After a decade of development, the U.S. Navy began deploying AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on North American FJ-3 Fury jet fighters and F9F Cougar s in mid-1956.
These Kodachrome color films from the Navy depict early loading and unloading operations with carrier-based FJ-3s in June 1956.
The carrier is the Essex-Class ship, USS Bonhomme Richard, CVA-31.
It appears from these films that the shakedown of Sidewinders included captive carry catapult aircraft launches and abrupt traps of the fighters on landing while carrying missiles to validate the safe carriage of the Sidewinders under operational conditions.
These first Sidewinder-capable Furies were designated FJ-3M, with 80 created. Later FJ-4 Fury models also featured Sidewinder capability.
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5 сен 2024