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Subject: McDonnell F3H Demon
Date: 14 Sep 2016 21:29:12 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_F3H_Demon
The McDonnell F3H Demon was a subsonic swept-wing United States Navy
carrier-based jet fighter aircraft. The successor to the F2H Banshee, the Demon
was redesigned with the J71 engine after severe problems with the Westinghouse
J40 engine that was part of the original design but ultimately abandoned. Though
it lacked sufficient power for supersonic performance, it complemented daylight
dogfighters such as the Vought F8U Crusader and Grumman F11F Tiger as an
all-weather, missile-armed interceptor until 1964. It was withdrawn before it
could serve in Vietnam when both it and the Crusader were replaced on
Forrestal-class and similar supercarriers by the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
II. McDonnell's Phantom, which was equally capable against ground, fighter and
bomber targets, bears a strong family resemblance, as it was conceived as an
advanced development of the Demon. The supersonic United States Air Force F-101
Voodoo was similar in layout, but was derived from the earlier XF-88 Voodoo,
which also influenced the Demon's layout.
The Navy desperately needed a high performance fighter to meet the challenge of
the swept-wing MiG-15 encountered over Korea. Production of the F3H-1N was
hastily ordered even before the first flight of the XF3H-1 prototype on 7 August
1951 by test pilot Robert Edholm. The first test flights of the operational
design did not occur until January 1953, when the Korean War was winding down.
Role
carrier-based fighter
Manufacturer
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
First flight
7 August 1951
Introduction
7 March 1956
Retired
1964
Status
Phased out of service
Primary user
United States Navy
Number built
519
The F3H-2N's standard armament was four 20 mm (.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannons. In
later years, the upper two cannons were often omitted to save weight. Later
models, redesignated F3H-2M, were equipped to fire the Raytheon AAM-N-2 Sparrow
and later the Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Deployed aircraft carried both
types of missiles, the Sparrow on the inboard rails and the Sidewinder outboard.
Cannons were not used in carrier air defense applications, but they were
installed and armed when situations (such as the Cuban Missile Crisis) dictated,
and where the aircraft might be deployed against surface targets.
Due to excellent visibility from the cockpit, the Demon earned the nickname "The
Chair". Demon pilots were known colloquially as "Demon Drivers" and those 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".
Specifications (F3H-2)
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 59 ft 0 in (17.98 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft 4 in (10.76 m)
Height: 14 ft 7 in (4.44 m)
Empty weight: 21,133 lb (10,040 kg)
Loaded weight: 33,900 lb (15,377 kg)
Thrust with afterburner: 14,750 lbf (65.77 kN)
Performance
Maximum speed: 716 mph (622 knots, 1,152 km/h) at sea level, 647 mph (563 knots,
1,041 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,150 m)
Range: 1,370 mi (1,191 nmi, 1,899 km)
Endurance: 3 hr at 575 mi (500 nmi, 926 km) radius
Service ceiling: 35,050 ft (10,683 m)
Rate of climb: 12,795 ft/min (65.0 m/s)
Armament
Guns: 4 20 mm (0.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannons, 150 rpg
Missiles: 4 AIM-7 Sparrow or AIM-9 Sidewinder
Bombs: 6,000 lb (2,720 kg) of bombs
Avionics
AN/APG-51A, B, and C radar
*
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