McDonnell F3H Demon
F3H Demon | |
---|---|
An F3H-2N Demon in flight in 1956 | |
Role | Carrier-based all-weather interceptor |
Manufacturer | McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
|
First flight | 7 August 1951 |
Introduction | 7 March 1956 |
Retired | 1964 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | United States Navy |
Number built | 519 |
The McDonnell F3H Demon is a subsonic swept-wing
The Demon was developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s to fulfill a United States Navy requirement for a high-performance swept wing naval fighter to succeed the F2H Banshee. On 7 August 1951, the XF3H-1 performed its maiden flight, flown by test pilot Robert Edholm. The original design for a short-range interceptor was reworked into a heavier medium-range all-weather fighter to counter the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighter being encountered during the Korean War; however, the addition of about 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) of weight negatively impacting the Demon's performance. The Demon was originally designed to be powered by the Westinghouse J40 turbojet engine, which suffered severe problems including low thrust output and poor reliability, and was ultimately abandoned after the matter became politically controversial in 1955. This outcome necessitated another major redesign of the aircraft to accept the alternative Allison J71 powerplant.[2][3]
On 7 March 1956, the Demon was introduced to operational service. Though the aircraft had insufficient power for supersonic performance and insufficient endurance for its intended general-purpose role, it complemented
Development
Background
Although the existence of the
The resulting aircraft, which later received the name Demon, emerged as an all-new design. In order to fulfil the U.S. Navy's requirements, McDonnell agreed to power the aircraft with the Westinghouse J40 engine which was then under development.[11] At the time, the J40 was being promoted by Navy officials for its next generation of aircraft, and was to have thrust of over 11,000 lbf (49 kN)—three times that of the engines used on the McDonnell F2H Banshee. Having gained the interest of U.S. Navy officials, McDonnell was issued with a development contract to produce two XF3H-1 prototypes on 30 September 1949, albeit as a fallback measure to the unconventional Douglas F4D Skyray.[12][13] At this stage of development, it was envisioned as a day fighter.[14] McDonnell named the aircraft Demon shortly thereafter.[15]
The unexpected combat debut of the MiG-15 during the Korean War motivated the U.S. Navy to place the Demon as a top priority, having observed the MiG to have considerably outclassed both the Panther and Banshee; the only American fighter then in service that could equal the MiG was the North American F-86 Sabre, which was only operated by the United States Air Force.[6] Seeking to better respond to the MiG, the U.S. Navy pushed for the aircraft to be heavily redesigned, reorienting it from the short-range interceptor mission once envisioned towards a medium-range all-weather fighter; adapting the design necessitated the addition of 7,000 Ibs. of weight to an aircraft that originally weight 22,000 Ibs, thus negatively impacting its performance.[16][17]
Initial flights and engine difficulties
During March 1951, the aircraft was hastily ordered into production for an initial batch of 150 F3H-1Ns. This order came prior to even reviewing the mockup, which occurred in July of that year.[18] On 7 August 1951, the prototype performed its maiden flight at the hand of test pilot Robert Edholm.[2][19] It quickly proved to be relatively easy to fly, fairly maneuverable, and the controls were responsive, yet it was also severely underpowered, particularly impacting high altitude flight.[20] This prototype was lost during a test flight roughly four months later.[21] The first test flights of the operational design did not occur until January 1953, by which time the conflict in Korea was drawing to a close.
The Demon had originally been designed around the ambitious Westinghouse J40 engine, which was to provide enough power to permit the use of just one engine in a number of new aircraft. However, this engine would ultimately fail to produce the promised thrust or to even run reliably; its performance was a major disappointment, producing only half of the expected power. It also suffered from a restricted flight envelop and frequent compressor stalls.[22][13] The airframe's use of an uncommon annual air intake, which inherently results in relatively poor pressure recovery, may have also contributed to the performance difficulties.[23]
James Smith McDonnell, president of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, personally wrote to Washington, warning that the engine would be a "disappointingly underpowered combination" and requesting a substitute engine be permitted.[16][24] Instead, the U.S. Navy opted to persist with the J40 engine in the hope that development of a more powerful version, the J40-10, would proceed rapidly; instead, Westinghouse proved unable to smoothly progress on the project and the issue became increasingly politically charged as time went on.[16][25] Of the 35 F3H-1N aircraft flown with the J40 engine, eight were involved in major accidents. The first production Demons were grounded after the loss of six aircraft and four pilots.[1][26] Time magazine called the Navy's grounding of all Westinghouse-powered F3H-1 Demons a "fiasco", with 21 unflyable planes that could be used only for Navy ground training at a loss of $200 million.[16] One high point of the J40 was the 1955 setting of an unofficial time-to-climb record, in a Demon, of 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in 71 seconds.[1] However, the J40 program was terminated sometime during 1955.
All of the aircraft that the J40 was to power were either canceled or redesigned to use other engines, notably the
Production
Despite the problems encountered, the U.S. Navy placed an order for 239 F3H-2s, the first of which being deployed during March 1956. 519 Demons were constructed before production was terminated during November 1959. It was not the U.S. Navy's first all-weather
The F3H-2N's standard armament was four 20 mm (.79 in)
At a late stage of development, the nose had been tilted downwards by ten degrees to improve the pilot's forward and downward visibility.[35] The windscreen was also changed multiple times with the same aim in mind.[36] Due to the excellent visibility from the cockpit, the Demon earned the nickname "The Chair". Demon pilots were known colloquially as "Demon Drivers" while ground crews who worked on the aircraft were known as "Demon Doctors". The unfavorable power-to-weight ratio gave rise to the less flattering nickname "lead sled", sometimes shortened to "sled".[37] Pilots observed its favourable flying characteristics and high level of stability when being flown at high altitude and during carrier operations, being relatively easy to land under almost any circumstance.[1][38]
A
In 1962, the F3H was redesignated F-3. The F3H-2N became the F-3C, the F3H-2M became MF-3B, and the F3H-2 changed to F-3B. During September 1964, the final Demon-equipped squadron,
Variants
- XF3H-1
- Prototype single-seat clear-weather interceptor fighter. Powered by 6,500 lbf (29 kN) (9,200 lbf (41 kN) with afterburner) Westinghouse XJ40-WE-6 engine. Two built.[41]
- F3H-1N
- Initial production version. Single-seat all-weather fighter version, powered by 7,200 lbf (32 kN) (10,900 lbf (48 kN) with afterburner) J40-WE-22 engine. 58 built.[41]
- F3H-1P
- Proposed reconnaissance version of F3H-1. Never built.[41]
- F3H-2N
- All-weather fighter powered by 9,500 lbf (42 kN) (14,250 lbf (63.4 kN) Allison J71-A-2 engine and equipped to carry AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. 239 built. Redesignated F-3C in 1962.[42]
- F3H-2M
- Derivative of F3H-2N armed with four AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles. 80 built. Redesignated MF-3B in 1962.[43]
- F3H-2
- Single-seat strike fighter version, retaining Sidewinder and Sparrow capability of the −2M/N and adding payload of 6,000 lb (2,730 kg) bombs or rockets. 239 built. Redesignated F-3B in 1962.[43]
- F3H-2P
- Proposed photo-reconnaissance version of −2. Unbuilt.[43]
- F3H-3
- Proposed version with the General Electric J73 engine. Unbuilt.[43]
Operators
Aircraft on display
- F3H-2M
- BuNo 137078 -
- F3H-2N
- BuNo 133566 - New York City, New York.[45]
- BuNo 145221 - Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona.[46]
Specifications (F3H-2)
Data from The American Fighter[43]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 59 ft (18 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft 4 in (10.77 m)
- Height: 14 ft 7 in (4.45 m)
- Wing area: 519 sq ft (48.2 m2)
- Empty weight: 21,133 lb (9,586 kg)
- Gross weight: 33,900 lb (15,377 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × afterburning turbojetengine, 9,700 lbf (43 kN) thrust dry, 14,750 lbf (65.6 kN) with afterburner
Performance
- Maximum speed: 716 mph (1,152 km/h, 622 kn) at sea level
- 647 mph (562 kn; 1,041 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m)
- Range: 1,370 mi (2,200 km, 1,190 nmi)
- Endurance: Three hours at 575 mi (500 nmi; 925 km) radius[47]
- Service ceiling: 35,050 ft (10,680 m)
- Rate of climb: 12,795 ft/min (65.00 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: 4x 20 mm (0.787 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon with 150 rpg
- Missiles: 4x AIM-7 Sparrow or 4x AIM-9 Sidewinder
- Bombs: 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) of bombs
Avionics
- AN/APG-51A, B, and C radar
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Dassault Étendard IV
- de Havilland Sea Vixen
- Douglas F4D Skyray
- Grumman F-9 Cougar
- Grumman F-11 Tiger
- North American FJ-4 Fury
- North American F-100 Super Sabre
- Supermarine Scimitar
- Vought F7U Cutlass
Related lists
- List of fighter aircraft
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962)
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g "F3H/F-3 Demon Fighter". Boeing.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009.
- ^ a b Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 304.
- ^ Francillon 1990, pp. 118–119.
- ^ Elward and Davies 2001, p. 13.
- ^ Francillon 1990, p. 126.
- ^ a b Francillon 1990, p. 117.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 29.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 156.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 35.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, pp. 47-48.
- ^ Francillon 1990, p. 118.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 157.
- ^ a b Lorell, Levaux and Giddens 1998, p. 48.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 47.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 30.
- ^ a b c d "Demon on the Ground". Time Magazine. 7 November 1955. Archived from the original on 15 December 2008.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 158.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 59.
- ^ Francillon 1990, p. 119.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, pp. 49-50.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 61.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 159.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 271.
- ^ Boyne 2002, p. 403.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 160.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 162.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 71.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 165.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 95.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 167.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, pp. 95-96.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, pp. 34-35.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 168.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 169.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 161.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 32.
- ^ O'Rourke, G.G, CAPT USN. "Of Hosenoses, Stoofs, and Lefthanded Spads." United States Naval Institute Proceedings, July 1968.
- ^ Thomason 2008, p. 263.
- ^ Kinzey 2013, p. 63.
- ^ Lorell, Levaux and Giddens 1998, pp. 77-78.
- ^ a b c Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 305.
- ^ Angelucci and Bowers 1957, pp. 304–306.
- ^ a b c d e Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 306.
- ^ "F3H Demon/137078." National Museum of Naval Aviation. Retrieved: 15 January 2015.
- ^ "F3H Demon/133566." Archived 19 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine Intrepid Museum. Retrieved: 15 January 2015.
- ^ "F3H Demon/145221." Archived 4 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine Pima Air & Space Museum. Retrieved: 15 January 2015.
- ^ Naval Aviation News March 1974, p. 23.
Bibliography
- Angelucci, Enzo; Bowers, Peter M. (1987). The American Fighter. Sparkford, Somerset, United Kingdom: Haynes Publishing Group. ISBN 0-85429-635-2.
- Boyne, Walter J. (2002). Air Warfare: an International Encyclopedia: A-L. ABC-CLIO.
- Dorr, Robert F. (March 2008). "McDonnell F3H Demon". Aeroplane. 36 (3). London, United Kingdom: IBC: 58–73.
- Elward, Brad A.; Davies, Peter (2001). US Navy F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1965–70, Part 1 (Osprey Combat Aircraft). London, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-163-3.
- Francillon, René J. (1990). McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920. Vol. II. Annapolis, Maryland, United States: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-550-0.
- ISBN 0-85059-463-4.
- Kinzey, Bert (2013). F3H Demon in Detail & Scale. Detail & Scale. ISBN 978-0-986-06770-9.
- Lorell, Mark A.; Levaux, Hugh P.; Giddens, Elizabeth (1998). The Cutting Edge: A Half Century of U.S. Fighter Aircraft R&D. RAND Corporation. ISBN 0-833-04860-0.
- "Naval Aircraft: Demon" (PDF). Naval Aviation News. March 1974. pp. 22–23.
- Spick, Mike (1991). "A Demon Possessed". ISSN 0143-5450.
- Thomason, Tommy H. (2008). U.S. Naval Air Superiority: Development of Shipborne Jet Fighters, 1943-1962. Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-580-07110-9.
External links
- F3H Demon Index
- Modeling Madness Demon History
- Demon Drivers
- Bob Jellison's F3H Demon
- Global Security
- A film clip of the F3H-2N is available for viewing at the Internet Archive