McDonnell F2H
| McDonnell F2H Banshee | |
|---|---|
 F2H-2 of Squadron VF-11 of the USS Kearsarge , 1952 |
|
| Type: | Fighter bomber |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 11, 1947 |
| Commissioning: |
August 1948 |
| Production time: |
1948 to 1953 |
| Number of pieces: |
895 |
The McDonnell F2H Banshee was a carrier-based fighter - bomber made by the American manufacturer McDonnell . The F2H Banshee was the successor to the FH Phantom , which was initially referred to as the McDonnell FD. When production of the FD-1 started, McDonnell was given the contract to develop a larger fighter-bomber. The prototype was very similar to the FD series, although it was larger and heavier.
The prototype was renamed from XF2D-1 to XF2H-1 shortly after its completion. The manufacturer-related part of the type designation “D” was changed to “H” in the US Navy designation system in 1946 in order to avoid confusion with the Douglas designs. The first flight as XF2H-1 with two Westinghouse J34-WE-22 (13.3 kN ) was on January 11, 1947. Two prototypes were built.
Versions
- F2H-1 : 56 built from March 1949, first use with the VF-171 squadron.
- F2H-2 : 364 built from 1949, longer fuselage and wing tip tanks. The F2H-2 / B / N were on squadrons VF-11, VF-12, VF-22, VF-62, VF-171, VF-172, VMF-122, VMF-214, VMF-224, and VMJ -1 mainly used in the Korean War.
- F2H-2B : Version of the F2H-2 with reinforced wings for launching the Mk 8 nuclear weapons.
- F2H-2N : 14 night fighters with advanced radar equipment.
- F2H-2P : 58 unarmed photo reconnaissance aircraft with six cameras in the extended fuselage nose. Used by the VC-61, VC-62, VMJ-1 and VMJ-2 squadrons.
- F2H-3 : 250 F2H-3 long-range all-weather fighters with two additional tanks in the extended fuselage and Westinghouse AN / APQ-41 radar in the nose of the fuselage. The last aircraft was delivered on October 31, 1953. The models still in existence in 1962 were renamed F-2C.
- F2H-4 : 150 built, more powerful J34-WE-38 engines and Hughes AN / APG-37 radar. The aircraft still in existence in 1962 were renamed F-2D.
The production of the F2H ended in 1953 after 895 machines. From 1955 to 1958 Canada received 39 F2H-3s. They were flown by the VF-870 and VF-871 fighter squadrons and the VX-10 test squadron. They were used by the Canadian aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure until they were retired in September 1962 .
production
Acceptance of the McDonnell F2H by the US Navy:
| version | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XF2H-1 | 3 | 3 | |||||
| F2H-1 | 7th | 49 | 56 | ||||
| F2H-2 | 15th | 147 | 137 | 35 | 334 | ||
| F2H-2N | 2 | 12 | 14th | ||||
| F2H-2P | 36 | 52 | 88 | ||||
| F2H-3 | 85 | 168 | 253 | ||||
| F2H-4 | 147 | 147 | |||||
| TOTAL | 7th | 69 | 159 | 173 | 172 | 315 | 895 |
Users
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Technical specifications
| Parameter | F2H-3 data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 14.68 m |
| span | 12.73 m |
| height | 4.42 m |
| Empty mass | 5,980 kg |
| Standard takeoff mass | 9,531 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 11,437 kg |
| drive | two jet turbines Westinghouse J34 -WE-34 with 14.5 kN thrust each |
| Top speed | 933 km / h |
| Marching speed | 742 km / h |
| Max. Range | 2,760 km |
| Service ceiling | 14,205 m |
| Max. Rate of climb | 30 m / s |
| Armament | four 20 mm AN / M3 cannons, 440 kg bomb load |
gallery
Prototype XF2D-1 in August 1947
Camera equipment of an F3H-2P
F2H-2 aboard USS Essex during the Korean War
F2H-3 carrier landing aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt
Reconnaissance aircraft F2H-2P of the VFP-62 of the USS Coral Sea , 1956
Canadian F2H-3, 1957
An F2H in the night fighter version 2N, 1951
Restored F2H-2P in the National Museum of Naval Aviation
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See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Statistical Digest of the USAF 1948II, p. 16; 1949, p. 164 ff .; 1951, p. 153 ff .; 1952, p. 153 ff.; 1953, p. 185 ff.