F2H-2 Banshee

The McDonnell F2H Banshee was a military carrier-based jet fighter aircraft, used by the US Navy from 1951 to 1959 and by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1955 until 1962. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (740x615, 109 KB) This image is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made during the course of the persons official duties. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (740x615, 109 KB) This image is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made during the course of the persons official duties. ... DC-10, retired from American Airlines fleet at gate McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Armed Forces. ...

It was a development of the FH-1 Phantom, although it was being planned before the Phantom went into production. The basic design was for an enlarged and more powerful Phantom, with new Westinghouse turbojets raising power from 1,600 to 3,000 lbf (7 kN to 13 kN), an increased fuel load, a move away from the WW II standard 0.5 in guns to 20 mm cannon, and addition capability to carry bombs, rockets or missiles as well. McDonnell FH-1 Phantom. ... Westinghouse logo (designed by Paul Rand) The Westinghouse Electric Company, headquartered in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is an organization founded by George Westinghouse in 1886. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ...

A mock-up of the new fighter, designated XF2D-1, was completed in April 1945. The project survived the end of the war but development work was slowed and the first prototype was not built until late 1946. The aircraft made its maiden flight on January 11, 1947 from Lambert field, St. Louis. The Navy redesignated the aircraft the XF2H-1 as the manufacturer's designator "D" was already assigned to the Douglas Aircraft Company. After some problems with the tailplane were resolved an order for 56 craft was placed in May, 1947. The first craft were delivered in August 1948 for service evaluation by Navy pilots, a year later during an aerobatic test a pilot was forced to eject, the first US pilot to use an ejector seat in a real emergency. The F2H-1 was retro-fitted with 3,150 lbf (14 kN) thrust engines as they became available. US Air Force F/A-22 Raptor ejection seat test using a mannequin. ...

Despite accepting the F2H-1 it was the more capable F2H-2 that was most widely used, 334 of this type were built. With newer 3,250 lbf (14.5 kN) thrust engines, a reconfigured fuselage gometry and increased wingspan it had less drag and improved performance. It also could be fitted with wing-tip 200 US gallon (760 L) droptanks. It served during the Korean War with the 7th Fleet, initially as a fighter but as newer aircraft were introduced (such as the Grumman F9F and Douglas F3D) it took a photo-reconnaissance role. The Korean War, from June 25, 1950 to cease-fire on July 27, 1953 (technically speaking, the war has not yet ended), was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ...

The F2H-3 was the last significant alteration. It had an extended fuselage to increase fuel load by 1,102 US gallons (4,172 L). It was also fitted with radar equipment to enable the craft for all-weather missions. The radar was in the longer nose nose, moving the cannon into the fuselage. The last variant was the F2H-4.

Production ended in September 1953 with almost 900 aircraft built. The interest from the RCN to replace the Hawker Sea Fury with the F2H-3 in a 60 aircraft $40 million deal had initially been for new aircraft. Budget problems meant that the RCN eventually acquired second-hand USN aircraft, 39 at a cost of $25 million. The aircraft were delivered from 1955 to 1958 and flew from HMCS Bonaventure or as NORAD interceptors with the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile. The last RCN Banshees retired in September 1962. Hawker Sea Furies in Canadian Navy livery. ... HMCS Bonaventure was the last aircraft carrier in the Royal Canadian Navy. ... NORAD is short for: North American Aerospace Defense Command Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Sidewinder Missile The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. ...

Specifications (F2H-1)

• Wingspan: 12.67 m
• Length: 12.24 m
• Height: 4.41 m
• Weight: 4,452 kg (empty), 8,609 kg (maximum).
• Engines: Two Westinghouse J34 turbojets, 14 kN static thrust each.
• Performance: 940 km/h at sea level
• Ceiling: 14,783 m
• Range: 2045 km on 2650 L
• Crew: 1
• Armament: four 20 mm cannon

Units Using the Banshee

United States Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

• VF-870
• VF-871
• VX-9

Related content

Designation sequence:

• Pre-1962:
  • McDonnell: FH - F2H - F3H - F4H
  • Douglas: XFD - XF2D - F3D - F4D - F5D
• Post-1962: F-1 - F-2 - F-3 - F-4 - F-5

Related development: McDonnell FH-1 Phantom. ... The McDonnell F3H Demon was a US Navy carrier-based jet fighter aircraft. ... F-4 re-directs here; for alternate uses, see F4 The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by (originally McDonnell Aircraft Corporation) McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... The F3D Skynight was a jet fighter aircraft in service with the United States Navy. ... The Douglas F4D Skyray was a carrier-based fighter built by the Douglas Aircraft Company. ... The Douglas F5D Skylancer was a development of the F4D Skyray for the United States Navy. ... North American FJ-4 Fury. ... The McDonnell F3H Demon was a US Navy carrier-based jet fighter aircraft. ... F-4 re-directs here; for alternate uses, see F4 The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by (originally McDonnell Aircraft Corporation) McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... The F-5 Freedom Fighter (or Tiger II) is a fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the USA, beginning in 1962. ...

• FH Phantom

Similar aircraft:
McDonnell FH-1 Phantom. ...

• FJ Fury

  North American FJ-4 Fury. ...