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One thing that can drive you batty is that from Pre-WWII to the early 1960's the US. Navy would use the same damn designations number over again for different aircraft! It gets even better because different manufacturers would be given the same number. Therefore you can have a Grumman F-4 Wildcat, a Douglas F-4 Skyray and a McDonnell F-4 Phantom II. For extra fun remember that McDonnell and Douglas will merge to form McDonnell Douglas in the 1960's!
When it was conceived, the Douglas F-4 Skyray was one of fastest fighter aircrafts in the world. In fact it held the world speed record for a brief time. Unfortunately it also came into existence during a time of amazing advancements in aviation and with in a few years was made obsolete by the relentless march of technology, but for a short while it was the US. Navy's hot ship!
One of the things I love about the early jet era is the multitude of shapes that were tried in aircraft. This was an era when the world's air forces grappled to understand what the jet's full capabilities were. Rich troves of captured Nazi engineering designs and concepts were examined by design teams in the East and West. In fact the foundation for the Skyray came from a meeting between Douglas engineers and Alexander Lippisch in 1948. Unlike the sharp edge delta designs that Convair and Dassault built it has more rounded soft look to it.
When it was conceived, the Douglas F-4 Skyray was one of fastest fighter aircrafts in the world. In fact it held the world speed record for a brief time. Unfortunately it also came into existence during a time of amazing advancements in aviation and with in a few years was made obsolete by the relentless march of technology, but for a short while it was the US. Navy's hot ship!
One of the things I love about the early jet era is the multitude of shapes that were tried in aircraft. This was an era when the world's air forces grappled to understand what the jet's full capabilities were. Rich troves of captured Nazi engineering designs and concepts were examined by design teams in the East and West. In fact the foundation for the Skyray came from a meeting between Douglas engineers and Alexander Lippisch in 1948. Unlike the sharp edge delta designs that Convair and Dassault built it has more rounded soft look to it.
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 867 x 425px
File Size 95.8 kB
Nice.
They were attractive birds, I saw one in a flight museum on a former air base in either Texas or Oklahoma years ago and even partially restored it was easy on the eyes. They really fit the name Skyray, if you could get a good view from above those wings do look like a manta ray, and the smoothness of the lines had a kind of aquatic feel.
Does anyone else have this strange sense when they look at modern designs like the JSF and the F-22 next to 60s or 70s designs that we're living in some kind of sci-fi world?
They were attractive birds, I saw one in a flight museum on a former air base in either Texas or Oklahoma years ago and even partially restored it was easy on the eyes. They really fit the name Skyray, if you could get a good view from above those wings do look like a manta ray, and the smoothness of the lines had a kind of aquatic feel.
Does anyone else have this strange sense when they look at modern designs like the JSF and the F-22 next to 60s or 70s designs that we're living in some kind of sci-fi world?
Nice ^^ I've always didn't buy the kit version of it...along with the cougar; I dunno.... it didn't have any pylons and looked very smooth and 'clean' =3 Plus was small...
Great picture, I see you started drawing the aircraft foirst right? With the angle it stands on the ground/deck it really did sit low
Great picture, I see you started drawing the aircraft foirst right? With the angle it stands on the ground/deck it really did sit low
One thing I've noticed about the really early jets is that most of them have very short landing gear by modern standards. Even carrier aircraft have stumpy looking gear. Now of course there are exceptions like the Vought F-7U Cutlass which probably had the longest front landing gear of any fighter ever! Except maybe Royal Navy F-4 Phantom's
I assume the shorter landing is result of, one the planes being smaller, 2 the limitations of landing gear technology of the time and desire to keep weight down,and 3 less concern for FOD to the engines? Any ideas on your end.
I assume the shorter landing is result of, one the planes being smaller, 2 the limitations of landing gear technology of the time and desire to keep weight down,and 3 less concern for FOD to the engines? Any ideas on your end.
Yes it did! It is on my short list of US, Pre-Century Series jets that I want to do. I will admit that naval aviation holds a bit more fascination for me. The designers often had to deal with radically different design requirements and still have a chance against land-based opponents.
Looks very similar to early versions of Mig-21, maybe excepting nose and delta wings.
http://www.jplanes.com/Images/Mig-2.....MIG-21(Y4).jpg
http://www.jplanes.com/Images/Mig-2.....MIG-21(Y4).jpg
Funny I come across this during one of my clean-ups. About half a year ago, I got back into doing some models and this plane happened to be one of the first ones that I picked up. (Actually it was what got me started up again in models) Sadly I hadn't gotten around to finishing it yet though.
It was put out by Testors. It is a F4D-1 in 1/72 scale. It was on discount because it had been discontinued. I started fitting and cleaning up the parts on it shortly after I got it. I hadn't really done much else to it since. The model may look little simple, but I thought it would make for a good refresher. I haven't decided on what I'll paint it yet. It wasn't till later that I decided that it would be part of a fictional demonstration and training flight line that would have something to do with a group of humans and a furry race that is just learning how to fly.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:.....75.jpg%26v%3DE
Shortly after getting this I ended up picking up quite a few other models as well, spread out slightly through the eras.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:.....75.jpg%26v%3DE
Shortly after getting this I ended up picking up quite a few other models as well, spread out slightly through the eras.
Before the 1960s the US Navy had an interesting way of designating aircraft. They would alternate between letters and numbers. First would be the aircraft type, in this case F for fighter. Then the number of the production design from the manufacturer, for this and several others, 4. Next would be the Navy's designator for the manufacturer: F for Grumman, U for Vought, D for Douglas, H for McDonnell, J for North American, etc. Last would be the number for the particular aircraft model of the series. For example, the original designation for the F-4A Phantom II was F4H-1.
Sorry for the long description, but I hope it clears things up.
Sorry for the long description, but I hope it clears things up.
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