VF-1 (1945-8)

Fighter Squadron 1 or VF-1 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established as Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41) on 26 March 1945, it was redesignated VF-1E on 15 November 1946, redesignated as VF-1 on 1 September 1948 and disestablished on 20 November 1948. It was the fourth US Navy squadron to be designated VF-1.

Operational history
Following the disestablishment of VF-66 in October 1945 its pilots and RF-1 Fireballs were transferred to VF-41.

In November 1945 the squadron was attempting to qualify its pilots for carrier operations, but only 14 of its 22 pilots made the six required takeoffs and landings with a number of accidents occurring when the nose gear failed on landing.On 6 November 1945, a VF-41 FR-1 unintentionally became the first aircraft to land under jet power on an aircraft carrier after its radial engine failed on final approach to USS Wake Island (CVE-65), the pilot managed to start the jet engine and land, barely catching the arrestor wire before hitting the ship's crash barrier.

The squadron eventually carrier-qualified on USS Bairoko (CVE-115) in March 1946, but FR-1 nose gear problems persisted and cut the cruise short. Ryan installed a steel fork for the nosewheel, but inspections also revealed evidence of partial wing failures so the aircraft was limited to maneuvers not to exceed 5 Gs. VF-41 suffered three fatal accidents in 1946, one aircraft collided with the target banner during gunnery practice and spun into the water, a few months later, the squadron commander was performing a barrel roll when his wing broke off and he struck another FR-1, killing both pilots.

VF-1E conducted carrier qualification in March 1947 aboard USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116) and only eight pilots successfully qualified, not least because the FR-1s were proving to be too fragile to endure repeated carrier landings. During one brief deployment in June aboard USS Rendova (CVE-114), one aircraft broke in two during a hard landing. Subsequent inspections of the squadron's aircraft showed signs of structural failure and all the FR-1s were withdrawn by 1 August 1947.

Home port assignments

 * NAS Sand Point

Aircraft Assignment

 * F6F-5 Hellcat
 * FR-1 Fireball