North American FJ-3 Fury
The Hickory Aviation Museum’s FJ-3M Bureau Number 141393 is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation. It was delivered in Oct 1991. It is our museum’s 1st aircraft. Coordinated by Kyle and Kregg Kirby.
FJ-2 to FJ-3
By 1951, the Navy's existing straight-wing fighters were much inferior in performance to the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 then operating in the Korean War; the swept-wing fighters in the Navy's development pipeline, including the Vought F7U Cutlass and F9F Cougar that were not yet ready for deployment. As an interim measure, the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics ordered a direct development of the swept-wing F-86E Sabres as the FJ-2. As the F-86 had not been designed to be carrier-capable, this involved some risk, but Navy pilots had observed that the F-86A actually had a lower landing speed than the F9F Panther.
Even while development of the FJ-2 was ongoing, the development was planned of a version powered by the Wright J65, a license-built version of the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet. The Sapphire promised to deliver 28% more thrust than the J47, for little gain in weight. The new version was designated FJ-3, and an order for 389 aircraft was placed in March 1952.
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | North American Aviation |
First flight | 27-Dec-51 |
Introduction | 1954 |
Retired | Sep-62 |
Status | Phased out of service |
Primary users | United States Navy, United States Marine Corps |
Number built | 741 |
Developed from | North American F-86 Sabre |
Developed into | North American FJ-4 Fury |
Propulsion (J-3) | Wright J65-W-2/4 turbojet |
Unit Cost | $220K |

Crew: 1
Length: 37 ft 7 in (11.45 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 1.5 in (11.31 m)
Height: 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m)
Wing area: 288 ft² (26.7 m²)
Empty weight: 11,802 lb (5,353 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 18,790 lb (8,523 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × General Electric J47-GE-2 turbojet, 6,000 lbf (26.7 kN)
Maximum speed: 587 kts / 675 mph (1,088 km/h) at sea level
Range: 860 mi (1,593 km) (normal)
Service ceiling: 46,800 ft (14,300 m)
Rate of climb: 7,230 ft/min (2,204 m/min)
Armament:
- Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon
- Hardpoints: AIM-9 Sidewinders, Bombs, Refueling