F7U Cutlass



The Vought F7U Cutlass was a United States Navy carrier-based jet fighter and fighter-bomber of the early Cold War era. It was a highly unusual, semi-tailless design, allegedly based on aerodynamic data and plans captured from the German Arado company at the end of World War II, though Vought designers denied any link to the German research at the time.

Regarded as a radical departure from traditional aircraft design, the Cutlass suffered from numerous technical and handling problems throughout its short service career. The type was responsible for the deaths of four test pilots and 21 other U.S. Navy pilots. Over one quarter of all Cutlasses built were destroyed in accidents. The poor safety record was largely the result of the advanced design built to apply new aerodynamic theories and insufficiently powerful, unreliable engines.


 * Tech Level: 3
 * Damage Base: 13
 * Min./Max. Airspeed: 3/12
 * Maneuver (Loaded): 3 (2)
 * Aerobatic (Loaded): 2 (2)
 * Defence (Loaded): 12 (13)
 * Climb Rate (Loaded): 0.5 (0.5)
 * Shallow/Steep/Power/Vertical Dives: 1/2/3/3
 * Operational Ceiling: 8
 * Stores External/Pylon/Internal: 0/0/0
 * Guns: 4 x 20mm M3 Cannons
 * Cost: 135
 * Maintenance Cost: 19