#Douglas F3D Skyknight

[usafphantom2]

Douglas XF3D Skyknight. First flown 23 March 1948.

The result of a US Navy requirement for a jet-powered, radar-equipped, carrier-based night fighter. they would see combat with the US Navy/USMC during the Korean War & electronic warfare versions in the Vietnam War.

@AirrecC via X

[dangerousthingobservation]

Douglas F3D-1 Skyknight and McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee

Douglas F3D-1 Skyknight (BuNo 123744) and an F2H-2 Banshee (BuNo 143550), each loaded with Sidewinder missiles, pictured in flight over Crater Peak, California, 18 March 1958.

[historicalfirearms]

The First Blackhawk - The Curtiss-Wright XF-87

Development of the XF-87 began at Curtiss-Wright in 1947, it was intended to be an all-weather interceptor. The XF-87 Blackhawk made its first flight in March 1948.

The Blackhawk was developed from an earlier design the XA-43, and was Curtiss-Wright’s response to a specification for a jet-powered all-weather, night fighter, capable of speeds up to 530 mph, issued by the US Army Air Force in August 1945.

A number of companies responded including Bell Aircraft, Consolidated-Vultee, Douglas Aircraft, Northrop, Goodyear and Curtiss-Wright. The US Army Air Force down-selected Northrop’s design – then known as the N-24 and the Curtiss-Wright design.

The XP-87 had a two-man crew seated side-by-side and was powered by two pairs of Westinghouse XJ34-WE-7 turbojet engines mounted on the wings. In comparison to the sleeker Northrop design, the Blackhawk was a slightly larger, bulkier and heavier aircraft with a straight wing profile. The Blackhawk’s armament was to consist of four 20mm cannons mounted in a nose turret.

The US Army Air Force designated the Curtiss-Wright jet the XP-87 while Northrop’s N-24 became the XP-89 and full-scale models of both were ordered. In 1948 the newly formed US Air Force re-designated fighters from P to F and the XP-87 became the XF-87 when prototypes were ordered. 

Patent for the Blackhawk’s landing gear (source)

During subsequent flight evaluations in October 1948, the XF-89 was found to be faster than the XF-87 and the US Navy’s XF3D (Douglas F3D Skyknight). While the Blackhawk was a capable and generally satisfactory aircraft it was seen as under-powered. It also reportedly suffered from buffeting at relatively slow speeds.

Evaluators, however, disliked the Northrop and while they favoured the XF-87, one evaluating pilot likened its handling to a medium bomber. The Blackhawk was the largest US fighter yet developed, weighing just under 50,000 lbs when fuelled and with a wingspan of 60ft. An improved faster and more powerful Blackhawk was planned with J47 engines from General Electric.

Despite the trials favouring the XF-89, the USAF initially ordered 57 F-87A fighters and 30 RF-87A reconnaissance aircraft from Curtiss-Wright in June 1948. Curtis-Wright and the USAF began a publicity campaign to unveil the new fighter, even appearing on the cover of an August edition of Aviation Week and in numerous other aviation publications, but the orders were abruptly cancelled in October 1948 and the USAF moved forward the development of the Northrop XF-89 instead.

Right side view of Curtiss XF-87 Blackhawk (source)

The reason for this reversal of the decision is unclear. Only minor faults had been identified during testing and the more powerful J47 engines would have greatly increased the Blackhawk’s speed. The official reason for the cancellation was reportedly a disagreement of price on a redesigned wing design. According to his memoir, Walter Tydon, Curtiss-Wright’s chief engineer, believed that some earlier bad blood between Curtiss-Wright’s management and the then-President Harry S. Truman may have led the F-87 contract to be cancelled. Without substantial archival research it is difficult to verify either the official reason or Tydon’s theory. 

Another potential reason for the cancellation was raised during the Congressional Hearings regarding the B-36 bomber programme. Congressman Charles B. Deane noted that both Curtiss-Wright and Northrop had been informed that “unless they agreed to merge with Consolidated [Vultee], business would be bad for them.” The testimony before the hearing notes that Curtiss-Wright were unenthusiastic about a potential merger and this might have been why the F-87 contract was cancelled. The Secretary of the Air Force denied this, however, stating that the cancellation was the result of “operating difficulties with the experimental model of the F-87, plus increasingly satisfactory operating data on competitive all-weather fighters.”

Sadly, the prototype XF-87 Blackhawk’s was reportedly scrappedt. The loss of the interceptor contract to Northrop led to the end of Curtiss-Wright’s aircraft production, with the Blackhawk being their last fighter design.

Sources:

Images Source

Saga of the P-40 and Curtiss Airplane Division: Its Rise and Demise, W. Tydon, (courtesy of Mark Lane)

‘Investigation of the B-36 Bomber Program’, US Congressional Hearing, Aug.-Oct. 1949, (source)

Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947, P.M. Bowers (1987)

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[airmanisr]

124598 by Larry Johnson Via Flickr: I shot this on 4-5-17.

1951 Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight

[greatmagazinestudent-world]

Douglas Skyknight F3D

[teespring247]

Us Navy Douglas F3D Skyknight Hawaiian Shirt + Shorts

[aviationhistory]

Marine Corps Maj. William Stratton and Master Sgt. Hans Hoagland, in a Douglas F3D Skyknight, down a North Korean Yak-15, marking the first victory in a jet-versus-jet night action.

[usafphantom2]

Quite a line-up on the deck of aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La in 1955.

Back row (L-R):

· Douglas F3D Skyknight

· Vought F7U Cutlass (early version)

· Grumman S-2 Tracker

Front row (L-R):

· Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever

· Grumman F9F Cougar

@MassiasThanos via X

[usafphantom2]

A Douglas F3D Skyknight carrying early, AAM-N-2 Sparrow I missiles.

"Shangri-La, Aircraft Carrier

Photographer: J R Eyerman"

📷📖 images.google.com/hosted/life/83… 👁‍🗨 @LIFE

@MassiasThanos via X

[skyfire85]

US Navy / USMC F3D Skyknight, in US Army livery? Nani the fuck?

*several minutes searching the interwebs*

Huh, so after they were withdrawn from service, Raytheon acquired a handful and used them in various projects, including tests of the Patriot missile system. Army markings were applied, and they flew mock engagements at the White Sands test range through parts of the 1980s.

Neat.

[usafphantom2]

Ronnie Bell Following

Douglas F3D-2T2 Skyknight .

U.S. Navy Douglas F3D-2T2 Skyknight (BuNo 124607) from Fighter Squadron VF-101 Detachment A "Grim Reapers" at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida (USA), parked on a runway, in 1961. The F3D-2T2 aircraft were 55 F3D-2 that were used as radar-operator trainers and electronic warfare aircraft. The F3D-2T2 was redesignated TF-10B in 1962.

Via Flickr

[usafphantom2]

Tomás Del Coro Follow

Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight 124630

Second Production version, initially powered by two 3,400 lbf (1,542 kgf) Westinghouse J34-WE-36 and later by two 3,600 lbf (1,635 kgf) Westinghouse J34-WE-38 turbojet engines, 565 mph (909 km/h) @ 20,000 ft (6,095 m), equipped with wing spoilers, autopilot and an improved Westinghouse AN/APQ-36 radar, 237 built. First flight: 14 February 1951.

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, CA

[usafphantom2]

wcbohannon Following

97-C6-30 1959 Douglas EF-10B (Old F3D) Skyknight

[usafphantom2]

G. Verver Following

VF(AW)-3 Blue Nemesis

VF(AW)-3 Blue Nemesis F4D-1 Skyrays BuNo 134784, PA-31, BuNo 134788, PA-34, BuNo 134790, PA-35, and F3D-2 Skyknights including PA-1 and PA-8, 12 November 1956. Douglas Aircraft photo.

[usafphantom2]

VF-11, the Red Rippers, began a transition to the Douglas F3D Skyknight in August. Note the very colorful red trim of the first squadron.

[usafphantom2]

Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight (125845) US Marine Corps