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On display here since the later 1950s, this Grumman F9F-6P Cougar is known by residents of the Tonawanda, NY, area (Town of Tonawanda, City of Tonawanda) as the "Blue Jet."
Recently repainted for the umpteenth time, the Cougar is now (as seen here) protected by a small fence and stands at the entry point to the Veterans Memorial Park at the intersection of Brighton and Colvin Avenues in the Town of Tonawanda, New York. Somewhere under this newest coat of paint are my initials, scratched on in the early 1960s.
The identifying numbers of this aircraft are not known. Back in the 50s, the US Navy donated this jet for display. Over the next decades, the data regarding it became lost, the aircraft was painted and then repainted, etc., and today this aircraft is now unidentifiable. The paint scheme on the "Unknown Cougar" does not represent any specific livery ever used by the United States Navy, and I have no doubt that the "Blue Jet" I used to crawl on when I was ten and eleven years old will be there when I'm nothing more than ashes in the air. (Salute)
Comments
Remember the fallen!
Dave, there have been numerous attempts made to find some type of data plate or data stamp that would enable this frame to be identified, but to date nothing helpful has been discovered and it is my understanding that no further efforts will be permitted. The Navy, which (every seems to agree) had merely loaned this frame to the town, long ago gave up caring. Someone logged it in as a W/O and billed the taxpayers. But let's admit it, if it had not gone here, it would have ended up as metal chunks in the desert. Better this than that. ;-)
Alien .. You're right, my friend. And probably for the vast majority of non-military Americans, too. But, not for all. When you have a few free minutes, there is a cut-and-paste dialogue from yesterday that exists on other social media that is garnering interest. Email me.
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