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F2H-3 Banshee, US Navy
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Scale 1:32 Length 18.1" Wingspan 16.8"
Photography by Action Asia Photo
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The F2H Banshee fighter, immortalized by James Michener in his novel, The Bridges of Toko-Ri, was similar in design and appearance to the FH-1 Phantom, but it had twice the power and carried bombs as well as rockets and cannons. McDonnell's Banshee was developed from the Navy's first jet powered fighter aircraft, the FH-1 Phantom. It was the F2H-2 versions of the Banshee that saw the most service in Korea. With performance similar to the Grumman F9F, the Banshee proved to be less durable in combat and could not carry as much ordnance as the Grumman. Nonetheless, the aircraft was well liked by those who flew it. Pilots loved the docile handling of the Banshee and the ease of which it could be flown. The F2H-2B was modified with additional bomb racks under the wings for the close support role. This enabled the fighter to carry 3,000 pounds of underwing ordnance, which was a full ton greater than the standard F2H-2. It also had 200-gallon fuel tanks for the wingtips. By installing the engines in the expanded wing roots next to the fuselage, engineers reduced aerodynamic drag. In 1949, an F2H-2 set a jet altitude record of 52,000 feet. The F2H-2P - designed for reconnaissance - had camera equipment located in an elongated nose. McDonnell Aircraft built 895 Banshees, and they established the company as a new star in the US aircraft manufacturing industry. A variant was specially strengthened to carry nuclear weapons. It went into combat in 1951 and served as one of the principal fighters with the Navy's Seventh Fleet for the duration of the Korean conflict. Banshees became the US Navy's standard aircraft for all-weather fighter missions of extended range and served with the Navy until September 1959, when the Canadian Navy acquired 39 former F2H-3s. These remained in service until September 1962. The F2H-2 Banshee was followed by the F2H-3, (delivered to the fleet in 1953) which was fitted with an APQ-41 radar and so had full all-weather and night capability. The F2H-3 fuselages were 8 feet longer than the F2H-2s and accommodated radar equipment and an extra 1,102 gallons of gas. Some were fitted for aerial refueling. The Demon was the first carrier aircraft to fire air-to-air guided missiles while deployed at sea. Specs:
F2H-3 |
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