The F7U made its maiden flight in 1948. For an aircraft that would lose a quarter of its rolling stock to accidents, many of them fatal, the Cutlass had a fairly trouble-free first few test flights.

The F7U Cutlass, born from post-WW2 experimental designs, entered service with promise—yet quickly earned a deadly reputation. What went wrong with this bizarre, tail-less Navy jet?

“The Cutlass could be made into a pretty good flying machine with a few modifications,” wrote F7U-3 pilot John Moore in The Wrong Stuff, about his Navy flying days.

The Cutlass started out with a good — if unconventional — idea when it was first proposed in 1945. It had a swept wing design, which would later be used to great effect on a larger scale with ...

But Beisel also invented the F7U Cutlass jet, which was not anyone’s idea of a fine fighter.The Cutlass “was ahead of its time and the capabilities of available power plants, resulting in its ...

But Beisel also invented the F7U Cutlass jet, which was not anyone’s idea of a fine fighter.The Cutlass “was ahead of its time and the capabilities of available power plants, resulting in its ...

The Oldsmobile Cutlass was produced from 1961 to 1999. This mint 1986 Cutlass Supreme, finished in Medium Red Metallic, is being auctioned on Bring a Trailer.

This collection consists of a letter and poster from John Konrad, Chief Pilot with Chance Vought. The poster depicts a Chance Vought F7U-3 Cutlass in flight over a US Navy fleet while the letter ...

An F7U-3 Cutlass flying over New Jersey in 1955. (U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation) When jet aircraft began making their appearance during World War II, officials at the U.S. Navy’s ...

1972 marked the final year for the third generation Oldsmobile Cutlass. This Covert Tan 1972 Cutlass Supreme convertible is being auctioned on Bring a Trailer.