History

By 1945, the Navy realized pure-jet aircraft were the future of aviation, so a specification was issued for a single-seat, carrier based fighter-bomber. Chance Vought, a well known naval aircraft manufacturer, set out to create a small jet made to be light and agile, while still being able to carry ordnance.

The result was the Vought F9U, the navy fighter who couldn’t operate from a carrier. Even though composite materials were used, making the jet light, the engine was too weak and unreliable for use in carriers, so in order for the program to not be a total failure, Vought sold it’s design to the Army, who also needed jet aircraft. With the removal of the naval equipment (tail hook, strengthened gears and etc) and the replacement of it’s engine for a more powerful one, the jet was deemed ready for combat operations by 1946, and so production started.

The F9U served to great success in the beginning of the Korean War, where it was faster than most other aircraft, until the North Koreans and Chinese acquired soviet jets. It saw service in other countries as well, such as France, who used it during and after the war. Pilots praised it for it’s responsiveness and ease to fly, but mechanics hated it for being difficult to repair and maintain.

This aircraft is the “Aspirateur” (vacuum cleaner in french, funny name I know), an F9U operated by the French during the Korean War, it became famous for getting the last air kill of the war, a Mig-15, and is now being restored to flight-worthy conditions in a museum, so it can soar to the skies once again.

Performance

(Tested only with full payload)
Top Speed(TAS): 955 km/h at 6,000 m, 790 Km/h at sea level Takeoff Speed(IAS): 220 km/h
Stall Speed(IAS): 210 km/h
Manufacturer: Chance Vought
Produced: 1946-1953
Numbers Built: 4,715
Powerplant: 1 turbojet producing 3,400 lbf
Armament: 4 AN/M3 20mm cannons, 24 HVAR rockets

Features

-VR compatible
-Semi-detailed damage model
-Ejection seat
-Realistic handling (kinda)
-Custom landing gear
-Detailed cockpit

Controls

VTOL: Flaps
AG-1: Bail out
AG-2: Airbrakes

Some tips and warnings

-Optimized for high physics
-It takes 8 seconds to fire all rockets, have that in mind when going for a bombing run

(Yes, I got lazy with the roundels and landing gear, sorry about that)