DOUGLAS F3D-2 SKYKNIGHT SPECIAL EDITION

The Douglas F3D Skyknight (also known as the F-10 Skyknight) was an American, on-board, Cold War fighter. The flight of the prototype took place in 1948, and the plane entered service in 1951. About 265 machines of this type were built in the course of production. The propulsion, in the F3D-2 version, was provided by two Westinghouse J34-WE-36 turbojet engines with a thrust of 16 kN each. The length of the aircraft ready for flight was 13.84 meters with a wingspan of 15.24 meters. The on-board armament consisted of four 20 mm cannons. The machine could also carry a load of bombs or rockets weighing up to 910 kilograms. The Douglas F3D Skyknight was designed for the use of the US Navy as primarily a night fighter, with an advanced - for those times - avionics and an on-board radar. Thus, the machine was designed primarily as a stable platform for this radar, as well as for a strong on-board armament. The emphasis was also on possibly high top speed and climb, rather than on maneuverability. Nevertheless, the Douglas F3D Skyknight turned out to be quite a successful on-board fighter, which performed well during the Korean War (1950-1953) and later - as an electronic warfare machine - during the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975). Two main versions of this aircraft were developed in the course of production: the F3D-1 (the first version produced on a larger scale) and the F3D-2 (a version with a different on-board radar and more thrust engines).