Grumman XF10F Jaguar

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The Grumman XF10F Jaguar was a prototype swing-wing fighter aircraft offered to the US Navy in the early 1950s. Although it never entered service, its research pointed the way towards the later General Dynamics F-111 and the F-14 Tomcat.

Design and development

The Navy's interest in the variable geometry wing was based on concerns that the ever-increasing weight of its jet fighters was making aircraft carrier operations troublesome. Many of its existing aircraft already had marginal carrier performance, and the trend in weight growth was obviously upward. At the same time, the demands for high-speed performance demanded swept wing layouts that did not lend themselves to good take-off characteristics. The prospect of combining the two in a single aircraft was enticing.

Originally conceived as a swept-wing version of the earlier F9F Panther, in February–March 1948, the design was reconfigured with a T-tail and ultimately a variable geometry wing. It featured a T-tail, with the horizontal stabilator, a small pivoting center body with a delta servo control at the nose and a larger rear delta main wing, mounted atop the vertical fin. The single turbojet engine was fed by cheek intakes. The high, shoulder-mounted wing could be moved to two positions: a 13.5° sweep for...
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