form.

The full story of the Grumman Tiger and Super Tiger has only been told in part by non-Grumman aviation buffs and historians who wrote from second or third-hand information. Although it is over forty years later, this compendium has been written and documented by the principal Grumman and Blue Angel actors who participated in the development of those fine aircraft that came upon the scene at a very difficult, but interesting, era for both Grumman and the Navy.