United States Naval Aviation 1910–1995.
McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920.
Under the 1922 United States Navy aircraft designation system, the letter "D" before the dash designated the aircraft's manufacturer.
Three prototypes were ordered on 30 August 1943 and the designation XFD-1 was assigned.
Provisions were also made for Rocket Assisted Take Off (RATO) bottles to improve takeoff performance. When the first XFD-1, serial number 48235, was completed in January 1945, only one Westinghouse 19XB-2B engine was available for installation.
Ground runs and taxi tests were conducted with the single engine, and such was the confidence in the aircraft that the first flight on 26 January 1945 was made with only the one turbojet engine.
With successful completion of tests, a production contract was awarded on 7 March 1945 for 100 FD-1 aircraft.
With the end of the war, the Phantom production contract was reduced to 30 aircraft, but was soon increased back to 60. The first prototype was lost in a fatal crash on 1 November 1945, but the second and final Phantom prototype (serial number 48236) was completed early the next year and became the first purely jet-powered aircraft to operate from an American aircraft carrier, completing four successful takeoffs and landings on 21 July 1946, from near Norfolk, Virginia.
With the end of the war, the Phantom production contract was reduced to 30 aircraft, but was soon increased back to 60. The first prototype was lost in a fatal crash on 1 November 1945, but the second and final Phantom prototype (serial number 48236) was completed early the next year and became the first purely jet-powered aircraft to operate from an American aircraft carrier, completing four successful takeoffs and landings on 21 July 1946, from near Norfolk, Virginia.
The second prototype crashed on 26 August 1946. Production Phantoms incorporated a number of design improvements.
"Part 6: Postwar Years: 1946–1949".
Despite this, the two aircraft were similar enough that McDonnell was able to complete its first F2H-1 in August 1948, a mere three months after the last FH-1 had rolled off the assembly line. ==Operational history== The first Phantoms were delivered to USN fighter squadron VF-17A (later redesignated VF-171) in August 1947; the squadron received a full complement of 24 aircraft on 29 May 1948.
Beginning in November 1947, Phantoms were delivered to United States Marine Corps squadron VMF-122, making it the first USMC combat squadron to deploy jets.
The "Grays" flew in various air shows during the summer of 1947, but the team was abruptly disbanded after their poorly timed arrival at a September air show in Cleveland, Ohio, nearly caused a head-on low-altitude collision with a large formation of other aircraft; their Phantoms were turned over to test squadron VX-3.
. ==External links== "Phantom Development" a 1947 Flight article by John W.
Taylor Carrier-based aircraft F1H Phantom McDonnell F1H Phantom World War II jet aircraft of the United States Cruciform tail aircraft Twinjets Aircraft first flown in 1947
Including the two prototypes, a total of 62 Phantoms were finally produced, with the last FH-1 rolling off the assembly line in May 1948. Realizing that the production of more powerful jet engines was imminent, McDonnell engineers proposed a more powerful variant of the Phantom while the original aircraft was still under development – a proposal that would lead to the design of the Phantom's replacement, the F2H Banshee.
Despite this, the two aircraft were similar enough that McDonnell was able to complete its first F2H-1 in August 1948, a mere three months after the last FH-1 had rolled off the assembly line. ==Operational history== The first Phantoms were delivered to USN fighter squadron VF-17A (later redesignated VF-171) in August 1947; the squadron received a full complement of 24 aircraft on 29 May 1948.
VF-17A became the USN's first fully operational jet carrier squadron when it deployed aboard on 5 May 1948. The Phantom was one of the first jets used by the U.S.
This aircraft was accepted by the navy on 28 February 1948.
The VMF-122 Phantoms were later used for air show demonstrations until they were taken out of service in 1949, with the team being known alternately as the Marine Phantoms or the Flying Leathernecks. The Phantom's service as a frontline fighter would be short-lived.
In June 1949, VF-171 (VF-17A) re-equipped with the Banshee, and their Phantoms were turned over to VF-172; this squadron, along with the NATC, VX-3, and VMF-122, turned over their Phantoms to the United States Naval Reserve by late 1949 after receiving F2H-1 Banshees.
After flying for a brief time with Marine Fighter Squadron (VMF) 122, the first Marine jet squadron, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, it was stricken from the naval inventory in 1949.
The FH-1 would see training duty with the USNR until being replaced by the F9F Panther in July 1954; none ever saw combat, having been retired from frontline service prior to the outbreak of the Korean War. ===Civilian use=== In 1964, Progressive Aero, Incorporated of Fort Lauderdale, Florida purchased three surplus Phantoms, intending to use them to teach civilians how to fly jets.
It was retired in April 1954, with a total of 418 flight hours.
Navy in 1959. BuNo 111768 - Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Horseheads, New York.
(Publishers) Ltd., 1961 (sixth impression 1969).
The FH-1 would see training duty with the USNR until being replaced by the F9F Panther in July 1954; none ever saw combat, having been retired from frontline service prior to the outbreak of the Korean War. ===Civilian use=== In 1964, Progressive Aero, Incorporated of Fort Lauderdale, Florida purchased three surplus Phantoms, intending to use them to teach civilians how to fly jets.
(Publishers) Ltd., 1961 (sixth impression 1969).
London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1976.
London: Putnam & Company, Ltd, 1979.
New York: Doubleday, third edition, 1982.
The museum acquired the aircraft from National Jets, Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1983. ==Specifications (FH-1 Phantom)== ==See also== ==References== ===Notes=== ===Citations=== ===Bibliography=== Angelucci, Enzo and Peter M.
Sparkford, Somerset, UK: Haynes Publishing Group, 1987.
5, November 1987, pp. 231–235, 258–260.
Willowdale, Ontario, Canada: Banshee Publication, 1991.
Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, 1997.
Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 2002.
In 2006 the aircraft was moved its current location.
2, Summer 2010. Mesko, Jim.
5 Aug 2016 aircraft is on display in H3 of Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona. BuNo 111793 - National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
All text is taken from Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License .
Page generated on 2021-08-05