Why Every Pilot Was Afraid To Fly this Unique Flying Deathtrap

As a result of a 1945 fighter design competition, the US Navy received a unique design in the form of the Vought F7U Cutlass. It was developed in part on aerodynamic research from German businesses who produced the Nazi aircraft of World War Two. At the close of the Cold War, the ground-breaking Cutlass, which debuted in 1954, was a leap into the future and perfect for hauling fighter bombers. Unfortunately, the Cutlass was beset by handling and mechanical problems, which resulted in more than 25% of manufactured planes being destroyed in accidents.

The Navy asked for a proposal in 1945 for a fighter that would be based on a carrier and be able to fly at Mach one speed and 40,000 feet. Commencing work on this project earlier, Aviation Company Vought was well-known for creating aircraft that could be carried aboard a carrier. Among the crew was Woldemar Voigt, a former senior designer for Messerschmitt AG. Many of the Nazi fighter planes that terrorized the Pacific and European theatres of World War Two were designed by Voigt. In the 1940s, the German aviation industry had a solid technological foundation in designing wind design aircraft.
The Messerschmitt P 1110 and P 1112 were two of the experimental prototypes that German aircraft designer Voigt oversaw for the Luftwaffe. The single-seat high altitude interceptor and turbojet fighter, the Messerschmitt P 1112 and P 1112, were also created by him. After the war, he relocated to America and began working with Vaught, who appointed Rex Beisel as the project's principal designer. In his final endeavor before retiring, Beisel created the F4U Corsair and the TS1.
The Cutlass was a jet with twin tail fins positioned on its wings, swept wings, and a forward-playing cockpit to improve vision when landing on a carrier. The pilot seat was raised 14 feet into the air using the innovative nose landing gear struts, and it lacked a tail. The jet's hydraulic pitch and roll controls gave the pilot artificial input to simulate aerodynamic forces. It had four 20-millimeter guns for defense, four AAMs, two Sparrow missiles, and the capacity to load two 2000-pound bombs. Prototype number V f7u replaced V 346 when the Navy called for bids.
On September 29, 1948, pilot J. Robert Baker performed the first flight in the F7U Cutlass, a prototype of the F7U. After testing the aircraft to a maximum speed of 625 miles per hour, a purchase order for 14 units was made, suggesting that the F7U Cutlass may pose a danger in air-to-air combat.


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