Douglas F4D-1 Skyray
In 1947, the US Navy issued a requirement for a delta-winged aircraft that could quickly reach altitudes of 50,000 feet, to act as a fleet defense interceptor. The delta wing was still only a concept, but Douglas went to its chief designer, Ed Heinemann, to meet the Navy requirement. As usual, Heinemann came through: the F4D Skyray took to the skies in 1951.
It was a radical aircraft for its time. The delta wings gave it plenty of lift and good handling characteristics, but also meant for a high approach speed when returning to the carrier. Engine problems plagued the aircraft; even when these were cured, fuel consumption was higher than anticipated. The cockpit was not ergonomic, and while the Skyray was in theory supersonic, it breached the sound barrier through brute force, according to its pilots, making for a very bumpy ride.
The "Ford" (for F4D) may not have been well liked, but it did meet the Navy's requirement, with honors: nothing could climb with it. The F4D could go from zero to 50,000 feet in just over two minutes, and owned the time-to-climb record for almost a decade. Once it was equipped with missiles, the Skyray was one of the best interceptors in service. So good was the F4D that the Navy formed a special interceptor squadron, VFAW-3, that was tasked with defense of the United States and subordinate to the USAF.
The Skyray's biggest problem was that it came at a time when aviation was moving so fast that it was obsolete by the time it reached the fleet in 1956. With the F-4 Phantom II and the F-8 Crusader much better fighter platforms, the F4D was retired in 1964, only six years after entering service. It was briefly designated F-6A (to avoid confusion with the F-4) between 1962 and 1964.
Bureau Number 134936 is a F4D-1 delivered to the US Navy in 1957, serving with VF-102 ("Diamondbacks") aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59). This proved to be the only squadron 134936 would serve with; when VF-102 reequipped with F-4B Phantom IIs in 1963, 134936 would be sent to NARTU Olathe, Kansas, as a training aircraft.
Sometime soon after that, 134936 was retired permanently, and donated to the Emily Griffith Training School in Denver, Colorado as a ground instructional airframe. As the F4D was clearly obsolete for even that by 1981, the school finally donated 134936 to the Pueblo Weisbrod Museum. The aircraft went through restoration work and was returned to display in 2009.
Before last year, I'd never seen a "Ford" in person, but now I can say I've seen two in as many years. 134936 looks great; the museum did a superb job in restoration.
Douglas F4D-1 Skyray
In 1947, the US Navy issued a requirement for a delta-winged aircraft that could quickly reach altitudes of 50,000 feet, to act as a fleet defense interceptor. The delta wing was still only a concept, but Douglas went to its chief designer, Ed Heinemann, to meet the Navy requirement. As usual, Heinemann came through: the F4D Skyray took to the skies in 1951.
It was a radical aircraft for its time. The delta wings gave it plenty of lift and good handling characteristics, but also meant for a high approach speed when returning to the carrier. Engine problems plagued the aircraft; even when these were cured, fuel consumption was higher than anticipated. The cockpit was not ergonomic, and while the Skyray was in theory supersonic, it breached the sound barrier through brute force, according to its pilots, making for a very bumpy ride.
The "Ford" (for F4D) may not have been well liked, but it did meet the Navy's requirement, with honors: nothing could climb with it. The F4D could go from zero to 50,000 feet in just over two minutes, and owned the time-to-climb record for almost a decade. Once it was equipped with missiles, the Skyray was one of the best interceptors in service. So good was the F4D that the Navy formed a special interceptor squadron, VFAW-3, that was tasked with defense of the United States and subordinate to the USAF.
The Skyray's biggest problem was that it came at a time when aviation was moving so fast that it was obsolete by the time it reached the fleet in 1956. With the F-4 Phantom II and the F-8 Crusader much better fighter platforms, the F4D was retired in 1964, only six years after entering service. It was briefly designated F-6A (to avoid confusion with the F-4) between 1962 and 1964.
Bureau Number 134936 is a F4D-1 delivered to the US Navy in 1957, serving with VF-102 ("Diamondbacks") aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59). This proved to be the only squadron 134936 would serve with; when VF-102 reequipped with F-4B Phantom IIs in 1963, 134936 would be sent to NARTU Olathe, Kansas, as a training aircraft.
Sometime soon after that, 134936 was retired permanently, and donated to the Emily Griffith Training School in Denver, Colorado as a ground instructional airframe. As the F4D was clearly obsolete for even that by 1981, the school finally donated 134936 to the Pueblo Weisbrod Museum. The aircraft went through restoration work and was returned to display in 2009.
Before last year, I'd never seen a "Ford" in person, but now I can say I've seen two in as many years. 134936 looks great; the museum did a superb job in restoration.