aboard
USS Boxer in March 1948 , in 1950 The first flight of the prototype XFJ-1 was conducted on 27 November 1946, and the first of 30 deliveries of the improved
NA-141, designated
FJ-1, took place in March 1948. Flown by Navy squadron
VF-5A, the FJ-1 made the USN's first operational
aircraft carrier landing with a jet fighter at sea on 10 March 1948 aboard , pioneering US jet-powered carrier operations and underscoring the need for
catapult-equipped carriers. The Fury was capable of launching without catapult assistance, but on a crowded flight deck the capability was of limited use. Taking off without a catapult launch limited the FJ-1 to a perilous, slow climb that was considered too risky for normal operations. As German research into swept wing aerodynamics was not yet available when the design was finalized, the FJ-1 used a straight wing.
Folding wings were not used because
dive brakes mounted in the wings made them unfeasible. To conserve carrier deck space, a
"kneeling" nose gear strut along with a swiveling "jockey wheel" allowed the FJ-1 to be stacked tail-high, close to another FJ-1. Before the first production FJ-1 was even delivered, the initial order for 100 units was trimmed to only 30 because more promising naval fighter designs had entered development. The production aircraft were initially used in testing at
NAS North Island, California. Ending its service career in
U.S. Naval Reserve units, the FJ-1 was eventually retired in 1953. The one highlight in its short service life was VF-51's win in the
Bendix Trophy Race for jets in September 1948. The unit entered seven FJ-1s, flying from Long Beach, California to Cleveland, Ohio, with VF-51 aircraft taking the first four places, ahead of two
California Air National Guard Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars. ==Variants==