Premier 1/48 F9F Panther

The Grumman F9F Panther hardly needs an introduction. Proposed in the waning days of World War II, the Panther would not be the first U.S. Navy jet fighter. It, along with the F2H Banshee would bring the type of age, as it were, in U.S. Naval Aviation. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney J-34, a license built variant of the legendary Rolls Royce Nene, the Panther would practically become the stuff of legend.

First flying in 1947, it would be blooded in Korea, flying numerous strike missions throughout the conflict. It proved itself adept in air to air combat as well, downing the first U.S. Navy air to air kill in that conflict when taking out a Yak-9. It would go on to claim seven MiG-15’s over the course of the war, two of those going the Red Sox baseball legend Ted Williams, flying with the United States Marine Corps in his second war tour. Astronaut legends John Glenn and Neil Armstrong would also fly the type during their combat tours.

While not the ace-maker that the F-86 Sabre Jet gained the reputation for being, the Panther was rugged. This was a characteristic of all Grumman machines. During World War II, Grumman was sometimes called the Iron Works for the durability and resilience of the aircraft that they produced. This was in no way diminished in the Panther. Many came home with combat damage that would have shredded a Sabre into so much scrap metal.

It would serve as the first jet mount of the Blue Angels aerobatic team where it would eventually be replaced by an improved, swept wing variant, the F9F Cougar. It would also see service with the Argentine Navy, the only export customer of the type. There it would see combat in the 1963 Navy Revolt.

U.S. Naval service of the original Panther ended in 1958. Argentina would withdraw their Panthers nine years later, in 1967. Numerous examples are preserved in museums, with a single airworthy example remaining. It also can also be seen featured most prominently in the classic film The Bridges at Toko Ri, playing in the background as I write this.

Produced by Premier model company of Brooklyn, New York, this kit dates to 1952. It was the third F9F kit released, preceded by Hawk in 1950 and Aurora in the same year. The kit resembles the Aurora model superficially. However, when compared to an Aurora model it is noticeably smaller and is definitely a different mold. While I have not scaled it out, when comparing it to the Aurora kit, it looks to be somewhere nearer to 1/52 or perhaps 1/54.

Molded in blue plastic, the kit is very simple, consisting of only twelve parts (perhaps thirteen), including the stand. These are left and right fuselage halves, left and right wings, two tip tanks molded in two parts (on half of one tank is missing from mine), a canopy, and a stand. An instrument boom is indicated in the instructions; however, it is not present in the kit that I have. Additionally, there is no opening for it to be inserted into molded into the nose. So, I am not certain if this was ever actually included.

The instructions printed on one side of a simple folded sheet. Decals are provided in the form of peel off stickers. Decal locators are molded onto the fuselage and wings.

As to the notable similarities to the Aurora mold, the parts breakdown is essentially the same. However, in addition to being slightly larger, closer to scale, and more accurate in profile, the Aurora mold features a mix of raised and recessed detail. The Premier kit features entirely raised detail, even on the control surfaces. The pilot figure molded into the fuselage is closer to scale in the Premier kit, though, with the Aurora kit looking notably undersized for its scale.

Premier released only a handful of aircraft kits and this is the only one that I have ever seen. Scalemates notes a MiG-15 and an F-84 Thunderjet. They seem to have been active until around 1963, though most of their releases were automobiles. Additionally, some of those shown appear to be quite unique such as an Allard, a Nash Metropolitan, Renault Dauphine, and Corvair truck. I believe this to be totally original molds.

To my eyes, the F9F Panther kit appears to have been an attempt to build a knockoff of the Aurora kit with mediocre results. In its day, the Aurora kit was better and the Hawk mold better than either. Interestingly, their F-84 appears to be equally simple, though it also appears to be the first injection F-84 released. The MiG-15 also appears to predate the Hawk kit.

There are unquestionably better kits out there and this is a now simply a curiosity and collectible item from the early days of plastic models. My uncle, Richard Cobb, gifted this to me along with several other Panther kits, as well as other vintage kits. He noted that he would like to see it and the others built up. I do enjoy a challenge and often like working with older kits to make something of a silk purse from a sow’s ear.

This one may be a bit too much for me, though. Still, I enjoy having it as a collectible piece in my stash and may display it in the box in my workshop. For its age, it is in very nice shape. Keep in mind, this kit is more than seventy years old now. Wow!

That alone makes it an interesting curiosity. We can look at this and see just how far modeling has come. As for the F9F Panther in 1/48, there are now several far more modern options available from Monogram/Revell, Hobbycraft, and Trumpeter. Still, if you run across one in the box, it is an interesting time capsule from the days when plastic models were themselves a novelty and wood was still the prevalent medium. That alone makes it interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_F9F_Panther

F9F Panther/Cougar in Action by Jim Sullivan, Squadron/Signal In Action Series No.51, 1982

Christopher Campbell

October 2024

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