The Fighter Plane That Shot Itself Down
Ever hear the tale of the F-11 Tiger, which literally ran into its own gunfire?
By Kyle Mizokami
Dec 28, 2020
The pilot fired a long burst from its guns and moments later suffered mysterious, catastrophic damage that caved in the windshield and mortally wounded the engine.
What happened? The pilot had shot himself down.
The F-11 Tiger, like all Grumman aircraft, was named after a cat. Fast and nimble, the F-11 was only the second supersonic fighter in the Navy's inventory, capable of 843 miles per hour (Mach 1.1).
