The Cutlass Vought F7U
Another design that made sense on paper but didn’t function in practice was the Vought F7U Cutlass. The jet ditched the conventional tail found on many fighters in favor of a sweeping shape. The plane looked cool, but it was impracticable.
Accidents claimed the lives of at least a fourth of the fleet. The plane was swift, but it struggled to maintain altitude. It also had trouble getting off in the first place since the turbojets lacked the necessary thrust. Landings, which are an important element of the flight experience, were also challenging. At least three F7U prototypes were destroyed in crashes.